Headlines

Sea urchin spines inspire self-powered underwater sensors

Nature does it again! The natural world has a knack for giving us the blueprints for some useful technologies, and the humble sea urchin is the latest contributor. Scientists have designed a new class of smart sensors by mimicking the internal architecture found in their spines.

Rydberg atoms detect clear signals from a handheld radio

For the first time, a team of US researchers has used sensors containing highly excited Rydberg atoms to detect signals from an ordinary handheld radio. Through a careful approach to demodulating the incoming signals, Noah Schlossberger and colleagues at the National Institute

Skagerrak's invisible diversity may be lost in silence

Fish caught in the same trawl and sold under the same name may in fact have significant genetic differences. Beneath the surface of the Skagerrak lies a biological diversity that is rarely seen in fishmongers. "If management does not take this into greater consideration, we

Image: Intermediate spiral galaxy NGC 941

NGC 941 is located approximately 55 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus. This faint galaxy is classified as an intermediate spiral, exhibiting characteristics between a barred spiral with a central bar and an unbarred spiral.

When you stumble, laughter beats embarrassment

When you make a small mistake that doesn't harm anyone else—such as tripping over a curb or misremembering a name—people will like you more if you can laugh at yourself rather than act embarrassed, finds research published by the American Psychological Association.

Australians are rethinking inner city living

In a post-COVID world, CBD living is losing appeal with Australian residents opting for lower-density housing, according to new research from Adelaide University. Published in Regional Studies, the research examined the future direction of population growth across Australia's

How oxygen enriched Earth's atmosphere 2.5 billion years ago

Cyanobacteria, as they still exist today, were the first organisms to carry out photosynthesis and release oxygen. Produced in primeval oceans about 2.5 billion years ago, this oxygen accumulated in Earth's atmosphere on an immense scale. A research team led by University of

Tackling industry's burdensome bubble problem

In industrial plants around the world, tiny bubbles cause big problems. Bubbles clog filters, disrupt chemical reactions, reduce throughput during biomanufacturing, and can even cause overheating in electronics and nuclear power plants. MIT Professor Kripa Varanasi has long

Ireland’s Old Irish Goat has survived 3,000 years

The Old Irish Goat isn’t just part of folklore — it’s genetically linked to goats that lived in Ireland 3,000 years ago. Scientists analyzed ancient remains and discovered that today’s rare breed shares its strongest DNA ties with Late Bronze Age animals. The finding suggests

The more you fear aging, the faster your body may age

Worrying about getting older—especially fearing future health problems—may actually speed up aging at the cellular level, according to new research from NYU. In a study of more than 700 women, those who felt more anxious about aging showed signs of faster biological aging in

Why conspiracy theories can be so irresistible

People who prefer structured, rule-based explanations may find conspiracy theories appealing because they offer a clear, ordered explanation for events that feel chaotic. New research led by Flinders University has found that understanding how someone processes information can