U.S. FDA may nix black box warning on some menopause estrogen treatments
Experts worry the warning on vaginal estrogen menopause treatments is doing more harm than good and is not supported by science.
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Your chance of having a boy or girl may not be 50/50
We commonly think that sperm determines the sex of a child, depending on whether it carries an X or Y chromosome, but a study now suggests that a woman's age is also a factor
Deep life's survival secret: Crustal faulting generates key energy sources, study shows
Chinese researchers have recently challenged the long-held belief that "all life depends on sunlight." In a study published in Science Advances, the researchers identified how microbes in deep subsurface areas can derive energy from chemical reactions driven by crustal
Study reveals hidden regulatory roles of 'junk' DNA
A new international study suggests that ancient viral DNA embedded in our genome, which were long dismissed as genetic "junk," may actually play powerful roles in regulating gene expression. Focusing on a family of sequences called MER11, researchers from Japan, China, Canada,
Exposure to microplastic makes animals want to eat it more
Over multiple generations, small nematode worms began preferring microplastic-contaminated food over cleaner options, which could have consequences for ecosystem health
A child’s biological sex may not always be a random 50-50 chance
Some people’s biology may set them up to birth babies of a certain sex, explaining why a family with multiple children may have all girls or all boys.
AI-assisted sorting, other new technologies could improve plastic recycling
Just 9% of plastic worldwide is recycled. Due to waste mismanagement, nearly three-quarters of it ends up in landfills or the environment.
Researchers explore machine learning to automate early modern text transcription ethically
In the last two decades, mass digitization has dramatically changed the landscape of scholarly research. The ability to search digital transcriptions of sources for specific keywords saves valuable time, and scholars are no longer confined to archives and libraries if they wish
Ranching and farming have eroded almost all the soil in the Alps
Grazing livestock and farming over the past 4000 years have rapidly accelerated the rate of soil loss in the Alps, jeopardising the ecosystem and putting the mountains at risk of further erosion
Tests that AIs Often Fail and Humans Ace Could Pave the Way for Artificial General Intelligence
Discover why some puzzles stump supersmart AIs but are easy for humans, what this reveals about the quest for true artificial general intelligence—and why video games are the next frontier
Laws of quantum physics may rule out a universe that came before ours
Instead of the big bang, some physicists have suggested that our universe may have come from a big bounce following another universe contracting – but quantum theory could rule this out
Obesity may come in 11 different types, each with their own cause
Obesity could exist in many forms, which may benefit from different treatments and prevention strategies
Ecosystem collapse patterns mirror magnetic material behavior under stress
A new study published in the journal One Earth reveals that the way ecosystems collapse—abruptly or gradually—may depend on internal complexity, much like how magnetic materials behave under stress.
Focus on seafood: Studies reveal how to determine the amount of microplastics in food
How much microplastic truly ends up in the seafood on our plates? The answer varies significantly because there are no standardized analytical procedures in food monitoring to quantify the amount of tiny plastic particles in fishery products.
Common feature between forest fires and neural networks reveals universal framework
Researchers from the University of Tokyo in collaboration with Aisin Corporation have demonstrated that universal scaling laws, which describe how the properties of a system change with size and scale, apply to deep neural networks that exhibit absorbing phase transition
Scanning tunneling microscopy reveals subsurface atomic structure
Scientists use scanning tunneling microscopy to understand how a material's electronic or magnetic properties relate to its structure on the atomic scale. When using this technique, however, they can normally investigate only the uppermost atomic layer of a material.
Vision problems emerge as astronauts spend months in orbit
When astronauts began spending six months and more aboard the International Space Station, they started to notice changes in their vision. For example, many found that, as their mission progressed, they needed stronger reading glasses. Researchers studying this phenomenon
New York City intersections see one-third fewer pedestrian injuries with longer head-start intervals
Giving pedestrians a 7-second head start at traffic lights—known as Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs)—is associated with a 33% reduction in total pedestrian injuries—both fatal and non-fatal—at New York City intersections, according to a new study from Columbia University
First sperm whale tooth from 3rd millennium Iberian peninsula discovered
A team of researchers, led by Dr. Samuel Ramírez-Cruzado Aguilar-Galindo, recently provided a comprehensive, multidisciplinary study of a sperm-whale tooth found in the Copper Age mega-site of Valencina de la Concepción-Castilleja de Guzmán (henceforth referred to as Valencina).
Scientists detect lithium in Mercury's exosphere using magnetic wave analysis
Using a cutting-edge magnetic wave detection technique, a new study in Nature Communications has identified lithium in Mercury's exosphere for the first time.
How Distillation Makes AI Models Smaller and Cheaper
Fundamental technique lets researchers use a big, expensive “teacher” model to train a “student” model for less. The post How Distillation Makes AI Models Smaller and Cheaper first appeared on Quanta Magazine
Can U.S. Math Research Survive NSF Funding Cuts?
A 72 percent reduction in federal funding is devastating to math research. The American Mathematical Society is offering $1 million in backstop grants—but it’s likely not enough.
Engineers achieve efficient integration of quantum dot lasers on silicon chiplets
Lasers that are fabricated directly onto silicon photonic chips offer several advantages over external laser sources, such as greater scalability. Furthermore, photonic chips with these "monolithically" integrated lasers can be commercially viable if they can be manufactured in
Spin currents control device magnetization using low-cost materials
Research from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities gives new insight into a material that could make computer memory faster and more energy-efficient.
Solving an 80-year-old mystery: Crystal structure of a bromide hydrate found with synchrotron radiation
Researchers have solved a mystery that has confounded scientists for 80 years: the crystal structure of the tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (TBAB) hydrate TBAB·26H2O. This substance belongs to a class of crystalline materials called semiclathrate hydrates, which form from the
Component reconnection drives filament splitting and double-decker formation in solar physics
A new study led by researchers from the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has unveiled a novel mechanism for filament splitting and the formation of double-decker filaments. Their findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Three-person DNA IVF stops inherited disease—eight healthy babies born in UK first
In a groundbreaking UK first, eight healthy babies have been born using an IVF technique that includes DNA from three people—two parents and a female donor. The process, known as pronuclear transfer, was designed to prevent the inheritance of devastating mitochondrial diseases
Spain taming fire that belched smoke cloud over Madrid
Spanish firefighters on Friday were bringing under control a forest fire near Madrid that had cloaked the capital in a huge cloud of acrid smoke.
How Google's Android earthquake detection system can save lives
If you're in an earthquake-prone area and own an Android phone, it could save your life. It may even have already done so. The Android Earthquake Alert (AEA) system, which began in the U.S. in 2020 and has since expanded globally, sends an automatic alert approximately one
VR training can help build empathy in the workplace
A new study led by researchers at the Stanford Accelerator for Learning explores how companies can use immersive technology to boost new managers' relational skills.
What dinosaur teeth reveal about life 150 million years ago
What did long-necked dinosaurs eat—and where did they roam to satisfy their hunger? A team of researchers has reconstructed the feeding behavior of sauropods using cutting-edge dental wear analysis. Their findings, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, show that
Glowing under pressure: Hinge-like mechanophores for smarter polymeric materials
In a step toward smarter materials, researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo collaborated with researchers from Switzerland to develop a smart hinge-like molecule that can indicate mechanical stress in polymeric materials through fluorescence.
New AI-powered method accelerates protein simulations and reveals complex folding dynamics
An international team led by Einstein Professor Cecilia Clementi in the Department of Physics at Freie Universität Berlin has introduced CGSchNet, a machine-learned coarse-grained (CG) model that can accurately and efficiently simulate proteins like never before. The study is
More reliable bioinformatics tools for the study of proteins
Many proteins are capable of spontaneously rearranging themselves within cells to form molecular condensates—membraneless intracellular structures formed by one or multiple proteins—through a process known as liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS). This biological process is
Study suggests Orion Nebula, Pleiades and Hyades share a common origin
Orion Nebula, Pleiades and Hyades: The latest research results indicate that these famous star clusters represent the different phases of life of one and the same star system. A team of astrophysicists at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences in Zanjan, Iran, and
Why do we need sleep? Researchers find the answer may lie in mitochondria
Sleep may not just be rest for the mind—it may be essential maintenance for the body's power supply. A new study by University of Oxford researchers, published in Nature, reveals that the pressure to sleep arises from a build-up of electrical stress in the tiny energy
From passive to intelligent: Bioengineered organs meet electronics
Bioengineered organs are no longer just structural substitutes. A review published in Trends in Biotechnology introduces a groundbreaking concept: biohybrid-engineered tissue (BHET) platforms—living constructs integrated with electronics that can monitor, modulate, and even
Study reveals how gene expression evolves
Researchers at the Yale School of Public Health have discovered the evolutionary rhythm of gene expression, showing that changes happen at strikingly varied rates.
Restoring nature beyond forests: A new map for rethinking ecological conservation
An international study led by the University of Liège proposes a new map of the potential for natural vegetation on Earth, far beyond forests. By incorporating the role of fire and herbivores, researchers are paving the way for a more realistic and inclusive approach to
Study reveals genetic drivers of rapid freshwater adaptation in a wild fish
Unraveling the genetic mechanisms behind adaptive evolution stands as a pivotal challenge in molecular biology. While organisms often exhibit rapid phenotypic adjustments to environmental shifts, the underlying genomic processes remain poorly understood.
From kelp to whales: How marine heat waves are reshaping ocean life
New research from the University of Victoria (UVic) highlights how marine heat waves can dramatically impact marine ecosystems and offers a stark preview of how future ocean warming will reshape ocean life. The research, published in Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual
Researchers reveal how fabrication and surface treatment affect corrosion in bioabsorbable metallic alloys
Researchers from IMDEA Materials, in conjunction with the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon Institute of Surface Science and Meotec GmbH, have undertaken the first-ever comparison of corrosion resistance in Mg and Zn bioalloys produced by extrusion and additive manufacturing.
Scientists develop model to predict force-driven chemical reactions with greater accuracy
When asked to think of a chemical reaction, you might picture bubbling liquids in a beaker, or maybe applying heat to a mixture until something transforms. But some of the most important reactions in nature and industry don't need heat or solvents. Instead, they need force.
The fight for trans inclusion at the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival
The Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, hosted from 1976 to 2015, brought together lesbian feminists for a celebration of culture and activism. Today, the festival is perhaps best known for its controversial "womyn-born-womyn" attendance policy, which excluded trans women from
Humpback whales now migrate south weeks earlier as ocean warms, surveys show
University of Queensland surveys reveal the peak of the southern migration of humpback whales down the east Australian coast is now weeks earlier than it was 21 years ago, and a warming Southern Ocean may be the reason. The study is published in Scientific Reports.
‘Rehab’ exposes the dark underside of U.S. drug treatment centers
In Rehab , journalist Shoshana Walter investigates the systemic pitfalls of drug treatment programs, which prevent people’s recovery from addiction.
'Standard candle' particle measurement enables hunt for hybrid mesons
A rather unassuming particle is playing an important role in the hunt for subatomic oddities. Similar to protons and neutrons, mesons are composed of quarks bound together by the strong nuclear force. But these short-lived particles have different characteristics that can
Helping a region overcome Hurricane Helene devastation
UT Beef and Forage Center coordinator David McIntosh, an eighth-generation native of northeast Tennessee, watched with unease as Hurricane Helene approached his hometown of Chuckey.
Asymmetric metasurface allows precise control of photon entanglement
A new material platform has enabled scientists to create photon pairs whose entanglement can be tuned from a layer thinner than a human hair.
High-resolution climate model reveals detailed regional impacts of 1°C global warming
Global warming does not affect our planet evenly. Some areas such as the Arctic region or high mountain peaks warm faster than the global average, whereas others, including large parts of the tropical oceans, show reduced temperature trends compared to the mean. The
