Category: Business

Using advanced computational modelling, a research team led by the University of Oxford, working in partnership with the Instituto Superior Técnico in the University of Lisbon, has achieved the first-ever real-time, three-dimensional simulations of how intense laser beams alter the ‘quantum vacuum’ — a state once assumed to be empty, but which quantum physics predicts…

A team of scientists from the SETI Institute and the University of California at Davis documented, for the first time, humpback whales producing large bubble rings, like a human smoker blowing smoke rings, during friendly interactions with humans. This previously little studied behavior may represent play or communication. Humpback whales are already known for using…

Unlike birds, which navigate unknown environments with remarkable speed and agility, drones typically rely on external guidance or pre-mapped routes. However, a groundbreaking development by Professor Fu Zhang and researchers from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Faculty of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), has enabled drones and micro air vehicles (MAVs)…

The fire salamander native to Europe is one of many species that depend on sufficient moisture. Credit: Daniel Rosengren/Frankfurt Zoological Society Habitat loss, diseases, pollution, and climate change are already massively affecting amphibians – frogs, salamanders, and the caecilians native to tropical regions. The new study from the Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity shows…

The effects of artificial intelligence on adolescents are nuanced and complex, according to a report from the American Psychological Association that calls on developers to prioritize features that protect young people from exploitation, manipulation and the erosion of real-world relationships. “AI offers new efficiencies and opportunities, yet its deeper integration into daily life requires careful…

A new study from Pitt researchers challenges a decades-old assumption in neuroscience by showing that the brain uses distinct transmission sites — not a shared site — to achieve different types of plasticity. The findings, published in Science Advances, offer a deeper understanding of how the brain balances stability with flexibility, a process essential for…

Decarbonizing Australia’s economy and protecting the country’s most critical natural resources are both possible but will require significant collaboration between energy developers, state and local governments, landowners, and interest groups, according to new research led by Princeton and The University of Queensland. The research, published May 29 in Nature Sustainability, demonstrates that Australia can fully…

Using a newly devised, three-dimensional model to study the regeneration of nerve tissue in the nose, researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) and colleagues have discovered that one type of stem cell thought to be dormant may play a more significant role in preserving the sense…

Caring for a cat with chronic health conditions can be challenging for all involved, from the process of getting to a veterinary clinic to the stress of being in a strange environment with new smells and animals. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, worked with pet owners across the United States and Canada to…

A group of astronomers from across the globe, including a team from the University of Washington and led by Queen’s University Belfast, have revealed new research showing that millions of new solar system objects will be detected by a brand-new facility, which is expected to come online later this year. The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin…

A new study has shown that person-to-person variation in antibody immunity plays a key role in shaping which influenza (flu) strains dominate in a population. The work, published today as a Reviewed Preprint in eLife, uses a high-throughput sequencing-based assay to quantify antibody immunity against circulating H3N2 flu strains in both children and adults. The…

Between upgrades and breakdowns to cellphones, tablets, laptops, and appliances, so many electronics are getting tossed in the trash that they’ve taken on a name of their own: e-waste. According to a 2024 report issued by the United Nations, the amount of e-waste worldwide has almost doubled in the past 12 years, from 34 billion…

A new type of immunotherapy that targets aggressive blood cancers shows promising results alongside manageable side effects, according to the results of an international phase 1/2 clinical trial led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The clinical trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of an innovative CAR-T cell immunotherapy that…

New research has found that men who carry a common genetic variant are twice as likely to develop dementia in their lifetime compared to women. The research, published in Neurology, used data from the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) trial to investigate whether people who had variants in the haemochromatosis (HFE) gene,…

Singing to your infant can significantly boost the baby’s mood, according to a recent Yale study published May 28 in Child Development. Around the world and across cultures, singing to babies seems to come instinctively to caregivers. Now, new findings support that singing is an easy, safe, and free way to help improve the mental…

A pilot study from Michigan Medicine researchers found that the Mediterranean diet may provide symptom relief for people with irritable bowel syndrome. Study participants were randomized into two groups, one following the Mediterranean diet and the other following the low FODMAP diet, a common restrictive diet for IBS. In the Mediterranean diet group, 73% of…

Osaka Metropolitan University. “New plant leaf aging factor found.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 May 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530124254.htm>. Osaka Metropolitan University. (2025, May 30). New plant leaf aging factor found. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 31, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530124254.htm Osaka Metropolitan University. “New plant leaf aging factor found.” ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250530124254.htm (accessed May 31, 2025).

A University of Nebraska-Lincoln engineering team is another step closer to developing soft robotics and wearable systems that mimic the ability of human and plant skin to detect and self-heal injuries. Engineer Eric Markvicka, along with graduate students Ethan Krings and Patrick McManigal, recently presented a paper at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and…

Researchers from the MPIK present new experimental and theoretical results for the bound electron g-factor in lithium-like tin which has a much higher nuclear charge than any previous measurement. The experimental accuracy reached a level of 0.5 parts per billion. Using an enhanced interelectronic QED method, the theoretical prediction for the g-factor reached a precision…

In 1984, an amateur paleontologist in Scotland found a remarkable specimen: a nearly complete fossil of what looked to be a lizard or salamander. Rather small in size at 20 centimeters, it would turn out to be a crucial piece in the puzzle of animal evolution. This creature, called Westlothiana lizziae, is one of the…

Specialized robots that can both fly and drive typically touch down on land before attempting to transform and drive away. But when the landing terrain is rough, these robots sometimes get stuck and are unable to continue operating. Now a team of Caltech engineers has developed a real-life Transformer that has the “brains” to morph…

A new concept of kinetic modules in biochemical networks could revolutionize the understanding of how these networks function. Scientists from the University of Potsdam and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Golm succeeded in linking the structure and dynamics of biochemical networks via kinetic modules, thus clarifying a systems biology question that…

A pioneering method to simulate how microscopic particles move through the air could boost efforts to combat air pollution, a study suggests. Tiny particles found in exhaust fumes, wildfire smoke and other forms of airborne pollution are linked with serious health conditions such as stroke, heart disease and cancer, but predicting how they move is…

A new study reveals the biological secret to the Zika virus’s infectious success: Zika uses host cells’ own “self-care” system of clearing away useless molecules to suppress the host proteins that the virus has employed to get into those cells in the first place. While these cell surface proteins are valuable for viral entry, they…

Flowers grow stems, leaves and petals in a perfect pattern again and again. A new Cornell study shows that even in this precise, patterned formation in plants, gene activity inside individual cells is far more chaotic than it appears from the outside. This finding has important implications for plant engineering, where scientists design artificial gene…

Otodus megalodon was the largest predatory fish in Earth’s history: Measuring up to 24 meters, it was longer than a truck with a trailer and weighed almost twice as much. Embedded in its jaws were triangular teeth the size of a hand, and its bite had the force of an industrial hydraulic press. It swam…

A new international study led by researchers at Tulane University shows that the El Niño and La Niña climate patterns affect nearly half of the world’s mangrove forests, underscoring the vulnerability of these vital coastal ecosystems to climatic shifts. Mangroves are shrubs or trees that grow in dense thickets mainly in coastal saline or brackish…

A new study uses metabolic profiling to uncover ancient knowledge systems behind therapeutic and psychoactive plant use in ancient Arabia. New research published in Communications Biology has uncovered the earliest known use of the medicinal and psychoactive plant Peganum harmala, commonly known as Syrian rue or harmal, in fumigation practices and inhaled as smoke. The…

A group of fossils of elasmosaurs — some of the most famous in North America — have just been formally identified as belonging to a “very odd” new genus of the sea monster, unlike any previously known. Long-necked and measuring in at 12 metres, Traskasaura sandrae — as it is officially named today in this…

Where did the moon’s magnetism go? Scientists have puzzled over this question for decades, ever since orbiting spacecraft picked up signs of a high magnetic field in lunar surface rocks. The moon itself has no inherent magnetism today. Now, MIT scientists may have solved the mystery. They propose that a combination of an ancient, weak…

In biology, enzymes have evolved over millions of years to drive chemical reactions. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) now derived universal rules to enable the de novo design of optimal enzymes. As an example, they considered the enzymatic reaction of breaking a dimer into two monomer molecules. Considering the…

More than ten years ago, researchers at Rice University led by materials scientist Boris Yakobson predicted that boron atoms would cling too tightly to copper to form borophene, a flexible, metallic two-dimensional material with potential across electronics, energy and catalysis. Now, new research shows that prediction holds up, but not in the way anyone expected….

Roughly 10 percent of the U.S. population is afflicted with major depressive disorder at any given time, and up to 20 percent will exhibit MDD symptoms over their lifetimes. Yet despite its prevalence, methods to treat MDD often fall short for a not-insignificant portion of the population. Antidepressants — the standard of treatment — don’t…

Self-driving cars which eliminate traffic jams, getting a healthcare diagnosis instantly without leaving your home, or feeling the touch of loved ones based across the continent may sound like the stuff of science fiction. But new research, led by the University of Bristol and published today in the journal Nature Electronics, could make all this…

New research from the Sainsbury Laboratory at the University of Cambridge has shed light on how plants precisely control their growth and development, revealing that seemingly similar molecular components fulfil surprisingly different jobs. The study, published in Science Advances, focuses on the SCAR/WAVE protein complex, a crucial molecular machine that helps shape plant cells by…

Clownfish have been shown to shrink in order to survive heat stress and avoid social conflict, Newcastle University research reveals. The fish, recognisable from the starring role in the film ‘Finding Nemo’, were studied by academics from the universities of Newcastle, Leeds and Boston, USA. The work was conducted in collaboration with Mahonia Na Dari…

Plants that reproduce exclusively by self-pollination arise from populations with extremely low diversity to begin with. The Kobe University research not only adds a facet to possible evolutionary strategies, but also lends weight to Darwin’s suspicion that this strategy might be a path to extinction. Charles Darwin once remarked, “It is hardly an exaggeration to…

Billions of years ago, water flowed on the surface of Mars. But scientists have an incomplete picture of how the Red Planet’s water cycle worked. That could soon change after two graduate students at The University of Texas at Austin filled a large gap in knowledge about Mars’ water cycle — specifically, the part between…

Historically, most human mpox infections have resulted from zoonotic transmission — meaning from animals to humans — and these spillovers have rarely led to human-to-human transmission. But during the 2022 global outbreak, mpox began spreading readily between people.A new study now shows the virus was circulating long before then. Published in Nature on May 19,…

Astronomers have discovered nearly 100 examples of massive black holes shredding and devouring stars, almost all of them where you’d expect to find massive black holes: in the star-dense cores of massive galaxies. University of California, Berkeley, astronomers have now discovered the first instance of a massive black hole tearing apart a star thousands of…

Millions of years of evolution have enabled some marine animals to grow complex protective shells composed of multiple layers that work together to dissipate physical stress. In a new study, engineers have found a way to mimic the behavior of this type of layered material, such as seashell nacre, by programming individual layers of synthetic…

New research suggests that the negative effects of the ozone hole on the carbon uptake of the Southern Ocean are reversible, but only if greenhouse gas emissions rapidly decrease. The study, led by the University of East Anglia (UEA), finds that as the ozone hole heals, its influence on the ocean carbon sink of the…

A new study published in the journal Coral Reefs reveals that heat-tolerant symbiotic algae may be essential to saving elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) — a foundational species in Caribbean reef ecosystems — from the devastating impacts of marine heatwaves and coral bleaching. The research, conducted by scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of…

Wearable technologies are revolutionizing health care, but design limitations in adhesive-based personal monitors have kept them from meeting their full potential. A new University of Arizona study, published in Nature Communications, describes a longer-lasting, 3D-printed, adhesive-free wearable capable of providing a more comprehensive picture of a user’s physiological state. The device, which measures water vapor…

Every living creature on Earth needs to protect itself from things that would do it harm. Bacteria are no different. And despite their relative simplicity, they deploy remarkably savvy defensive strategies against viral invaders. The most well-known is CRISPR-Cas9, adapted for human use as the first FDA-approved genetic editing technique. In the past year, researchers…

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have upended decades-old dogma of how connections between brain cells are rearranged during states of heightened vigilance or attention. The team found that a brain chemical associated with alertness, attention and learning alters brain connectivity and function not by acting directly on neurons, the cells…

Did you know that more than 75% of new infectious diseases affecting humans originally come from animals? Bats, in particular, are natural hosts to some of the world’s most dangerous viruses, including those responsible for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), MERS-CoV, influenza A, and hantavirus outbreaks. Yet, despite their importance, scientists have long struggled to study how these…

An often-ignored type of cell in the brain plays a dynamic and surprisingly complex role in our ability to process information, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University. The study, published today in the journal Science, provides direct evidence for the real-time action of a star-shaped type of glial cell, known as…

It started as a low, haunting roar building in the distance. It grew into a deafening thunder that drowned out all else. The sky turned an unnatural shade of green, then black. The wind lashed at trees and buildings with brutal force. Sirens wailed. Windows and buildings exploded. In spring 2011, Joplin, Missouri, was devastated…

A transient ischemic attack, also known as a mini-stroke, is typically defined as a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain that causes symptoms that go away within a day, but a new study finds that people who have this type of stroke may also have prolonged fatigue lasting up to one year. The…

The United States population is older than it has ever been. Today, the country’s median age is 38.9, which is nearly a decade older than it was in 1980. And the number of adults older than 65 is expected to balloon from 58 million to 82 million by 2050. The challenge of caring for the…

Biologists and chemists have a new programming language to uncover previously unknown environmental pollutants at breakneck speed — without requiring them to code. By making it easier to search massive chemical datasets, the tool has already identified toxic compounds hidden in plain sight. Mass spectrometry data is like a chemical fingerprint, showing scientists what molecules…

Originally from South America, the charismatic tegu made its way to the United States via the pet trade of the 1990s. After wreaking havoc in Florida’s ecosystems, the exotic lizard was classified as an invasive species. But a recent discovery from the Florida Museum of Natural History reveals the reptiles are no strangers to the…

Flamingos standing serenely in a shallow alkaline lake with heads submerged may seem to be placidly feeding, but there’s a lot going on under the surface. Through studies of Chilean flamingos in the Nashville Zoo and analysis of 3D printed models of their feet and L-shaped bills, researchers have documented how the birds use their…

By creating a more true-to-life representation of DNA’s environment, researchers at Northwestern University have discovered that strand separation — the essential process a “resting” double helix undergoes before it can initiate replication or make repairs — may take more mechanical force than the field previously believed. Most biochemistry labs that study DNA isolate it within…

Millions of kilometres of rivers around the world are carrying antibiotic pollution at levels high enough to promote drug resistance and harm aquatic life, a McGill University-led study warns. Published in PNAS Nexus, the study is the first to estimate the scale of global river contamination from human antibiotics use. Researchers calculated that about 8,500…

Researchers at McGill University, in collaboration with Polytechnique Montréal, pioneered a new way to create hydrogels using ultrasound, eliminating the need for toxic chemical initiators. This breakthrough offers a faster, cleaner and more sustainable approach to hydrogel fabrication, and produces hydrogels that are stronger, more flexible and highly resistant to freezing and dehydration. The new…

New research led by Irish scientists has uncovered how lipid-rich fluid in the abdomen, known as ascites, plays a central role in weakening the body’s immune response in advanced ovarian cancer. The findings offer new insights into immune suppression in ovarian cancer and open promising avenues for future immunotherapy approaches. Over 70% of patients with…

For the first time, scientists have discovered fossil evidence of an endangered, living tropical tree species. The unprecedented find was made in Brunei, a country on the large island of Borneo, and reveals a critical piece of the ancient history of Asia’s rainforests, highlighting the urgent need for conservation in the region, according to researchers…

Chimpanzees are capable of complex communication: The human capacity for language may not be as unique as previously thought. Chimpanzees have a complex communication system that allows them to combine calls to create new meanings, similar to human language. Combining calls creatively: Chimpanzees use four ways to change meaning when combining single calls into two-call…

MIT engineers are getting in on the robotic ping pong game with a powerful, lightweight design that returns shots with high-speed precision. The new table tennis bot comprises a multijointed robotic arm that is fixed to one end of a ping pong table and wields a standard ping pong paddle. Aided by several high-speed cameras…

Imagine if doctors could precisely print miniature capsules capable of delivering cells needed for tissue repair exactly where they are needed inside a beating heart. A team of scientists led by Caltech has taken a significant step toward that ultimate goal, having developed a method for 3D printing polymers at specific locations deep within living…

Mount Sinai researchers have discovered distinct roles for two dopamine receptors located on nerve cells within the portion of the brain that controls approach vs. avoidance behavior. These receptors potentially influence anxiety and mood disorders whose origins are still unclear. The team characterized the function of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in the ventral hippocampus…

A study co-led by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers presents a potential new strategy to prevent or slow the progression of Type 1 diabetes by targeting an inflammation-related protein known to drive the disease. The findings, recently published in eBioMedicine, may help inform clinical trials of a drug that is already approved by the…

A research team led by Professor Yong-Young Noh and Dr. Youjin Reo from the Department of Chemical Engineering at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) has developed a groundbreaking technology poised to revolutionize next-generation displays and electronic devices. The project was a collaborative effort with Professors Ao Liu and Huihui Zhu from the University…

Drywood termites, the ones that hide in wooden structures, molt about seven times in their lives. UC Riverside researchers have found a chemical preventing them from growing new exoskeletons will also end their infestation of your home. The chemical, bistrifluron, and its ability to kill about 95 percent of a termite colony without off-target effects…

The Min protein system prevents abnormal cell division in bacteria by forming oscillating patterns between the ends of a cell (“poles”). Despite decades of theoretical work, predicting the protein concentrations at which oscillations start and whether cells can maintain them under different conditions has been a challenge. Understanding these thresholds is important because they reveal…

It’s notable when a scientific study reaches the decade mark, but when the topic is the healthy aging of people who have lived 10 times as long, it just means there’s still a lot more to learn. This month, researchers participating in the Cilento Initiative on Aging Outcomes or CIAO study will gather in Acciaroli…

Despite a long history of traditional medicinal use in the United States, the collection, consumption and efficacy of the peculiar forest plant aptly named ghost pipe, scientific name Monotropa uniflora, remains a mystery. Now, with social media and the internet driving a resurgence in the harvest and economic trade of the parasitic species — which…

Researchers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center have revealed critical insights into how impaired mitochondrial dynamics and quality control mechanisms in skeletal muscle influence insulin sensitivity in patients with Type 2 Diabetes, or T2D. The study, titled “Deubiquitinating Enzymes Regulate Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Quality Control and Insulin Sensitivity in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes,” was recently…

By using antibodies from a human donor with a self-induced hyper-immunity to snake venom, scientists have developed the most broadly effective antivenom to date, which is protective against the likes of the black mamba, king cobra, and tiger snakes in mouse trials. Described May 2 in the Cell Press journal Cell, the antivenom combines protective…

The Haenyeo, a group of all-female divers from the Korean island of Jeju, are renowned for their ability to dive in frigid waters without the aid of breathing equipment — even while pregnant. A study publishing on May 2 in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports shows that the divers’ remarkable abilities are due to…

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have completed a first-in-human clinical trial testing a CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique to help the immune system fight advanced gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. The results, recently published in Lancet Oncology, show encouraging signs of safety and potential effectiveness of the treatment. “Despite many advances in understanding the genomic drivers and other…

Viruses are known to use the genetic machinery of the human cells they invade to make copies of themselves. As part of the process, viruses leave behind remnants throughout the genetic material (genomes) of humans. The virus-like insertions, called “transposable elements,” are snippets of genetic material even simpler than viruses that also use host cell…

A team led by Rice University bioscientist Caroline Ajo-Franklin has discovered how certain bacteria breathe by generating electricity, using a natural process that pushes electrons into their surroundings instead of breathing on oxygen. The findings, published in Cell last month, could enable new developments in clean energy and industrial biotechnology. By identifying how these bacteria…

Bad habits such as smoking, heavy drinking and lack of exercise must be tackled as early as possible to boost the odds of a happy and healthy old age. That is the message of a new peer-reviewed study, published in the Annals of Medicine (Elevate), that found smoking and other vices are associated with declines…

Every second counts when it comes to detecting and treating heart attacks. That’s where a new technology from the University of Mississippi comes in to identify heart attacks faster and more accurately than traditional methods. In a study published in Intelligent Systems, Blockchain and Communication Technologies, electrical and computer engineering assistant professor Kasem Khalil shows…

From 2010 to 2020, breast cancer deaths among women ages 20-49 declined significantly across all breast cancer subtypes and racial/ethnic groups, with marked declines starting after 2016, according to an analysis of data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2025, held…

Daily exposure to certain chemicals used to make plastic household items could be linked to more than 356,000 global deaths from heart disease in 2018 alone, a new analysis of population surveys shows. While the chemicals, called phthalates, are in widespread use globally, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific bore a…

An automated machine learning program developed by researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in conjunction with the University of Manitoba has been able to identify potential cardiovascular incidents or fall and fracture risks based on bone density scans taken during routine clinical testing. When applying the algorithm to vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) images taken in…

A landmark study published in The New England Journal of Medicine reveals that a single oral dose of baloxavir marboxil (baloxavir) significantly reduces the transmission of influenza within households, marking a major advancement in influenza management. Conducted by an international team of researchers including the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed),…

An interdisciplinary research team from the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), the InnoHK Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health (InnoHK D24H), and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) has unveiled the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) model designed to classify both the cancer stage and risk…

Energy scarcity is a central driver of animal behavior and evolution. The amazing diversity of life on this planet is a testament to the plethora of novel biological solutions to the problem of securing and maintaining energy. However, despite being so central to biology, it remains difficult to quantify, and thereby empirically analyze, energy consumption….

A team of Duke-NUS Medical School researchers designed and tested a new digital toolkit that helps consumers make healthier grocery choices online — an innovation that could play a major role in the global fight against chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. In their study, published in the American Journal of Preventive…

Senescent skin cells, often referred to as zombie cells because they have outlived their usefulness without ever quite dying, have existed in the human body as a seeming paradox, causing inflammation and promoting diseases while also helping the immune system to heal wounds. New findings may explain why: Not all senescent skin cells are the…

The less intensively you manage the soil, the better the soil can function. Such as not ploughing as often or using more grass-clover mixtures as cover crops. These are the conclusions from a research team led by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). Surprisingly, it applies to both conventional and organic farming. These important insights…

A recent study provides evidence that some results of behavioural experiments with insects cannot be fully reproduced. So far, possible reproducibility problems have been little discussed in this context. If an experiment is repeated under similar conditions, the results should be the same. In reality, the situation is often different — scientists speak of a…

In the intricate world of quantum physics, where particles interact in ways that seem to defy the standard rules of space and time, lies a profound mystery that continues to captivate scientists: the nature of deconfined quantum critical points (DQCPs). These elusive critical phenomena break away from the conventional framework of physics, offering a fascinating…

Researchers have long recognized that quantum communication systems would transmit quantum information more faithfully and be impervious to certain forms of error if nonlinear optical processes were used. However, past efforts at incorporating such processes could not operate with the extremely low light levels required for quantum communication. Now, a team at the University of…

Every breath we take, every meal we eat, and every environment we encounter leaves a molecular fingerprint in our bodies — a hidden record of our lifelong exposures. Researchers in the field of exposomics explain how cutting-edge technologies are unlocking this biological archive, ushering in a new era of disease prevention and personalized medicine. The…

Fear of vision loss may deter some patients from undergoing necessary cataract surgery, according to a newly published study. Cataracts are the leading cause of reversible blindness, and surgery remains the only effective treatment. The study, recently published in The Journal of Clinical Ophthalmology, highlights the trust patients place in their physicians and the critical…

In Frank Baum’s original novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Emerald City is said to be such a brilliant shade of green that visitors must wear green-tinted glasses to protect their eyes from “the brightness and glory” of the city. The glasses are one of the wizard’s many deceits; the city viewed through green-tinted…

New research published in the journal Ornithology shows that Lesser Goldfinches, a small songbird traditionally found in the Southwest, are expanding their range northward through the Pacific Northwest at an unprecedented rate, providing insights into how species adapt to environmental change. Researchers from Washington State University and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology analyzed data from…

Cornell University researchers have developed a new robotic framework powered by artificial intelligence — called RHyME (Retrieval for Hybrid Imitation under Mismatched Execution) — that allows robots to learn tasks by watching a single how-to video. Robots can be finicky learners. Historically, they’ve required precise, step-by-step directions to complete basic tasks and tend to call…

A new study asked three questions about muscle protein synthesis in response to a nine-day diet and weight training regimen: First, does the source of protein — plant or animal-based — make any difference to muscle gain? Second, does it matter if total daily protein intake is evenly distributed throughout the day? And third, does…

New research from the University of Sydney links fatty, sugary diets to impaired brain function. The findings build on a growing body of evidence showing the negative impact of high-fat, high-sugar (HFHS) diets on cognitive ability, adding to their well-known physical effects. Published on Friday in the International Journal of Obesity, the research is the…

Understanding the material basis of adaptive evolution has been a central goal in biology dating back to at least the time of Darwin. One focus of current debates is whether adaptive evolution relies on many mutations with small and roughly equal effects, or is it driven by one or a few mutations that cause major…

When you see a bag of carrots at the grocery store, does your mind go to potatoes and parsnips or buffalo wings and celery? It depends, of course, on whether you’re making a hearty winter stew or getting ready to watch the Super Bowl. Most scientists agree that categorizing an object — like thinking of…

Fifty years since its discovery, scientists have finally worked out how a molecular machine found in mitochondria, the ‘powerhouses’ of our cells, allows us to make the fuel we need from sugars, a process vital to all life on Earth. Scientists at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, have worked…

Researchers have developed a new coronagraph — an optical device that blocks out light from a bright source — that could make it possible to see distant exoplanets obscured by light from their parent stars. The new device could reveal exoplanets beyond our solar system that today’s telescopes cannot resolve, providing insights into the possibility…

From the Japanese cypress to the ponderosa pine, wood has been used in construction for millennia. Though materials like steel and concrete have largely taken over large building construction, wood is making a comeback, increasingly being used in public and multi-story buildings for its environmental benefits. Of course, wood has often been passed over in…

A new smart insole system that monitors how people walk in real time could help users improve posture and provide early warnings for conditions from plantar fasciitis to Parkinson’s disease. Constructed using 22 small pressure sensors and fueled by small solar panels on the tops of shoes, the system offers real-time health tracking based on…

A new study has found important clues about the roles age, sex, hormonal changes and genetics play in how certain biomarkers for dementia are expressed in the blood, according to a study published on April 16, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “Blood tests that detect biomarkers for…

A new study by Brown University researchers suggests that gold nanoparticles — microscopic bits of gold thousands of times thinner than a human hair — might one day be used to help restore vision in people with macular degeneration and other retinal disorders. In a study published in the journal ACS Nano and supported by…

Astronomers have detected the most promising signs yet of a possible biosignature outside the solar system, although they remain cautious. Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the astronomers, led by the University of Cambridge, have detected the chemical fingerprints of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and/or dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), in the atmosphere of the…

Physicians classify brain tumors and determine treatment options, in part, by the genes they express. According to World Health Organization standards, the abnormal activation of oncogene FOXR2 only occurs in central nervous system (CNS) neuroblastoma, but that may not be true. Findings from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital show FOXR2 activation in multiple pediatric CNS…

Wildflowers growing on land previously used for buildings and factories can accumulate lead, arsenic and other metal contaminants from the soil, which are consumed by pollinators as they feed, a new study has found. The metals have previously been shown to damage the health of pollinators, which ingest them in nectar as they feed, leading…

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers and has one of the lowest survival rates — only 10% after five years. One of the factors contributing to its aggressiveness is its tumor microenvironment, known as the stroma, which makes up the majority of the tumor mass and consists of a network of proteins…

Young adults — particularly college students — are more likely than any other group in the U.S. to engage in heavy drinking and experience alcohol-related consequences. The consequences of heavy drinking — which is defined as four or more drinks per occasion for women and five or more for men — are felt throughout the…

Sleep is a necessary part of people’s daily routine, but modern lifestyles and technology have ushered in an era of decreased rest time and subsequent fatigue. Further, the bedroom environment, such as light, sound, and temperature, is important for a good night’s sleep, though this is often neglected in residential architecture. In search of a…

A joint research team from POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) and Jeonbuk National University has successfully demonstrated the complete confinement of mechanical waves within a single resonator — something long thought to be theoretically impossible. Their findings, published on April 3 in Physical Review Letters, mark a major breakthrough in the century-old mystery…

New research suggests conservation efforts could more effectively identify and protect bird species at greatest risk from climate change by better understanding the range of specific conditions they need to thrive. The study, led by the University of East Anglia (UEA), examined the relationship between the extent of the climatic conditions that species tolerate and…

Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines, the drug discovery division of Scripps Research, announced today that the FDA has cleared their investigational new drug (IND) application to study switchable chimeric antigen receptor T cell (sCAR-T) therapy (CLBR001 + SWI019) in patients with autoimmune conditions. Patient recruitment for the phase 1 trial will begin soon (NCT06913608). The…

In the largest study of its kind to date, a team of international researchers has investigated how pharmaceutical pollution affects the behaviour and migration of Atlantic salmon. The study, led by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, revealed that commonly detected environmental levels of clobazam — a medication often prescribed for sleep disorders — increased…

Although we know that supermassive black holes (millions of times the mass of our Sun) lurk at the centre of most galaxies, their very nature makes them difficult to spot and study. In contrast to the popular idea of black holes constantly ‘gobbling up’ matter, these gravitational monsters can spend long periods of time in…

One main goal of anti-cancer therapies is to kill tumor cells without affecting the surrounding normal cells. Therefore, many drugs are designed to target tumor-specific antigens, which are molecules only expressed by cancer cells. However, it has proven difficult to identify such specific antigens in certain cancer types, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML patients…

Astronomers have peered back in time to find what looks like a population of ‘hidden’ galaxies that could hold the key to unlocking some of the universe’s secrets. If their existence is confirmed it would “effectively break current models of galaxy numbers and evolution.” The possible galaxies may also provide the missing piece of the…

Heavy drinkers who have eight or more alcoholic drinks per week have an increased risk of brain lesions called hyaline arteriolosclerosis, signs of brain injury that are associated with memory and thinking problems, according to a study published on April 9, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The…

In a cave overlooking the ocean on the southern coast of South Africa, archaeologists discovered thousands of stone tools, created by ancient humans roughly 20,000 years ago. By examining tiny details in the chipped edges of the blades and stones, archaeologists are able to tell how the tools were made. In a new study published…

Wear and tear on plastic products releases small to nearly invisible plastic particles, which could impact people’s health when consumed or inhaled. To make these particles biodegradable, researchers created plastics from plant starch instead of petroleum. An initial study published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows how animals consuming particles from this…

About 66 million years ago, an asteroid slammed into the planet, wiping out all non-avian dinosaurs and about 70% of all marine species. But the crater it left behind in the Gulf of Mexico was a literal hotbed for life enriching the overlying ocean for at least 700,000 years, according to research published today in…

A new University of Otago — Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka study has found a link between our eye health and dementia. Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study researchers discovered the blood vessels at the back of the eye — called retinal microvasculature — can show early signs someone is at risk of developing dementia. Co-lead author…

The list of treatments for low back pain is endless, but few offer relief for the one in four Americans who suffer from this persistent pain and leading cause of disability globally. More than 80% of those with chronic low back pain wished there were better treatment options. Yet, without sufficient pain relief, many people…

The Last of Us is back on April 13 and this season is more realistic than ever. The trailer for the hit HBO series appears to show the “zombie fungus” cordyceps infecting humans by releasing air-borne spores, instead of through tentacles — closer to scientific reality. Spread the love (and spores) “Fungi love to make…

From toddlers in daycare to seedlings in forests, young organisms tend to get sick more easily than adults — a phenomenon that has long puzzled parents and scientists alike. University of Maryland biologists offer new insights into this mysteriously universal pattern in a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences…

In today’s interconnected world, infectious diseases pose an escalating threat, as demonstrated by the coronavirus pandemic and outbreaks of H1N1, SARS, Ebola, Zika, and H5N1 (bird flu) viruses — all of which have had significant global health and economic impacts. But more common viral diseases also contribute to global health challenges and economic costs. For…

Whooping cough, or pertussis, was once a leading cause of death for children in the U.S. and worldwide before the introduction of vaccines in the 1940s. In the decades since, the bacterial disease was nearly eradicated in the U.S., with fatalities falling to double digits each year. But the disease has made a troubling comeback…

It’s no coincidence that our bodies feel a little creakier as we age. The trillions of cells that make up our skeleton age too, and some change in ways that weaken the very structure of our bones. Scientists and researchers around the globe are investigating a series of mysteries about what happens to our bones…

Fast-charging lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous, powering everything from cellphones and laptops to electric vehicles. They’re also notorious for overheating or catching fire. Now, with an innovative computational model, a University of Wisconsin-Madison mechanical engineer has gained new understanding of a phenomenon that causes lithium-ion batteries to fail. Developed by Weiyu Li, an assistant professor of…

University of Warwick astronomers have discovered an extremely rare, high mass, compact binary star system only ~150 light years away. These two stars are on a collision course to explode as a type 1a supernova, appearing 10 times brighter than the moon in the night sky. Type 1a supernovae are a special class of cosmic…

A research team from TU Graz and the Vellore Institute of Technology in India is developing a 3D-printed skin imitation equipped with living cells in order to test nanoparticles from cosmetics without animal testing. Directive 2010/63/EU laid down restrictions on animal testing for the testing of cosmetics and their ingredients throughout the EU. Therefore, there…

Birmingham scientists have shown that a sequence of just three amino acids may reduce the severity of psoriasis, when applied topically in an emollient cream. The researchers, whose study is published in Pharmacological Research, identified the smallest part of a peptide (small protein) called PEPITEM, which occurs naturally in the body and regulates inflammation. The…

As global temperatures warm, the Southern Ocean — between Antarctica and other continents — will eventually release heat absorbed from the atmosphere, leading to projected long-term increases in precipitation over East Asia and the Western U.S., regardless of climate mitigation efforts. These teleconnections between the tropical Pacific and far-flung areas are reported in a Cornell…

Using a mathematical model, researchers have shed new light on the transition from hunter-gatherer to farming societies. Rather than focusing exclusively on external factors, they looked at internal demographics and the significant impact of human interactions. The model identified potential societal outcomes based on demographic changes, emphasising aspects such as migration rates, cultural assimilation and…

Mountain snowpacks accumulate snow throughout the winter, building up stores of water that will supply communities across the American West throughout the long dry season. Now, a new study shows that as storms carry snow to the Rocky Mountains, they are also bringing mercury and other contaminants from mines in the region. The research helps…

Public awareness of the link between drinking alcohol and an elevated risk of cancer has grown since last fall, with more than half of Americans now saying that regularly consuming alcohol increases your chances of later developing cancer, according to a survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania. In…

A Yale-led study warns that global climate change may have a devastating effect on butterflies, turning their species-rich, mountain habitats from refuges into traps. Think of it as the “butterfly effect” — the idea that something as small as the flapping of a butterfly’s wings can eventually lead to a major event such as a…

For the first time, researchers have collected detailed measurements of water vapor high above the surface of the Greenland ice sheet. Their research, aided by a custom-designed drone, could help scientists improve ice loss calculations in rapidly warming polar regions. “We will be able to understand how water moves in and out of Greenland in…

Ever wondered what happens to your body when you take those trendy ice baths? Scientists at the University of Ottawa just found out, and it’s pretty fascinating. A new study conducted at the Human and Environmental Physiology Research lab (HEPRU) at the University of Ottawa has unveiled significant findings on the effects of cold water…

Meniscus tears are common knee injuries that have long frustrated patients and doctors due to limited repair options.A new 3D-printed hydrogel made from cow meniscus could transform how these injuries heal, according to results of a pre-clinical study published in Bioactive Materials. from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania….

A new study found that more than half of US adults encounter some form of discrimination, and that this mistreatment may fuel higher chances of depression and/or anxiety among specific racial and ethnic groups due to cultural, social, and systemic factors. A growing body of research has drawn connections between everyday discrimination — the routine…

Investigators at Mass General Brigham have uncovered how resistance to chemotherapies may occur in some cancers. Researchers focused on a pathway that harnesses reactive oxygen species (ROS) to kill cancer cells. The study found that mutations to VPS35, a key player in this pathway, can prevent chemotherapy-induced cell death. These results, published in Nature, could…

In an effort to understand how brain cells exchange chemical messages, scientists say they have successfully used a highly specialized microscope to capture more precise details of how one of the most common signaling molecules, glutamate, opens a channel and allows a flood of charged particles to enter. The finding, which resulted from a study…

Global climate models predict that the ocean around Antarctica should be warming, but in reality, those waters have cooled over most of the past four decades. The discrepancy between model results and observed cooling, Stanford University scientists have now found, comes down mainly to missing meltwater and underestimated rainfall. “We found that the Southern Ocean…

University of Michigan researchers have developed a statistical method that can be used for such wide-ranging applications as tracing your ancestry, modeling disease spread and studying how animals spread through geographic regions. One of the method’s applications is to give a more complete sense of human ancestry, says Gideon Bradburd, U-M professor of ecology and…

Every year, millions of tires end up in landfills, creating an environmental crisis with far-reaching consequences. In the United States alone, over 274 million tires were scrapped in 2021, with nearly a fifth of them being discarded into landfills. The accumulation of these waste materials presents not only a space issue but also introduces environmental…

New research led by a York University professor sheds light on the earliest days of the earth’s formation and potentially calls into question some earlier assumptions in planetary science about the early years of rocky planets. Establishing a direct link between the Earth’s interior dynamics occurring within the first 100 million years of its history…

Researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center have solved a cellular mystery that may lead to better therapies for colorectal and other types of cancer. Peter Dempsey, PhD, professor of pediatrics-developmental biology in the CU School of Medicine, and Justin Brumbaugh, PhD, assistant professor of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at CU Boulder, recently…

Sugar coatings aren’t only for candies; they also help viruses, like the ones that cause COVID-19, hide from their hosts’ immune system. Now, researchers have developed a universal vaccine that targets coronaviruses and the sugars that they use as cover. As demonstrated in animal studies, the vaccine removed sugar molecules from an area of a…

Foie gras is a unique delicacy made from the liver of a duck or goose. While it can be an acquired taste, the buttery, fatty dish is an indulgent cuisine prized in many parts of the world. Foie gras is distinct from regular fowl liver thanks to its high fat content, which is traditionally achieved…

American students have been falling behind in math for decades — with test scores that consistently rank in the bottom 25% globally compared to students in other developed countries — and the COVID-19 pandemic made the situation worse. Previous research has shown that interventions grounded in behavioral science that target student motivation have been effective…

Existing tax policies during the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources will lead to major energy injustices and skewed priorities, new research published in Climate Policyshows. The peer-reviewed study found that electricity serving primary needs, such as heating or lighting, ultimately costs three times more than electricity for tertiary needs such as long-distance…

Researchers at University of Toronto Engineering, led by Professor Yu Zou, are leveraging machine learning to improve additive manufacturing, also commonly known as 3D printing. In a new paper, published in the journal of Additive Manufacturing, the team introduces a new framework they’ve dubbed the Accurate Inverse process optimization framework in laser Directed Energy Deposition…

Traditionally, chemists have relied on well-established but limiting methods to synthesize these molecules. The new research, co-authored by Kevin Brown, the James F. Jackson Professor of Chemistry in the College, and Professors Xiaotian Qi, Wang Wang, and Bodi Zhao of Wuhan University, presents a fundamentally different approach. Researchers at Indiana University and Wuhan University in…

The end of a romantic relationship usually does not come out of the blue but is indicated one or two years before the breakup. As the results of a psychological study have demonstrated, the terminal stage of a relationship consists of two phases. First, there is a gradual decline in relationship satisfaction, reaching a transition…

During infections, the immune system needs to distinguish foreign antigens that are expressed by invading bacteria and viruses from self-antigens that are expressed by cells of the body. If not, the immune system can mistakenly attack its own cells, causing lasting damage to tissue and potential long-term disease. New research from the University of Chicago…

Ten years ago, nobody knew that Asgard archaea even existed. In 2015, however, researchers examining deep-sea sediments discovered gene fragments that indicated a new and previously undiscovered form of microbes. With computer assistance, the researchers assembled these fragments like puzzle pieces to compile the entire genome. It was only then that they realised they were…

Great recipes require the perfect combination of ingredients — biotechnology recipes are no exception. Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University have discovered the ideal genetic “recipe” to turn yeast into a tiny yet powerful eco-friendly factory that converts methanol into D-lactic acid, a key compound used in biodegradable plastics and pharmaceuticals. This approach could help reduce…

A long-term Switzerland-wide study has found that neighbourhoods with numerous, well-arranged trees exhibit lower mortality risks than other areas. The reasons behind this, and the factors that play a role, will require further research. Beyond creating a serene and open atmosphere in urban areas, trees and parks also contribute to human well-being. There are various…

In the desert areas of Namibia, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, research work has revealed unusual structures that are probably due to the activity of an unknown microbiological life form. Unusually small burrows, i.e., tiny tubes that run through the rock in a parallel arrangement from top to bottom, were discovered in marble and limestone of…

A new study explains how a parakeet’s brain helps it to mimic human words. By recording for the first time the brain activity of parakeets as they made sounds, a research team at NYU Grossman School of Medicine found that their brains generate patterns seen before only in humans as they speak. Published online March…

During embryonic development, the intestine of the Drosophila fly divides into distinct chambers thanks to the formation of constrictions at specific points of the tissue. The Wingless (Wg) signalling pathway is known to be responsible for one of these constrictions but until now the underlying mechanism regulating this was not known. A study led by…

If a person hides their own hand and focuses on a rubber hand instead, they may perceive it as part of their own body under certain conditions. What sounds like a gimmick could one day be used to help patients who suffer from chronic pain: Researchers at the Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at…

A predator’s gotta eat, but sometimes what they eat harms people sharing the landscape, and that often leads to the carnivore’s death. Fortified corrals are one strategy used in Tanzania to protect both livestock and vulnerable carnivore species. But then where do lions, leopards and hyenas go for dinner? Do they feed on the next…

A combination of cosmic processes shapes the formation of one of the most common types of planets outside of our solar system, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State. The research team used data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to study young sub-Neptunes — planets bigger than Earth but…

Adding immunotherapy to a new type of inhibitor that targets multiple forms of the cancer-causing gene mutation KRAS kept pancreatic cancer at bay in preclinical models for significantly longer than the same targeted therapy by itself, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer…

In Nature Neuroscience, UConn School of Medicine researchers have revealed a new scientific clue that could unlock the key cellular pathway leading to devastating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, and the progressive damage to the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes in frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) and the associated disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, “Endothelial…

The smoke from fires that blaze through the wildland-urban interface (WUI) has far greater health impacts than smoke from wildfires in remote areas, new research finds. The study, published this week in Science Advances, estimates that emissions from WUI fires are proportionately about three times more likely to lead to annual premature deaths than emissions…

Astronomers have discovered two exoplanets around TOI-1453, a star about 250 light years away. These two exoplanets, a super-Earth and a sub-Neptune, are common in the galaxy, yet are absent from our system. This discovery paves the way for future atmospheric studies to better understand these types of planets. Astrophysicists have once again enriched our…

Life may not have begun with a dramatic lightning strike into the ocean but from many smaller “microlightning” exchanges among water droplets from crashing waterfalls or breaking waves. New research from Stanford University shows that water sprayed into a mixture of gases thought to be present in Earth’s early atmosphere can lead to the formation…

A team of researchers from the University of Ottawa has made significant strides in understanding the ionization of atoms and molecules, a fundamental process in physics that has implications for various fields including x-ray generation and plasma physics. Think about atoms — the building blocks of everything around us. Sometimes, they lose their electrons and…

Mount Sinai researchers have developed a method to uncover the hidden immune cells that harbor the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a discovery that brings medical experts one step closer to a cure for the infection affecting nearly 40 million people globally. The findings were published in Nature Communications on March 6. HIV is a virus…

When major storms hit Houston last spring and summer, losing power was a nightmare for residents, but for many, the financial fallout was just as devastating. A new report from Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research finds that more than half of Houston-area workers lost income due to these storms, either because they couldn’t…

Metastatic melanoma, also known as stage IV melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that spreads to other parts of the body. It is one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer, with current therapies — including immunotherapy and targeted drugs — showing limited effectiveness. Radiotherapy is an emerging treatment for melanoma, but conventional…

A lung function test used to help diagnose asthma works better in the morning, becoming less reliable throughout the day, Cambridge researchers have found. Using real world data from 1,600 patients, available through a database created for speeding up research and innovation, the team also found that its reliability differs significantly in winter compared to…

Charging forward at top speed, a garden snail slimes up 1 millimeter of pavement per second. By this logic, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology researchers’ new 3D printing process speeds past existing methods — at a snail’s pace. Researchers in Beckman’s Autonomous Materials Systems Group created “growth printing,” which mimics tree trunks’ outward…

Earth is absorbing more sunlight and trapping more heat than it releases into space, causing our planet to warm up at an increasing rate. New research shows that cloudy areas over oceans are reflecting less sunlight to space than before, adding to heating from rising greenhouse gas levels and causing climate change to accelerate. The…

Occupational and environmental exposures can put specific groups of people at higher risk of cancer, including firefighters. A new study by investigators at Mass General Brigham examines a cancer rarely studied in firefighters: gliomas — a type of tumor that forms in the brain or spinal cord. Using glioma tumor samples from the University of…

Whales are not just big, they’re a big deal for healthy oceans. When they poop, whales move tons of nutrients from deep water to the surface. Now new research shows that whales also move tons of nutrients thousands of miles — in their urine. In 2010, scientists revealed that whales, feeding at depth and pooping…

A recently launched Phase 1 clinical trial at Mass General Brigham is examining the safety and feasibility of a groundbreaking treatment approach for Parkinson’s disease in which a patient’s stem cells are reprogrammed to replace dopamine cells in the brain damaged by the disease. The first-of-its-kind trial of an autologous stem cell transplant, based on…

Hyperspectral imaging is a technology that detects slight differences in color to pinpoint the characteristics and conditions of an object. While a normal camera creates images using red, green, and blue, a hyperspectral camera can obtain over 100 images in the visible to near-infrared light range in a single shot. As a result, hyperspectral imaging…

People who consume plant-based oil instead of butter may experience beneficial health effects and even have a lower risk of premature death, according to a new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. The researchers examined diet and health data…

Researchers in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia, and collaborating institutions report a groundbreaking discovery in cardiac regeneration that offers new hope for the treatment of ischemic heart failure. Published in npj Regenerative Medicine, the study reveals a novel approach…

We all encounter gels in daily life — from the soft, sticky substances you put in your hair, to the jelly-like components in various foodstuffs. While human skin shares gel-like characteristics, it has unique qualities that are very hard to replicate. It combines high stiffness with flexibility, and it has remarkable self-healing capabilities, often healing…

When spiders spin their webs, they use their hind legs to pull silk threads from their spinnerets. This pulling action doesn’t just help the spider release the silk, it’s also a crucial step in strengthening the silk fibers for a more durable web. In a new study, Northwestern University researchers have discovered why the role…

Researchers at UC San Francisco have enabled a man who is paralyzed to control a robotic arm through a device that relays signals from his brain to a computer. He was able to grasp, move and drop objects just by imagining himself performing the actions. The device, known as a brain-computer interface (BCI), worked for…

A phone screen you can’t scratch no matter how many times you drop it. Glasses that prevent glare. A windshield that doesn’t get dusty. These are all possibilities thanks to a new way to produce sapphire. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered techniques to bestow superpowers upon sapphire, a material that…

The shape of a planet’s orbit is one of its fundamental properties, along with its size and distance from its host star. Earth has a nearly circular orbit, but some planets outside our solar system, called exoplanets, have very elliptical orbits. UCLA astrophysicists have now measured the shape of the orbits of exoplanets — from…

When ‘Elephant’ toothpaste erupts from the science lab, history deals up Pokémon playing cards, and math class bakes a batch of chocolate brownies, it might seem like chaos. Yet, a groundbreaking study from University of South Australia researchers, shows that creativity plays an essential role in academic success, suggesting that students who think outside the…