Latest Science News
Breaking science news and articles on global warming, extrasolar planets, stem cells, bird flu, autism, nanotechnology, dinosaurs, evolution -- the latest discoveries in astronomy, anthropology, biology, chemistry, climate and environment, computers, engineering, health and medicine, math, physics, psychology, technology, and more -- from the world's leading universities and research organizations.
Climate change impacts terrorist activity
Changing weather patterns induced by climate change are contributing to shifts in the location of terrorist activity, according to new research.
Research shows direct link between state income taxes and migration
A new study looks at 110 years of income tax history across the U.S. and notes out-migration by wealthy Americans.
Life expectancy increased as world addressed major killers including diarrhea, lower respiratory infections, and stroke
Global life expectancy increased by 6.2 years since 1990, according to a new study. Over the past three decades, reductions in death from leading killers fueled this progress, including diarrhea and lower respiratory infections, as well as stroke and ischemic heart disease. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020, however, it derailed progress in many locations.
Talking politics with strangers isn't as awful as you'd expect, research suggests
Individuals underestimate the social connection they can make with a stranger who disagrees with them on contentious issues, a new research paper suggests.
Early dinosaurs grew up fast, but they weren't the only ones
The earliest dinosaurs had rapid growth rates, but so did many of the other animals living alongside them, according to a new study.
Working outside the typical 9-5 in younger adulthood may be linked with worse health decades later
The hours you work earlier in life may be associated with worse health years later, according to a new study.
Immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease shows promise in mouse study
Scientists have shown that treating mice with an antibody that blocks the interaction between APOE proteins (white) sprinkled within Alzheimer's disease plaques and the LILRB4 receptor on microglia cells (purple) activates them to clean up damaging plaques (blue) in the brain.
Giant phage holds promise as treatment for lung infections
Researchers have discovered a new bacterial killer that can target common lung infection caused by Burkholderia bacteria that has exciting potential for biotechnological applications.
Machine learning enables viability of vertical-axis wind turbines
Researchers have used a genetic learning algorithm to identify optimal pitch profiles for the blades of vertical-axis wind turbines, which despite their high energy potential, have until now been vulnerable to strong gusts of wind.
Drawing inspiration from plants: A metal-air paper battery for wearable devices
Drawing inspiration from the way plants breathe, a group of researchers has created a paper-based magnesium-air battery that can be used in GPS sensors or pulse oximeter sensors. Taking advantage of paper's recyclability and lightweight nature, the engineered battery holds promise for a more environmentally friendly source of energy.
Pressure determines which embryonic cells become 'organizers'
A collaboration between research groups at the University of California, TU Dresden in Germany and Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children's in Los Angeles has identified a mechanism by which embryonic cells organize themselves to send signals to surrounding cells, telling them where to go and what to do. While these signaling centers have been known to science for a while, how individual cells turn into organizers has been something of a mystery.
California leads U.S. emissions of little-known greenhouse gas
California, a state known for its aggressive greenhouse gas reduction policies, is ironically the nation's greatest emitter of one: sulfuryl fluoride. As much as 17% of global emissions of this gas, a common pesticide for treating termites and other wood-infesting insects, stem from the United States. The majority of those emissions trace back to just a few counties in California, finds a new study.
Discovery could end global amphibian pandemic
A fungus devastating frogs and toads on nearly every continent may have an Achilles heel. Scientists have discovered a virus that infects the fungus, and that could be engineered to save the amphibians.
Exploring the effect of the presence of familiar people in interpersonal space
Researchers investigate the influence of social relationships on our bodily responses to the presence of other persons in the interpersonal space.
Plastic-free vegan leather that dyes itself grown from bacteria
Researchers have genetically engineered bacteria to grow animal- and plastic-free leather that dyes itself.
New discovery unravels malaria invasion mechanism
A recent breakthrough sheds light on how the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, invades human red blood cells. The study reveals the role of a sugar called sialic acid in this invasion process. The findings have major implications for malaria vaccine and drug development.
Testing environmental water to monitor COVID-19 spread in unsheltered encampments
To better understand COVID-19's spread during the pandemic, public health officials expanded wastewater surveillance. These efforts track SARS-CoV-2 levels and health risks among most people, but they miss people who live without shelter, a population particularly vulnerable to severe infection. To fill this information gap, researchers tested flood-control waterways near unsheltered encampments, finding similar transmission patterns as in the broader community and identifying previously unseen v...
Water-based paints: Less stinky, but some still contain potentially hazardous chemicals
Choosing paint for your home brings a lot of options: What kind of paint, what type of finish and what color? Water-based paints have emerged as 'greener' and less smelly than solvent-based options. And they are often advertised as containing little-to-no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). But, according to new research, some of these paints do contain compounds that are considered VOCs, along with other chemicals of emerging concern.
Gunshots in American cities twice as likely at night, potentially disrupting sleep for those in earshot, study finds
Researchers studied six cities, finding that nighttime gunshots were particularly prevalent in low-income neighborhoods. The team found gunshots are twice as likely to occur at night, and that low-income communities are disproportionately affected by them.
Groundbreaking research in groundwater's role in ecosystem sustainability
Until now, groundwater -- a critical water resource around the globe, especially in dry regions -- has been largely unstudied in its importance and role in sustaining ecosystems. New groundbreaking research examines the relationship between groundwater and ecosystems across California.
Are universities connected to local sustainability? A new study suggests yes...and no.
A new study finds that universities scoring strongly on measures of sustainability are associated with innovation and economic growth in their surrounding communities. However, the study did not find similar connections between university sustainability performance and environmental sustainability in their home communities.
Research reveals pre-collapse monitoring of Kakhovka dam, Ukraine
New evidence from a spaceborne-monitoring team indicates that the Ukrainian Kakhovka Dam, which collapsed early into the Russian invasion, may have been vulnerable even before the war.
Intelligent liquid
Researchers have developed a programmable meta-fluid with tunable springiness, optical properties, viscosity and even the ability to transition between a Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid. The first-of-its-kind meta-fluid uses a suspension of small, elastomer spheres -- between 50 to 500 microns -- that buckle under pressure, radically changing the characteristics of the fluid. The meta-fluid could be used in everything from hydraulic actuators to program robots, to intelligent shock absorbers th...
Scientists further our understanding of how a foodborne bacterium can survive in food preparation environments
Scientists have discovered that bacterial populations remain stable on factory floor despite cleaning efforts in ready-to-eat food production facilities.
A simple way to harvest more 'blue energy' from waves
As any surfer will tell you, waves pack a powerful punch. Now, we are one step closer to capturing the energy behind the ocean's constant ebb and flow with an improved 'blue energy' harvesting device. Researchers report that simply repositioning the electrode -- from the center of a see-sawing liquid-filled tube to the end where the water crashes with the most force -- dramatically increased the amount of wave energy that could be harvested.
New step in tectonic squeeze that turns seafloor into mountains
Researchers describe zircons from the Andes mountains of Patagonia. Although the zircons formed when tectonic plates were colliding, they have a chemical signature associated with when the plates were moving apart. The researchers think that the unexpected signature could be explained by the mechanics of underlying tectonic plates that hasn't yet been described in other models.
First results from BREAD experiment demonstrate a new approach to searching for dark matter
One of the great mysteries of modern science is dark matter. We know dark matter exists thanks to its effects on other objects in the cosmos, but we have never been able to directly see it. And it s no minor thing currently, scientists think it makes up about 85% of all the mass in the universe.
Chicks show vision and touch linked at birth
Study reveals that newly hatched chicks can instantly recognize objects with their vision, even if they've only ever experienced them by touch.
Elastocaloric cooling: Refrigerator cools by flexing artificial muscles
There is room for just one small bottle in the world's first refrigerator that is cooled with artificial muscles made of nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy. But the mini-prototype is groundbreaking: it shows that elastocalorics is becoming a viable solution for practical applications. This climate-friendly cooling and heating technology is far more energy-efficient and sustainable than current methods.
Last chance to record archaic Greek language 'heading for extinction'
A new data crowdsourcing platform aims to preserve the sound of Romeyka, an endangered millennia-old variety of Greek. Experts consider the language to be a linguistic goldmine and a living bridge to the ancient world.
Sunrise to sunset, new window coating blocks heat -- not view
Windows welcome light into interior spaces, but they also bring in unwanted heat. A new window coating blocks heat-generating ultraviolet and infrared light and lets through visible light, regardless of the sun's angle. The coating can be incorporated onto existing windows or automobiles and can reduce air-conditioning cooling costs by more than one-third in hot climates.
Increasing positive affect in adolescence could lead to improved health and well-being in adulthood
Adolescents with high positive affect may have improved physical and mental health as adults, according to a new study.
A new estimate of U.S. soil organic carbon to improve Earth system models
Emory environmentals scientist combined field-level data with machine-learning techniques to estimate soil organic carbon at the U.S. scale, another step toward providing more accurate baseline data to improve Earth system models for climate change.
Scientists' urgent call: End destruction and forge a just, sustainable future
An international team of scientists published a study emphasizing the urgent need to align political will, economic resources, and societal values to ensure a more sustainable and equitable world. The review summarizes the grave threats facing the planet but rejects a 'doom and gloom' philosophy. They advocate a global cultural shift that elevates kinship with nature and communal well-being, underpinned by the recognition of Earth's finite resources and the interconnectedness of its inhabitants.
Even moderate alcohol usage during pregnancy linked to birth abnormalities
Researchers have found that even low to moderate alcohol use by pregnant patients may contribute to subtle changes in their babies' prenatal development, including lower birth length and a shorter duration of gestation.
These plants evolved in Florida millions of years ago: They may be gone in decades
Scrub mints are among the most endangered plants you've probably never heard of. More than half of the 24 species currently known to exist are considered threatened or endangered at the state or federal level. In a new study, researchers show there are likely more scrub mint species waiting to be scientifically described. And at least one species has been left without federal protection because of a technicality.
Companies ignoring climate risks get punished by markets, new study reveals
Companies that proactively manage climate risks boost their valuations, while those with a passive stance are discounted in the equity market, according to new research.
AI writing, illustration emits hundreds of times less carbon than humans, study finds
A group of scholars calculated the amount of energy used by AI tools for the tasks of writing and illustrating and compared it to the average amount of energy humans use for the same processes. Their results showed artificial intelligence results in hundreds of times less carbon emissions than humans. This does not mean, however, that AI can or should replace humans in those tasks, simply that its energy usage is less. The better approach is a partnership between humans and AI, the authors write.
YKT6 gene variants cause a new genetic disorder finds a new study
A recent collaborative study has discovered rare variants in the YKT6 gene as the cause of a new neurological disorder characterized by developmental delays along with severe progressive liver disease and a potential risk for liver cancer.
Australia on track for unprecedented, decades-long megadroughts
Australia could soon see megadroughts that last for more than 20 years, according to new modelling. The researchers' bleak findings are before factoring in human impact on the climate since the Industrial Revolution. According to the scientists, the findings paint a worrying picture of future droughts in Australia that are far worse than anything in recent experience.
Building blocks for greener energy: Reconfigurable elastic metasurface
Energy harvesting, an eco-friendly technology, extends beyond solar and wind power in generating electricity from unused or discarded energy in daily life, including vibrations generated by passing car engines or trains. Recent intriguing research has been announced, aiming to enhance the efficiency of energy harvesting using a new type of metasurface that can be reconfigured, resembling the assembly of LEGO bricks.
How and why animals can live alongside humans
New research suggests animals can thrive in human-dominated environments by being expert judges of risk. Researchers examined the behavior of great-tailed grackles, a bird species successfully invading much of urban North America, showing that the dispersing males shy away from risk, which is a characteristic the researchers show is well-suited to chaotic environments like cities. These findings provide unique insight into how and why animals and humans can coexist.
When did the chicken cross the road? New evidence from Central Asia
An international team of scholars present the earliest clear archaeological and biomolecular evidence for the raising of chickens for egg production, based on material from 12 archaeological sites spanning one and a half millennia. The research indicates that the domestic chicken, now a staple in diets around the world, is not as ancient as previously thought.
Blended antioxidant supplement improves cognition and memory in aged mice
Cell damage from oxidative stress is a major underlying cause of age-related cognitive and muscle strength decline. Antioxidants can reduce oxidative stress and prevent age-related health decline. A new study has found that mice administered with a blended antioxidant supplement show significant improvements in spatial cognition, short-term memory, and mitigated age-related muscle decline. The study suggests that blended antioxidant supplements hold promise as a dietary intervention for health is...
The math problem that took nearly a century to solve: Secret to Ramsey numbers
Little progress had been made in solving Ramsey problems since the 1930s. Now, researchers have found the answer to r(4,t), a longstanding Ramsey problem that has perplexed the math world for decades.
Early detection of language disorders helps children obtain right interventions
New screening tools in child health care are effective in identifying early language and communication difficulties in children. This is shown by two studies based on more than 6,000 children.
Simulations reveal mechanism behind protein build-up in Parkinson's disease
Researchers have used computational models to understand what drives the accumulation of alpha-synuclein protein, a key culprit in the development of Parkinson's disease.
Older trees help to protect an endangered species
The oldest trees in the forest help to prevent the disappearance of endangered species in the natural environment, according to a new study. This is the case of the wolf lichen -- threatened throughout Europe --, which now finds refuge in the oldest trees in the high mountains of the Pyrenees. This study reveals for the first time the decisive role of the oldest trees in the conservation of other living beings thanks to their characteristic and unique physiology.
Biofilm-resistant glass for marine environments
Engineers have created ultraviolet (UV) rays-emitting glass that can reduce 98% of biofilm from growing on surfaces in underwater environments.
Chemistry researchers modify solar technology to produce a less harmful greenhouse gas
Researchers are using semiconductors to harvest and convert the sun's energy into high-energy compounds that have the potential to produce environmentally-friendly fuels.