Top Science News

Nov. 20, 2024 — People with Alzheimer's exhibit a loss of motor control along with cognitive decline, and one of the earliest signs of this decay can be spotted in involuntary eye movements known as saccades. These quick twitches of the eyes in Alzheimer's patients are often slower, less accurate, or delayed compared to those in healthy individuals. Researchers are exploring an alternative method using a more ...

Nov. 20, 2024 — A recently published meta-analysis reveals an advantage in sports-related information processing compared to non-athletes. The data consisted of 21 studies involving a total of 1455 participants. Athletes had better working memory than non-athletes and this advantage was further enhanced when athletes were compared to sedentary ...

Nov. 20, 2024 — Inspired by the jets of water that squids use to propel themselves through the ocean, a team developed an ingestible capsule that releases a burst of drugs directly into the lining of the stomach or other organs of the digestive ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — A new computer model can be used to detect and measure interior oceans on the ice covered moons of Uranus. The model works by analyzing orbital wobbles that would be visible from a passing spacecraft. The research gives engineers and scientists a slide-rule to help them design NASA's upcoming Uranus Orbiter and Probe ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — When Voyager 2 flew by Uranus and Neptune 40 years ago, astronomers were surprised that it detected no global dipole magnetic fields, like Earth's. The explanation: the ice giants are layered and unmixed, which prevents large scale convection to create a dipole field. But what substances would remain immiscible? A scientist modeled the interiors and found that water-rich and hydrocarbon-rich ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — An international team of researchers has made new observations of an unusual supernova, finding the most metal-poor stellar explosion ever ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — Scientists have recently identified electrons and positrons with the highest energies ever recorded on Earth. They provide evidence of cosmic processes emitting colossal amounts of energy, the origins of which are as yet ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — With help from AI, scientists developed a method that generates satellite imagery from the future to depict how a region would look after a potential flooding ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — Researchers performed acoustic impulse response measurements in front of 37 rock painting site and found that the same vertical rock surfaces that have the painted elks, humans and boats, are also effective sound ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — A new study indicates that during the Late Neolithic, between 7000 and 5000 BCE, the fully agricultural communities in the Fertile Crescent region of the Near East, developed a complex culinary tradition that included the baking of large loaves of bread and 'focaccias' with different flavors on special trays known to archaeologists as husking ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — When bats can't hear, new research finds that these hearing-dependent animals employ a remarkable compensation ...

Nov. 19, 2024 — Researchers have found that coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2 contain genes that appear important for viral survival even though they don't produce a working protein. Their work investigating how these mystery genes evolve could help forecast which variants might be more ...

Nov. 19, 2024 — When making diagnostic decisions, radiologists and other physicians may rely too much on artificial intelligence (AI) when it points out a specific area of interest in an X-ray, according to a new ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — The current standard of care for psychosis is a diagnostic interview, but what if it could be diagnosed before the first symptom emerged? Researchers are pointing toward a potential biomarker in the brain that could lead to more timely interventions and personalized ...

Nov. 22, 2024 — People's preference for simple explanations of any situation is connected to their desire to execute tasks efficiently, finds a new study from the University of ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — Researchers from the lab of Richard Simerly have uncovered the first example of activity-dependent development of hypothalamic neural circuitry. The work also suggests a novel role for the hunger hormone leptin in specifying the development of neural circuits involved in autonomic regulation and food ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — A research group has investigated how Alzheimer's disease can be diagnosed more reliably in the ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — A groundbreaking method to profile gene activity in the living human brain has been developed. This innovative approach opens new avenues for understanding and treating neurological conditions like ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — This study examines the positive correlation between an area's wealth and biodiversity, known as the 'luxury effect.' The authors present an alternative framework for understanding links between socio-economic factors and ecosystem health which emphasizes the agency of less-wealthy communities in promoting healthy ecosystems where they ...

Nov. 18, 2024 — While exercise is generally beneficial for a person's overall health, physical activities may increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular disease events in certain susceptible individuals. However, cardiologists say that the benefits outweigh the risks. Findings from new data reviews detail the risks associated with various types of sport and ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — Infants whose mothers regularly use language to describe what their child is thinking or feeling, have higher levels of the hormone oxytocin, finds a new ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — Women who suffer severe complications during their first pregnancy or delivery are less inclined to have more babies, a study reports. Given the recent steady decline in birth rate in Sweden, the researchers propose monitoring in antenatal care to address the ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — A team of researchers has successfully demonstrated nonlinear Compton scattering (NCS) between an ultra-relativistic electron beam and an ultrahigh intensity laser pulse using the 4-Petawatt laser. The innovative approach was the usage of only a laser for electron-photon collisions, in which a multi-PW laser is applied both for particle ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — A research team has achieved a major advance in X-ray science by generating unprecedented high-power attosecond hard X-ray pulses at megahertz repetition rates. This advancement opens new frontiers in the study of ultrafast electron dynamics and enables non-destructive measurements at the atomic ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — Researchers explored protective coatings to resist corrosion in fusion reactors. They tested -Al2O3 oxide layers on ODS alloys in a high-temperature, flowing lithium-lead environment. Even bare ODS alloys formed a durable -LiAlO2 layer in situ, which suppressed further corrosion. The layers exhibited strong adhesion under mechanical stress, making ...

Nov. 18, 2024 — Recent research unlocks new clues that could radically change the world's understanding of the origin of dark ...

Nov. 21, 2024 — Axions are the most likely candidate for enigmatic dark matter that dominates the universe. Astrophysicists are searching for evidence of high-mass axions produced during supernovae. Scientists propose that a quick way to find these axions is to look for a gamma ray burst coincident with a neutrino burst from a nearby core collapse supernova. But we need a fleet of gamma ray telescopes to insure ...

Nov. 20, 2024 — Researchers used the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument to map how nearly 6 million galaxies cluster across 11 billion years of cosmic history. Their observations line up with what Einstein's theory of general relativity ...

Nov. 19, 2024 — Astronomers have discovered the first pairs of white dwarf and main sequence stars -- 'dead' remnants and 'living' stars -- in young star clusters. This breakthrough offers new insights on an extreme phase of stellar evolution, and one of the biggest mysteries in ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — Deforestation has remained a significant issue globally, with primary forests contributing to 16 per cent of the total tree cover loss in the last two decades, driven by climate change and intensive human activity. This threatens natural resources, biodiversity, and people's quality of life. To protect forests, scientists have developed Forest 4.0, an intelligent forest data processing model ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — Physical reservoir computing (PRC) utilizing synaptic devices shows significant promise for edge AI. Researchers from the Tokyo University of Science have introduced a novel self-powered dye-sensitized solar cell-based device that mimics human synaptic behavior for efficient edge AI processing, inspired by the eye's afterimage phenomenon. The device has light intensity-controllable time ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — The genome has space for only a small fraction of the information needed to control complex behaviors. So then how, for example, does a newborn sea turtle instinctually know to follow the moonlight? Neuroscientists have devised a potential explanation for this age-old paradox. Their ideas should lead to faster, more evolved forms of artificial ...

Nov. 18, 2024 — Researchers have developed an AI algorithm that could successfully identify relevant clinical trials for which a person is eligible and provide a summary that clearly explains how that person meets the criteria for study enrollment. The tool can help make it easier for both clinicians and patients to find and connect with the right clinical trial ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — The secret to cellular youth may depend on keeping the nucleolus -- a condensed structure inside the nucleus of a cell -- small, according to nvestigators. The findings were elucidated in yeast, a model organism famous for making bread and beer and yet surprisingly similar to humans on the cellular ...

Nov. 20, 2024 — Chimpanzees are more likely to engage in play or groom each other if they see others performing these social behaviors first, researchers ...

Nov. 21, 2024 — Morning glory plants that can resist the effects of glyphosate also resist damage from herbivorous insects, according to a new ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — Not all plastics are equal -- some types and colors are easier to recycle than others. For instance, black foam and black coffee lids, which are often made of polystyrene, usually end up in landfills because color additives lead to ineffective sorting. Now, researchers report on the ability to leverage one additive in black plastics, with the help of sunlight or white LEDs, to convert black and ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — A new study warns that current plans to achieve zero emissions on the grid by 2050 vastly underestimate the required investments in generation and transmission infrastructure. The reason: these plans do not account for climate change's impacts on water resources. Specifically, changes in water availability caused by climate change could decrease ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — Apples rank among the world's most valuable fruit crops, with production spanning more than 100 countries. Some apple trees naturally develop into what farmers call 'spur-type' varieties -- compact trees that are more productive and easier to maintain. But the genetic mechanisms underlying this coveted trait have remained elusive -- until ...

Nov. 21, 2024 — Scientists have presented work examining the circumstances surrounding the whale deaths off the coast of New Jersey in the winter of 2022-23, which prompted concern that survey work in the area somehow contributed to their deaths. The Marine Mammal Commission has stated there is no evidence linking the whales' deaths to wind energy development; many of them died from collisions with ships. ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — Armenians, a population in Western Asia historically inhabiting the Armenian highlands, were long believed to be descendants of Phrygian settlers from the Balkans. This theory originated largely from the accounts of the Greek historian Herodotus, who observed that Armenians were armed in Phrygian fashion when serving in the Persian army. Linguists further supported this theory, suggesting that ...

Nov. 21, 2024 — Scientists have presented results on the acoustic characteristics of a physical model of the Parasaurolophus' crest. They created a physical setup made of tubes to represent a mathematical model that will allow researchers to discover what was happening acoustically inside the crest. The physical model, inspired by resonance chambers, was ...

Nov. 22, 2024 — Archaeologists have collected data which indicates the presence of a large-scale pre-Columbian fish-trapping facility. Discovered in the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary (CTWS), the largest inland wetland in Belize, the team dated the construction of these fisheries to the Late Archaic period (cal. 2000-1900 BCE), pre-dating Amazonian examples by a thousand years or ...

Nov. 21, 2024 — Archaeology studies the human past through the excavation of things people made and used thousands of years ago -- from architecture to objects like pottery bowls and animal bones from meals. Although many excavation projects create digital 3D models of what they uncover, archaeologists need new ways to meaningfully use those data. Some projects ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — A new study emphasizes that neighborhood conditions significantly shape recovery opportunities for individuals with SCI and advocates for environmental interventions to reduce health ...

Nov. 20, 2024 — With most donated clothes exported or thrown away, experts are calling for a shakeup of how we deal with the growing fashion waste ...

Nov. 21, 2024 — In a polarized nation, there is one thing that nearly all Americans agree on, according to a recent study: sports are good for us. Researchers found that more than 9 out of 10 Americans agreed that sports build character and improved one's health, while 84% agreed playing sports makes one popular in school and 85% said it makes one more well-known in the ...

Nov. 21, 2024 — New research reveals how low confidence drives feedback-seeking, enhancing learning with insights for education and rehabilitation ...

Nov. 21, 2024 — Sentences contain subtle hints in their grammar that tell young children about the meaning of new words, according to new ...

Nov. 21, 2024 — Adolescents who snore frequently were more likely to exhibit behavior problems such as inattention, rule-breaking, and aggression, but they do not have any decline in their cognitive abilities, according to a new study. This is the largest study to date tracking snoring in children from elementary school through their mid-teen years and it ...

Nov. 21, 2024 — Preschool children who struggle to control their emotions and behaviour have more symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder -- known as ADHD -- at age seven, a study suggests. Children aged between three and seven who are slower at acquiring skills to manage their intense emotions were also found to be at risk of displaying more conduct issues. They were also more likely to show ...

Nov. 22, 2024 — A new study found that prolonged standing at work had a negative impact on the research participants' 24-hour blood pressure. In contrast, spending more time sitting at work was associated with better blood pressure. The study suggests that activity behavior during working hours may be more relevant to 24-hour blood pressure than recreational physical ...

Nov. 18, 2024 — It turns out gaming is good for you! New research indicates massive multiplayer online gamers learn by gaming and their skills in the workplace are enriched by those seemingly endless hours previously thought of as frittering away ...

Nov. 16, 2024 — Employees struggle when supervisors swing between good and bad ...

Nov. 13, 2024 — Working days lost to long covid could be costing the economy billions of pounds every year as patients struggle to cope with symptoms and return to work, finds a new ...