Top Science News

Dec. 5, 2024 — Avian influenza viruses typically require several mutations to adapt and spread among humans, but what happens when just one change can increase the risk of becoming a pandemic virus? A recent study reveals that a single mutation in the H5N1 'bird flu' virus that has recently infected dairy cows in the U.S. could enhance the virus' ability to ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — A large study, of 77 deceased male ice hockey players, has found that the odds of having chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) increased by 34% each year played, and 18 of 19 National Hockey League players had CTE. CTE is a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated traumatic brain injuries and most frequently found in former contact sport ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — Some people bounce back from trauma, but others get caught in depressive loops that sap the joy from their ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — A team of researchers has beaten its own record for the fastest swimming soft robot, drawing inspiration from manta rays to improve their ability to control the robot's movement in the ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — Two massive asteroids hit Earth around 35.65 million years ago, but did not lead to any lasting changes in the Earth's climate, according to a new ...

Dec. 3, 2024 — An unusual planetary system with three known ultra-low density 'super-puff' planets has at least one more planet, according to new ...

Dec. 2, 2024 — A researcher has helped create a new 3D printing approach for shape-changing materials that are likened to muscles, opening the door for improved applications in robotics as well as biomedical and energy ...

Dec. 5, 2024 — A research team has made exceptional discoveries on prehistoric archery from the early Neolithic period, 7,000 years ago. The well organic preservation of the remains of the Cave of Los Murcielagos in Albunol, Granada, made it possible for scientists to identify the oldest bowstrings in Europe, which were made from the tendons of three animal ...

Dec. 5, 2024 — Research has revealed that several groups of meat-eating dinosaur stalked the Bexhill-on-Sea region of coastal East Sussex 135 million years ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — A new study sheds light on how long humans in the Americas have had relationships with the ancestors of today's dogs -- and asks an 'existential question': What is a ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — New research identifies an association between glyphosate exposure in mice and symptoms of neuroinflammation, as well as accelerated Alzheimer's disease-like pathology. This study tracks both the presence and impact of glyphosate's byproducts in the brain long after exposure ends, showing an array of persistent, damaging effects on brain health. The findings suggest the brain may be much more ...

Dec. 5, 2024 — Analysis of cheek swabs taken from pregnant women revealed a potential epigenetic biomarker for preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition that often leads to preterm births. While a clinical trial is needed to confirm the results, a study offers hope that a simple test can be developed to identify preeclampsia earlier in pregnancy. Currently preeclampsia is usually identified by ...

Dec. 5, 2024 — The skies aren't always so friendly for patients and families affected by food allergies, who may often experience worry and anxiety regarding airline travel, according to a new ...

Dec. 5, 2024 — A new study provides the first cellular evidence that making new brain cells in adults supports verbal learning and memory, which enables people to have conversations and to remember what they hear. This discovery could point to new approaches to restore cognitive function. The study relied on brain tissue from patients with drug-resistant cases of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), which ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — Being lonely is a bigger hurdle to a good night's sleep for college students than too much time at a computer or other electronic screen, a new study ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — Women who have a high genetic risk of depression are more likely to develop heart disease, researchers have ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — Receptors are cellular components that trigger internal changes based on external signals. Researchers have built a new synthetic receptor with incredibly broad potential to program cell activity, including immune response and neurological ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — Researchers uncovered a population of cells that may provide protection from brain injury following cardiac arrest, leading them to examine a drug that can activate these cells to improve neurological ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — Teens who think their parents use cannabis are more likely to hold favorable attitudes toward the drug and to consider trying it themselves, according to a new study. The research also reveals that parental monitoring and the closeness of parent-child relationships play crucial roles in adolescents' views about cannabis, often with distinct effects based on the parent's ...

Dec. 3, 2024 — An average of four minutes of incidental vigorous physical activity a day could almost halve the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks, for middle-aged women who do not engage in structured exercise, according to new ...

Dec. 3, 2024 — Engineers designed a new type of gastric balloon that can be inflated and deflated as needed. It could offer an alternative for people who don't want to undergo more invasive treatments such as gastric bypass surgery, or people who don't respond well to weight-loss ...

Dec. 3, 2024 — Chickens have been a mainstay in Australian backyards for generations. New research reveals that owners see their chickens as a blend between pet and livestock as well as a trustworthy source of ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — Large-scale production of organic solar cells with high efficiency and minimal environmental impact. In the study, the researchers studied molecule shape and interaction in organic solar ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — Scientists carried out an experiment that realizes a new kind of quantum standard of resistance. It's based on the Quantum Anomalous Hall ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — Chemical engineers designed a catalyst that can convert methane into useful polymers, which could help reduce greenhouse gas ...

Dec. 5, 2024 — Researchers have used the ALMA telescope and found old elliptical galaxies in the universe can form from intense star formation within early galaxy ...

Dec. 2, 2024 — A team of astronomers has found that Venus has never been habitable, despite decades of speculation that our closest planetary neighbor was once much more like Earth than it is ...

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

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 ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — An AI method enables the generation of sharp, high-quality 3D shapes that are closer to the quality of the best 2D image models. Previous approaches typically generated blurry or cartoonish 3D ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — Earlier research showed that primary care clinicians using AI-ECG tools identified more unknown cases of a weak heart pump, also called low ejection fraction, than without AI. New study findings suggest that this type of screening is also cost-effective in the long term, especially in outpatient ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — Undocumented orphaned wells pose hazards to both the environment and the climate. Scientists are building modern tools to help locate, assess, and pave the way for ultimately plugging these forgotten ...

Dec. 3, 2024 — New research reveals the unique human ability to conceptualize numbers may be rooted deep within the ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — A research team has investigated the importance of limestone quarries for wild bee conservation. Diverse landscapes with good connectivity between quarries and calcareous grasslands proved to be particularly valuable. Calcareous grasslands -- meaning grasslands on chalk or limestone soils -- are exceptionally rich in plant and animal species, making them valuable ecosystems. Quarries with a lot ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — Malnutrition and poor dietary diversity remain significant challenges for children in Ethiopia, despite the country's large livestock population, a study highlights. The study reveals that only a small percentage of children under five regularly consume animal-sourced foods such as milk, eggs, or ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — The rainforest in the Amazon basin transpires vast amounts of gaseous isoprene. Until now, it was assumed that this molecule is not transported far up into the atmosphere, as it rapidly declines when exposed to light conditions. The CAFE-Brazil measurement campaign provided data for two studies which demonstrate, however, that nocturnal ...

Dec. 5, 2024 — Despite the massive hype surrounding Power-to-X (PtX), most of the world's announced green hydrogen projects lack financing. The market is deemed far too risky by stakeholders. And, there are many potential pitfalls. According to the authors of a new study actors must be 'compelled' to invest in a genuinely green ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — Many high-mountain rivers in Asia transport more sediment downstream compared to a few years ago. Changes in sediment levels have a particularly strong impact on agriculture, water quality, flood management, and hydropower generation. A study demonstrates the interacting roles of glaciers, vegetation, precipitation, and slope in mobilizing ...

Dec. 5, 2024 — Researchers have tested ancient DNA from corn found at archaeological sites in Arkansas, shedding new light on the dispersal of one of the world's most important food ...

Dec. 4, 2024 — A team has engineered potato to be more resilient to global warming showing 30% increases in tuber mass under heatwave conditions. This adaptation may provide greater food security for families dependent on potatoes, as these are often the same areas where the changing climate has already affected multiple crop ...

Dec. 3, 2024 — From the RMS Titanic to the SS Endurance, shipwrecks offer valuable -- yet swiftly deteriorating -- windows into the past. Conservators slowly dry marine wooden artifacts to preserve them but doing so can inflict damage. To better care for delicate marine artifacts, researchers have developed a new hydrogel that quickly neutralizes harmful acids and stabilized waterlogged wood from an ...

Dec. 2, 2024 — A groundbreaking study sheds light on the extraordinary evolution of anglerfish, a group of deep-sea dwellers whose bizarre adaptations have captivated scientists and the public alike. The research uncovers how these enigmatic creatures defied the odds to diversify in the harsh, resource-poor environment of the bathypelagic zone -- part of the open ocean that extends from 3,300 to 13,000 feet ...

Dec. 2, 2024 — Newly discovered insect fossils are so small they can barely be seen by the human eye but have been preserved in an 'extraordinary' ...

Nov. 27, 2024 — Analysis of 216 extinct species by biologists found birds endemic to islands, occupied ecologically specific niche, lacking flight, with large bodies and sharply angled wings were the ones likely to disappear the soonest after ...

Dec. 3, 2024 — Researchers describe how they gathered useful data from a group of people living in extreme conditions, as well as the challenges they faced and the lessons they ...

Dec. 3, 2024 — Scientists demonstrate how a series of extreme weather events could lead to the Arctic's first ice-free day within just a few ...

Dec. 2, 2024 — In June of 2024, the Endocrine Society, influenced by a substantial body of research conducted in recent years, published new clinical practice guidelines for the testing and supplementation of Vitamin D for the prevention of disease. These new recommendations included limiting vitamin D supplementation beyond the daily recommended intake to specific risk groups and advised against routine ...

Nov. 27, 2024 — A team of physics educators is focusing on a new approach to teaching quantum physics in schools. Traditional classroom teaching has tended to focus on presenting the history of the origins of quantum physics, which often poses problems for learners. Using the quantum measurement process as an example, the researchers have now published their first empirical findings on learning quantum physics ...

Nov. 22, 2024 — A study has shown that iconic characters such as Peter Rabbit -- or Toad and Ratty from The Wind in the Willows -- can also play an important role in the development of children's theory of mind skills, which include the ability to read and predict social changes in the environment through tone of voice, choice of words, or facial ...

Nov. 25, 2024 — Research shows that reward-based learning requires the two neuromodulators to balance one another's influence -- like the accelerator and brakes on a ...

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. 26, 2024 — A study offers a solution to water scarcity during droughts amid the tug of economic development, population growth and climate uncertainty for water users in Western U.S. states. The proposed two-way leasing contracts would coordinate agricultural-to-urban leasing during periods of drought and urban-to-agricultural leasing during wet periods, ...

Nov. 26, 2024 — A new article examines the convergence of physics, chemistry, and AI, highlighted by recent Nobel Prizes. It traces the historical development of neural networks, emphasizing the role of interdisciplinary research in advancing AI. The authors advocate for nurturing AI-enabled polymaths to bridge the gap between theoretical advancements and ...

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 ...