Top Science News

Oct. 9, 2024 — The secret to losing weight could all be down to a combination of 14 'skinny genes', a new study has found. Researchers discovered they helped people drop twice as much weight when they ran for half an hour three times a week. The team found those with more of the genes slimmed the most across eight ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — People with a preference for sweets are at a higher risk of developing depression, diabetes, and suffering a stroke, according to new ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — Parents seeking help in encouraging toddlers to be physically active may soon need to look no further than an inexpensive robotic buddy for their kids, a new study ...

Oct. 8, 2024 — Researchers have just described the existence of the paradoxical Mpemba effect within quantum systems. Initially investigating out of pure curiosity, the discovery has bridged the gap between Aristotle's observations two millennia ago and modern-day understanding, and opened the door to a whole host of 'cool' -- and 'cooling' -- ...

Oct. 10, 2024 — Scientists have discovered a low-cost method to significantly reduce this pollution from hydrogen internal combustion engines by improving the efficiency of their catalytic converters. The researchers found that infusing platinum in catalytic converters with a highly porous material called Y zeolites greatly enhances the reactions between nitrogen oxides and hydrogen, converting unhealthful ...

Oct. 10, 2024 — Chemists have developed a new chemical reaction that will allow researchers to synthesize selectively the left-handed or right-handed versions of 'mirror molecules' found in nature and assess them for potential use against cancer, infection, depression, inflammation and a host of other ...

Oct. 10, 2024 — Materials researchers have created a new composite material that combines two incompatible properties: stiff yet with a high damping ...

Oct. 10, 2024 — Researchers developed a rating system to evaluate the plausibility of climate model simulations in the IPCC's latest report, and show that models that lead to potentially catastrophic warming are to be taken ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — Newly discovered birds from Late Cretaceous North America were hawk-sized and had powerful raptor-like feet, according to a new ...

Oct. 8, 2024 — Rates of babesiosis, a tick-borne parasitic disease, increased an average of 9% per year in the United States between 2015 and 2022 and four in 10 patients were found to be co-infected with another tick-borne illness such as Lyme disease, according to a new ...

Oct. 7, 2024 — New research shows that international conservation efforts account for approximately 10 percent of fish stocks on coral ...

Oct. 2, 2024 — Neuroscientists say they have determined how a brain cell surface molecule shapes the way certain neurons ...

Sep. 27, 2024 — Researchers have made an important Huntington's disease discovery. They have found that the protein mutated in patients with Huntington's disease doesn't repair DNA as intended, impacting the ability of brain cells to heal ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — An analysis of data in the UK Biobank has found that COVID-19 infection may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and death from any cause for up to three years for people with and without cardiovascular disease, according to new ...

Oct. 10, 2024 — Researcherers say a pair of experiments with children ages 4 to 7 shows that, given children's natural skepticism and early exposure to the internet's boundless misinformation, it is crucial for adults to teach them practical fact-checking skills. Instead of attempting to completely sanitize their online environment researchers argue adults should ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — Dyslexia and dyscalculia are most commonly acknowledged as posing challenges linked to people's literacy and numeracy. However, a new study has shown those with the conditions may have previously unheralded strengths, namely reduced bias against others based on characteristics such as their disability, race or ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — A new study has created a map of DNA modification in two regions of the brain critical to learning, memory and emotional regulation. The map offers a benchmark for ensuring stem cell-based models accurately replicate human brain ...

Oct. 8, 2024 — Scientists have recreated the growth of Lewy bodies in human neurons and followed their formation to gain important insight into why and how they form. Critically, they find that immune challenge is important for this process, identifying a previously unknown link between the immune system and neurological ...

Oct. 8, 2024 — Driven in part by climate change, epidemics from mosquito-spread viruses are occurring with increasing frequency. Yet few among the American public are worried about getting West Nile or dengue virus in the coming months, and knowledge about how to protect oneself from these illnesses is spotty, a new survey ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — If you smugly believe you're right in a disagreement with a friend or colleague, a new study suggests why you may actually be wrong. Researchers found that people naturally assume they have all the information they need to make a decision or support their position, even when they do ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — Researchers find cardiac arrhythmias in partygoers who had drunk a lot of ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — As flu season approaches, researchers are discovering that the flu and fake news have far more in common than we may ...

Oct. 10, 2024 — Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known commonly as PFAS, could take over 40 years to flush out of contaminated ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — A team of international researchers has developed a natural fabric that urban residents could wear to counter rising temperatures in cities worldwide, caused by buildings, asphalt, and ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — Toxic trace elements such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium naturally occur in small quantities in coastal seas. However, human activities, such as industry and agriculture, contribute significantly larger amounts. A new study has examined how climate change already affects the distribution and accumulation of these elements and how it could impact them in the future. One of the findings: ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — Astronomers have observed Jupiter's legendary Great Red Spot (GRS), an anticyclone large enough to swallow Earth, for at least 150 years. But there are always new surprises -- especially when NASA's Hubble Space Telescope takes a close-up look at it. Hubble's new observations of the famous red storm, collected 90 days between December 2023 to March 2024, reveal that the GRS is not as stable as it ...

Oct. 7, 2024 — NASA's Curiosity rover, currently exploring Gale crater on Mars, is providing new details about how the ancient Martian climate went from potentially suitable for life -- with evidence for widespread liquid water on the surface -- to a surface that is inhospitable to terrestrial life as we know ...

Oct. 7, 2024 — Researchers conducted innovative simulations of spinning black holes grounded in general relativity, which clarified that the ultraluminous accretion disk (i.e., gaseous spiral surrounding a black hole) exhibits a precessional motion driven by the black hole's spin. This finding underscores the potential of this spin to be the primary driver of ...

Oct. 7, 2024 — Planet-forming disks, maelstroms of gas and dust swirling around young stars, are nurseries that give rise to planetary systems, including our solar system. Astronomers have discovered new details of gas flows that sculpt those disks and shape them over ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — Smart CCTV systems trained to spot blockages in urban waterways could become an important future tool in flood prevention, new research has ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — Researchers have developed a soft robotic 'finger' with a sophisticated sense of touch that can perform routine doctor office examinations, including taking a patient's pulse and checking for abnormal ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — A professor who has devoted his career to resolving the mysteries of higher mathematics has solved two separate, fundamental problems that have perplexed mathematicians for ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — 161,979 new RNA viruses have been discovered using a machine learning tool that researchers believe will vastly improve the mapping of life on Earth and could aid in the identification of many millions more viruses yet to be ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — Dying cells are typically expelled from epithelial sheets to prevent foreign substances and microorganisms from entering, but the mechanism underlying this process is unclear. A recent study has revealed a calcium-mediated mechanism essential for surrounding cells to expel an adjacent dying cell. Their findings clarify various aspects of this ...

Oct. 7, 2024 — An international research team has used long-term demographic data from Japanese macaques -- a monkey species within the family of Old World monkeys -- to show that, unlike humans, there is no maternal mortality in these primates linked to ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — Researchers have discovered new understanding of bacterial photosynthesis. Using cutting-edge techniques, investigators have unveiled intricate detailed images of the key photosynthetic protein complexes of purple bacteria. These images shed new light on how these microorganisms harness solar ...

Oct. 10, 2024 — The world's freshwater lakes are freezing over for shorter periods of time due to climate change. This shift has major implications for human safety, as well as water quality, biodiversity, and global nutrient ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — Archaeological surveys suggest that coastal and underwater cave sites in southern Sicily contain important new clues about the path and fate of early human migrants to the ...

Oct. 8, 2024 — Natural climate patterns such as El Nino are causing tropical glaciers to lose their ice at an alarming rate, a new study has ...

Oct. 8, 2024 — A circular bioeconomy that reduces and recycles waste, transitions away from fossil fuels to renewable bio-based alternatives, and regenerates natural systems is critical for feeding and fueling the world's growing population in environmentally sustainable ways. But it's a complicated concept, and significant questions remain about how it should be implemented and how to get buy-in from farmers, ...

Oct. 10, 2024 — Studying microscopic layers of dirt dug from the Tam Pa Ling cave site in northeastern Laos has provided a team of archaeologists further insights into some of the earliest evidence of Homo sapiens in mainland Southeast Asia. The site, which has been studied for the past 14 years, has produced some of the earliest fossil evidence of our direct ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — Researchers have identified how the architecture of brain circuits helps different species flexibly adapt to new mating signals across evolutionary ...

Oct. 8, 2024 — Scientists have discovered one of the earliest examples of a winged seed, granting insight into the origin and early evolution of wind dispersal strategies in ...

Oct. 2, 2024 — By studying rare fossils of jaws and other skull parts of a long-extinct Caribbean monkey, a team of researchers says it has uncovered new evidence documenting the anatomy and ecology of an extinct primate once found on Hispaniola -- the Caribbean island on which Haiti and the Dominican Republic are ...

Oct. 8, 2024 — An international coalition of scientists concludes that the Earth's worsening vital signs indicate a 'critical and unpredictable new phase of the climate crisis' and that 'decisive action is needed, and ...

Oct. 8, 2024 — As the global push towards low-carbon societies accelerates, a new study reveals that justice concerns are increasingly surfacing in legal disputes over climate policies and projects. This phenomenon, described as 'just transition litigation', emphasizes the need to balance climate action with social justice considerations, ensuring that ...

Oct. 8, 2024 — Until now, it was considered certain that people are more likely to cooperate if the benefits from cooperation are higher. A recently published, large-scale study has now called this finding into question: in over 2000 study participants, the researchers found no relationship between benefits from cooperation and willingness to ...

Oct. 9, 2024 — New research has identified a key step in how neurons encode information on timescales that match ...

Sep. 30, 2024 — Prior research has found that exposure to social diversity in early life, such as through day care, influences how people communicate. Those early social experiences can also moderate tendencies toward stereotyping down the road, according to a new ...

Oct. 2, 2024 — Despite growing evidence of the importance of student well-being and an abundance of best practices, most institutions have yet to prioritize it as much as they do enrollment, graduation and grades. A new study provides guidance on how institutions can support and enhance student well-being, and breaks down the various benefits for learners during and beyond their university career. It identifies ...

Oct. 2, 2024 — 'Future You' is a generative AI tool that enables users to have a simulated conversation with a potential version of their future selves. The chatbot is meant to reduce users' anxiety, improve positive emotions, and guide them toward making better everyday ...

Sep. 26, 2024 — Using mathematical modeling, researchers found a way to maintain cooperation without relying on complex norms or ...

Sep. 18, 2024 — Researchers have developed a new framework to make complex AI tasks more accessible and transparent to users. The framework specializes in providing solutions to deep reinforcement learning (DRL) requests. The framework pairs developers, companies and individuals that have specific but out-of-reach AI needs with service providers who have the ...

Aug. 16, 2024 — Researchers developed a new method known as flash-within-flash Joule heating (FWF) that could transform the synthesis of high-quality solid-state materials, offering a cleaner, faster and more sustainable manufacturing ...

Aug. 14, 2024 — A new article concludes that current climate standards are not sufficiently incentivizing the big picture innovations necessary to deliver net zero, and must be expanded to include a company's broader influence on climate ...