Top Science News

Oct. 3, 2024 — Toddlers in the UK obtain nearly half (47%) of their calories from ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and this rises to 59% by the age of seven, according to a new study. The most common UPFs consumed by the toddlers -- who were 21 months when their parents recorded their diets -- were flavored yogurts and wholegrain breakfast cereals, products typically seen as healthy. By the age of seven, the most ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — Researchers have developed a noninvasive way of using bioluminescent optogenetics to activate parts of the ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — Human stem cell transplants successfully repaired macular holes in a monkey model, researchers report. After transplantation, the macular holes were closed by continuous filling of the space with retinal ...

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. 7, 2024 — Researchers have discovered the most distant Milky-Way-like galaxy yet observed. Dubbed REBELS-25, this disc galaxy seems as orderly as present-day galaxies, but we see it as it was when the Universe was only 700 million years old. This is surprising since, according to our current understanding of galaxy formation, such early galaxies are expected to appear more ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — Looking deep into the early universe with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have found something unprecedented: a galaxy with an odd light signature, which they attribute to its gas outshining its stars. Found approximately one billion years after the big bang, galaxy GS-NDG-9422 (9422) may be a missing-link phase of galactic evolution between the universe's first stars and familiar, ...

Oct. 2, 2024 — Scientists have developed a new method to simulate the complex movements of animals with exceptional accuracy. The research team set out to solve a long-standing challenge in biology -- how to accurately model the intricate and seemingly unpredictable movements of living organisms. They focused on the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, a model ...

Oct. 7, 2024 — Vegetation cover across the Antarctic Peninsula has increased more than tenfold over the last four decades, new research ...

Oct. 7, 2024 — Researchers have made the surprising discovery that one species of comb jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi) can fuse, such that two individuals readily turn into one following an injury. Afterwards, they rapidly synchronize their muscle contractions and merge digestive tracts to share ...

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. 4, 2024 — Researchers discover that geckos use a mechanism usually associated with balance to sense vibrations, leading to new insights about how animals hear and feel their ...

Sep. 30, 2024 — To keep weight in check, it is not only important to consider what we eat, but also the times at which we eat. According to a new study, there are two specific habits that are associated with a lower body mass index (BMI) in the long term: keeping a longer overnight fast and eating breakfast ...

Oct. 1, 2024 — Six epigenetic features define the new Epigenetic Hallmarks of Cancer, an add-on to the widely accepted Hallmarks of Cancer. Scientists concluded that malignant transformation requires some degree of six different epigenetic features, from changes in the DNA methylation status to large rearrangements in the cell's ...

Oct. 4, 2024 — A research team has revealed that a molecule in the brain -- ophthalmic acid -- unexpectedly acts like a neurotransmitter similar to dopamine in regulating motor function, offering a new therapeutic target for Parkinson's and other movement ...

Oct. 4, 2024 — The study concludes that among older adults, voice recorders are effective at capturing the circumstances and context in which they lost their balance and potentially fell, without relying on recall ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — Auditory hallucinations are likely the result of abnormalities in two brain processes: a 'broken' corollary discharge that fails to suppress self-generated sounds, and a 'noisy' efference copy that makes the brain hear these sounds more intensely than it should, according to a new ...

Oct. 4, 2024 — Magic tricks make the impossible seem possible. Magicians have long captivated audiences with visual tricks, such as pulling a bunny from a hat or sawing someone in half, but tricks that rely on sound are scarce. A new article explores why creating a magical experience using only sound may be challenging and underscores the importance of making magic accessible to people with ...

Oct. 1, 2024 — Researchers have identified a new therapeutic approach to preventing cancer from spreading to the ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — Visitors to vineyards enjoyed their tours more when they heard enhanced sounds of diverse birdsong, new research has ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — Psychological distress is common amongst those living with food allergy, but a new study has shown that little support is available to those who are ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — Mindset and expectations, not just the external environment, shape the 'table of contents' into which our brains organize the ...

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. 3, 2024 — Liquefied natural gas leaves a greenhouse gas footprint that is 33% worse than coal, when processing and shipping are taken into account, according to a new ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — Researchers have developed a way to make one type of plastic material more durable and less likely to shed dangerous ...

Sep. 26, 2024 — Conventional robotic grippers struggle to adapt to complex shapes and sizes, such as those found in crops. This has created a demand for more adaptable robotic grippers that can be utilized in agriculture. In a new study, researchers introduced an innovative soft robotic gripper named ROtation-based Squeezing grippEr (ROSE) and optimized its unique wrinkling-based grasping mechanism using ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — For the first time, scientists have taken near-daily measurements of the Sun's global coronal magnetic field, a region of the Sun that has only been observed irregularly in the past. The resulting observations are providing valuable insights into the processes that drive the intense solar storms that impact fundamental technologies, and thus lives and livelihoods, here on ...

Sep. 30, 2024 — A new program has simulated multiple satellites, collecting images of a cloud from many angles at the same time, which could help us to better understand what's happening inside the ...

Oct. 2, 2024 — Professional and amateur astronomers teamed up with artificial intelligence to find an unmatched stellar trio called TIC 290061484, thanks to cosmic 'strobe lights' captured by NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey ...

Oct. 1, 2024 — Are there planets beyond Earth where humans can live? The answer is maybe, according to physicists examining F-type star ...

Oct. 2, 2024 — Scientists report on how higher-order interactions can reshape a system at large -- even global -- ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — Physicists have succeeded in coupling two Andreev qubits coherently over a macroscopic distance for the first time. They achieved this with the help of microwave photons generated in a narrow superconducting resonator. The results lay the foundation for the use of coupled Andreev qubits in quantum communication and quantum ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — Mathematicians have developed a recipe for upgrading quantum computers to simulate complex quantum systems, such as molecules. Their discovery brings us closer to being able to predict how new drugs will behave within our bodies and has the potential to revolutionize pharmaceutical ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — Increasingly complex applications such as artificial intelligence require ever more powerful and power-hungry computers to run. Optical computing is a proposed solution to increase speed and power efficiency but has yet to be realized due to constraints and drawbacks. A new design architecture, called diffraction casting, seeks to address these ...

Oct. 4, 2024 — Genome instability can cause numerous diseases. Cells have effective DNA repair mechanisms at their disposal. A research team has now gained new insights into the DNA damage ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — Scientists were recently surprised to find that the natural community of zooplankton -- tiny, aquatic animals known to graze on bacteria -- present in freshwater and saltwater do not clean water that is contaminated with fecal ...

Oct. 4, 2024 — A new study shows environmental conditions in migratory birds' winter homes carry over to affect their ability to survive spring migration and the breeding ...

Oct. 2, 2024 — New research has found methane emissions from slurry stores on dairy farms may be up to five times greater than official statistics suggest -- and highlights the huge potential for turning them into a renewable energy source. The study shows that if captured and turned into biogas, emitted methane could be ...

Oct. 2, 2024 — Small iron-rich formations found within Western Australia's Pinnacles, which are part of the world's largest wind-blown limestone belt spanning more than 1000km, have provided new insights into Earth's ancient climate and changing ...

Sep. 25, 2024 — Researchers have discovered inorganic nanostructures surrounding deep-ocean hydrothermal vents that are strikingly similar to molecules that make life as we know it possible. These nanostructures are self-organized and act as selective ion channels, which create energy that can be harnessed in the form of electricity. The findings impact not only our understanding of how life began, but can also ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — Government subsidies for business practices and processes should be approached with caution, even when they seem to be environmentally friendly, writes a group of scientists and economists. They argue that subsidies can alter market pressures, leading to unintended consequences that not only perpetuate harmful subsidies over time but also diminish the overall effectiveness of those intended to ...

Oct. 2, 2024 — A rare collection of 300-year-old petitions gives voice to the forgotten women who cared for England's most vulnerable children while battling their local ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — Oysters once formed extensive reefs along much of Europe's coastline -- but these complex ecosystems were destroyed over a century ago, new research ...

Oct. 3, 2024 — The study blends math, statistics and biology to show that this long-held hyperbolic pattern is an anomaly because it doesn't account for the fact that all species on earth are defined as much by their unique traits as the variation that exists in those ...

Oct. 2, 2024 — Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz which has been used as a gemstone for many centuries and is a key economic resource in northern Uruguay. Geodes are hollow rock formations often with quartz crystals, such as amethyst, inside. Amethyst geodes in Uruguay have been found in cooled lava flows, which date from the original breakup of the ...

Sep. 23, 2024 — Latino and Black family medicine doctors are significantly more likely to participate in the Medicaid program and care for higher numbers of Medicaid patients compared to their White and Asian ...

Oct. 2, 2024 — U.S. tropical cyclones, including hurricanes, indirectly cause thousands of deaths for nearly 15 years after a storm. Researchers estimate an average U.S. tropical cyclone indirectly causes 7,000 to 11,000 excess deaths. All told, they estimate tropical storms since 1930 have contributed to between 3.6 million and 5.2 million deaths in the U.S. -- more than all deaths nationwide from motor ...

Oct. 1, 2024 — As many as 249 lives could have been saved in London during the 2018 record-setting hot summer had the city widely adopted cool roofs, estimates a new ...

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. 27, 2024 — A new study shows how individual brain cells in the hippocampus respond to pronouns. 'This may help us unravel how we remember what we ...

Sep. 23, 2024 — Researchers have published a pivotal study that sheds light on a novel genetic variant associated with intellectual capacities and educational outcomes. This discovery offers new insights into intellectual disability diagnostics and potential therapeutic ...

Sep. 19, 2024 — The beliefs we hold develop from a complex dance between our internal and external lives. A recent study uses well-known formalisms in statistical physics to model multiple aspects of belief-network dynamics. This multidimensional approach to modeling belief dynamics could offer new tools for tackling various real-world problems such as polarization or the spread of ...

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 ...