Latest science news, discoveries and scientific developments.
A synthetic biology technology has been developed that converts easily degraded messenger RNA (mRNA) into a ring-shaped form inside microbial cells, increasing protein production.
Geopolitical rivalry, conflict, authoritarian nationalism and the systematic erosion of rules-based politics are reshaping the global order and putting cooperation under growing pressure. Yet the picture is more nuanced: While disruptive trends dominate the headlines, reforms are taking shape at the same time.
Gloeotrichia echinulata is a type of cyanobacterium that draws scrutiny because it tends to bloom in clear lakes, forming thick mats of visible green or white puffballs in otherwise clean water. Because of the slew of toxic compounds cyanobacteria can produce, blooms (historically called "blue-green algae") are of growing global concern. Yet, a new study by researchers at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and Oregon State University suggests this particular species might not deserve its maligned reputation.
Sulfur-crested cockatoos are surprisingly smart. In Australian cities such as Brisbane and Sydney, they've learned how to turn on drinking fountains by twisting the handle with their feet. In Sydney, they're even able to lift the lids of municipal garbage cans to get to the leftover food scraps inside.
More than 93,000 visible appearances of brands promoting unhealthy food and drink, alcohol, gambling and speculative products were recorded during coverage of the largest FIFA World Cup in history, new research has found. Unhealthy food and drink brands accounted for more than seven in 10, with 65,722 appearances.
While the Discovery Channel's annual Shark Week event has given the public greater familiarity with sharks, much about them—from their mysterious love lives to how their eating habits bring them into conflict with recreational anglers—remains a mystery to scientists. Now, two new studies led by researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst peer into these important aspects of shark biology to help guide real-world conservation strategies.
A University of Iowa-led research team has reported in a new study the most detailed observations to date of the bow shock at Jupiter, our solar system's gas giant. The findings from NASA's Juno mission reveal key differences between Jupiter's bow shock and Earth's. They also may lead to a better understanding of the physics of how shocks function in even more powerful energy releases, such as those from dying stars. The research is published in Nature Communications.
Marine scientists have been amazed to discover an endangered sea cucumber can live for decades, with some animals living more than 100 years, in a first-of-its-kind genetic mark-recapture study. Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) Senior Principal Research Scientist Dr. Sven Uthicke said the findings suggested black teatfish sea cucumber populations recover much more slowly than previously thought and that this had implications for commercial fishery catch limits.
Related storiesNewly confirmed 'baby planet' is the youngest alien world scientists have ever discovered60 million stars: Euclid space telescope snaps the most detailed photo of the Milky Way ever takenAn 'impossible' black hole merger may finally be solved thanks to Einstein's relativity — but it raises an even bigger mysteryNASA's latest space telescope has officially taken its first photos of our universe. Launched on Aug. 30, the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope is on its way to Lagrange point L2, a "parking spot" in space about a million miles (1.6 million kilometers) from Earth where it will begin scanning deep space. Using its 300-megapixel camera, Roman captured hundreds of stars as green...
About 100 years ago, archaeologists unearthing pottery sherds in Tampa Bay found something unexpected. Some of the fragments they recovered had designs nearly identical to decorated pottery found hundreds of miles to the north. At least on the surface, the pottery appeared to be Mississippian, a culture that emerged more than 1,000 years ago and brought social, economic and political transformation across southeastern North America. For years, archaeologists excluded peninsular Florida from maps of its range, but the artifacts suggested a different story.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington have created a mathematical model to identify and analyze vortices, the rotating structures at the heart of hurricanes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is now using the model to monitor hurricane development worldwide.
A drop of coffee on a tabletop often leaves a dark ring behind. This everyday mark is a reminder that a drying droplet is not passive: As water evaporates, it can transport the particles suspended inside it toward the edge. Scientists call this the coffee-ring effect. For inkjet printing and surface coatings, however, a ring is often exactly what engineers do not want. They need the material to land in a controlled, predictable pattern.
Children can be hard on a relationship, but some kids can bring parents closer together. Research from Rutgers University has found that often, it is girls who inspire closer parental bonds. In a study published in Personality and Individual Differences, scholars at Rutgers Business School's Center for Women in Business report that fathers of daughters show higher levels of attachment, commitment, trust and intimacy toward the child's mother than fathers of sons.
Gastrointestinal parasites can cause serious health problems in North American bison, but the drugs producers rely on to control them can become less effective when used too frequently or without knowing which animals actually need treatment.
Insect "detectives" have discovered two new types of large stick insects, showing scientists are still uncovering new species in some of Australia's most well-studied landscapes. Researchers at the University of Sydney have revised the Australian representatives of the stick insect genus Anchiale, identifying two new species, one with unique "lidded" eggs. They also reinstated a third species that had been hidden in plain sight for decades.
Natural history collections around the world collectively hold more than 1 billion specimens, spanning a wide variety of times and places. These include species that are extinct or come from areas now transformed beyond recognition, providing data that cannot be found anywhere else.
The goal was to build a faster way to search for new antibiotics. The search turned up something unexpected. FIU biochemistry professor Fenfei Leng and a group of researchers set out to develop the first high-throughput screening method specifically designed to identify compounds that can poison bacterial DNA gyrase, an enzyme that bacteria need to survive.
Students in Cornell's Space Systems Design Studio (SSDS) have released mission results for two unique light-sail experiments. These sails are slightly larger than a pizza box and harness momentum from photons to accelerate to high velocities. With ChipSats onboard—gram-scale spacecraft that fit in the palm of your hand—the sails can become free-flyers. They origami-fold into CubeSats for launch and completely separate when deployed, allowing them to be far smaller and lighter than traditional solar sails. The ChipSats provide all ground communications and steering capabilities for a fraction of the mass and cost.
Inclusion has become one of the most prominent concepts in contemporary education policy in England. Its position at the center of the Department for Education's ambitions can be seen in recent guidance on the creation of "inclusion bases," spaces that support students with additional needs in mainstream schools.
A KAUST-led team has developed the AI tool Unify to help scientists compare similar cell types across distant species. This comparison can help researchers assess which findings from animal studies may be most relevant to human health. Their study is published in the journal Nature Communications.