Latest science news, discoveries and scientific developments.
American scientist Margaret Hamilton, who led development of the computer system used by NASA's Apollo lunar program, has died at 90, her former employer said Wednesday.
Just seven strength-training sessions helped obese mice shrink visceral fat cells and reactivate molecular pathways involved in burning stored fat, despite no change in overall body weight. The findings suggest some benefits of resistance exercise may begin long before weight loss becomes visible, though the results still need to be confirmed in humans.
When wildfire smoke fills the air, most people can go inside to avoid it. Wildlife does not have that option, and little is known about how animals living in remote areas respond to wildfires and smoke exposure.
Not all vitamin D supplements are created equal, and new research suggests that one popular form may have an unexpected downside. Scientists found that taking vitamin D2 can actually lower the body's levels of vitamin D3, the form naturally produced by sunlight and more effective at boosting overall vitamin D. Previous studies also suggest that vitamin D3 may provide stronger immune protection against viruses and bacteria.
We all make them, and we all make them at work: Mistakes on the job happen regardless of line of work, experience or gender. How employees feel about them and how they are perceived by others, however, differs. Women are more likely than men to perceive mistakes negatively—but this depends on whom they share the office with, a new study in Frontiers in Organizational Psychology has shown.
A large analysis of 22 studies found that the trans fats naturally present in dairy foods such as milk, butter, yogurt, and cheese do not appear to raise the risk of heart disease or type 2 diabetes. Unlike industrial trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils, dairy trans fats showed no meaningful harmful effects on blood fats in controlled trials and were not linked to higher rates of heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular death, or diabetes in long-term studies.
Crawling through muddy soybean fields to inspect several plant-mounted microphones was not on Emily Sur's graduate school bingo card, but she's not mad about it. Her research offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of entomology, agriculture and emerging technologies while still doing what she loves.
A new study of multiple large language models (LLMs) found that when users asked chatbots for advice, the chatbots were more likely to make suggestions that favor the status quo over alternatives. The tendency of artificial intelligence to default to more common advice could be bad news for the climate.
A study of more than 130,000 babies born in Georgia found that hundreds of fathers died within the first five years of their child’s life, and about 60% of those deaths were potentially preventable. Homicide, accidental injuries, suicide, and drug overdoses accounted for most of the preventable deaths, highlighting what researchers call a major blind spot in public health.
Will higher sin taxes, and therefore higher prices, on candy, soft drinks and beer lead to more cross-border shopping? The answer is often assumed to be yes in the public debate, where one of the main arguments against sin taxes on unhealthy products has long been that higher prices will encourage more Danes to shop across the border.
Museums are increasingly using digital technologies to create more interactive and accessible experiences for visitors. Technologies such as three-dimensional (3D) digital models, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) allow visitors to explore artifacts in new ways, both online and during visits to physical museums.
A study of almost 1,000 research papers in the field of digital finance has mapped out how technology, investor behavior and financial market risk are connected. The work identified three distinct foundations rather than a single framework, with implications for understanding how psychological factors influence financial decisions and how to develop viable algorithms that provide automated investment guidance.
Birds undertake some of the world's most impressive migrations, traveling hundreds to thousands of kilometers every year in search of safe breeding grounds and seasonally abundant food resources. For many birds, migration is the key to their success. However, migration can also make species more vulnerable to threats.
A Stanford-designed molecule turns a major lymphoma-promoting protein against cancer cells, activating their own self-destruct machinery instead of simply blocking tumor growth. In mice, the treatment completely eliminated aggressive human lymphoma tumors within 11 days, although much more testing is needed before it could reach patients.
Fashion lovers are generally associated with bursting wardrobes and chasing the latest trends. But that reputation is beginning to shift.
After heavy rain, Spanish cities often awaken to refreshed air and clean streets, while the rainwater itself vanishes into storm drains along with everything it swept away. Underground, however, a very different story unfolds.
Iron is one of the most abundant metals on Earth's surface, yet how such massive iron ore deposits formed throughout geological history has long remained a mystery. The prevailing theory has been that ancient photosynthetic bacteria oxidized iron, causing it to precipitate and accumulate in the oceans.
Articles published in The Conversation go well beyond academics writing for a general audience—they can also serve as valuable content for educators to use in the classroom.
Failure to curb global warming now could cost future generations of Canadians trillions of dollars in wildfire impacts alone, according to a new Simon Fraser University study. The study is among the first to put a price tag on projected Canadian wildfire activity driven by climate change.
Tiny photosynthetic organisms in the Baltic Sea can contribute substantially to the transport of carbon from surface waters to deeper parts of the sea. A new study from the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences at Stockholm University shows that their ability to form colonies and aggregates is an important factor determining how much of their biomass sinks.