Scientific Discoveries

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Endangered species in Canada face extensive delays receiving protection
Science News

Endangered species in Canada face extensive delays receiving protection

For more than 20 years, Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA) has protected wildlife that are at risk of being lost from Canadian lands and waters. Once a species is listed as extirpated, endangered or threatened under the act, it becomes illegal to kill, harm or capture it or damage its residences. Its critical habitat must also be protected, at least on federal land.

📅 2026-10-16 03:00:02    •    Phys.org
Antarctica’s sea ice has undergone a stunning reversal
Science News

Antarctica’s sea ice has undergone a stunning reversal

Antarctic sea ice reached its third-lowest winter maximum in 2026, extending a remarkable decline that began after years of record-breaking growth. Scientists are investigating whether the dramatic reversal signals a long-term shift in Antarctica's frozen landscape.

📅 2026-10-16 01:15:21    •    ScienceDaily
Can extra weight weigh on your dog's brain?
Science News

Can extra weight weigh on your dog's brain?

Scientists have learned a lot about what happens to the human body as we age. But there's still much to learn about how other species age, including dogs. Even carrying extra weight could affect a dog's cognitive health. Alexandra Genualdi, a student at Oklahoma State University who presented her research in September at the American Physiological Society's 2026 Comparative Physiology conference in Orlando, talks about her efforts to learn more.

📅 2026-10-16 01:00:01    •    Phys.org
Scientists discover how exercise reverses muscle aging
Science News

Scientists discover how exercise reverses muscle aging

Scientists have uncovered a hidden biological mechanism that helps explain how exercise can reverse some of the damage caused by muscle aging. The key is a gene called DEAF1, which becomes overactive with age and interferes with the muscles’ ability to clear damaged proteins and repair themselves. Exercise can help restore this balance, allowing older muscles to rebuild and regain strength, although the benefits may diminish when the system becomes too disrupted.

📅 2026-10-16 00:41:45    •    ScienceDaily
In animated films, nonhuman characters are still overwhelmingly male
Science News

In animated films, nonhuman characters are still overwhelmingly male

Female protagonists in animated films have come a long way over the past several decades. Take the 1959 movie "Sleeping Beauty": Soft-spoken and vulnerable, Princess Aurora is cursed as an infant by the evil fairy Maleficent and ultimately saved not by her own wits, but by a prince's kiss.

📅 2026-10-16 00:00:01    •    Phys.org
Newly discovered viruses reveal an evolutionary missing link
Science News

Newly discovered viruses reveal an evolutionary missing link

Researchers at the University of Miami have identified a group of previously unknown viruses that bridge an evolutionary gap between viruses and cellular protein compartments, a discovery with implications for both biotechnology and scientists' understanding of the origins of life.

📅 2026-10-15 23:40:10    •    Phys.org
Imperial woodpecker returns to life as a detailed digital specimen
Science News

Imperial woodpecker returns to life as a detailed digital specimen

Researchers have created a detailed, animated 3D model of the imperial woodpecker (Campephilus imperialis), a spectacular bird that has not been confirmed in the wild since 1956. The model, built from a museum specimen and the only known film footage of the living bird, is freely available to scientists, educators and the public.

📅 2026-10-15 23:20:04    •    Phys.org
Food, fear and physics help explain group behavior from plankton to whales
Science News

Food, fear and physics help explain group behavior from plankton to whales

The open ocean is a dynamic environment, where food is patchy, predators are plentiful, and oceanographic conditions change constantly. Life in the pelagic environment—the offshore waters that extend from the sunlit surface through the twilight zone—requires unique adaptations for survival.

📅 2026-10-15 23:00:09    •    Phys.org
New spectroscopy method enables direct comparisons of nuclear sizes across heavy elements
Science News

New spectroscopy method enables direct comparisons of nuclear sizes across heavy elements

The size of a nucleus (nuclear charge radius) is an important physical quantity that reflects the arrangement of protons and neutrons within the nucleus. Particularly in deformed nuclei, such as those of rare-earth elements, examining changes in the charge radius can deepen our understanding of nuclear structure and nuclear deformation.

📅 2026-10-15 23:00:01    •    Phys.org