Reporting world updates to you
In medieval Denmark, burial location often reflected a person’s wealth and status. Christians could pay for prestigious graves, and the closer a grave was to the church, the more expensive it typically was. Researchers used this system of burial placement to explore whether illness affected social status after death. They…
Gold cannot form until certain unstable atomic nuclei break apart. Exactly how those nuclear transformations unfold has long been difficult to determine. Now, nuclear physicists at the University of Tennessee (UT) report three discoveries in a single study that clarify important parts of this process. Their findings could help researchers…
As artificial intelligence systems began scoring extremely high on long used academic benchmarks, researchers noticed a growing issue. The tests that once challenged machines were no longer difficult enough. Well known evaluations such as the Massive Multitask Language Understanding (MMLU) exam, which had previously been seen as demanding, now fail…
New research from Arizona State University shows that bacteria can travel in unexpected ways even when their usual propulsion system fails. Normally, bacteria move using flagella, slender, whip-like structures that spin to push the cells forward. The new studies reveal that microbes can still spread across surfaces without these structures.…
Tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC-Co) is widely valued for its extreme hardness, but that same strength also makes it very difficult to shape and manufacture. Current production methods consume large amounts of costly material while delivering relatively modest yields. As a result, researchers have been searching for a more efficient and economical…
Japanese red elder plants protect their own survival by dropping fruits that contain Heterhelus beetle larvae. Surprisingly, this action also allows the larvae to survive. A study from Kobe University suggests this unusual interaction reshapes how scientists understand the balance between plants and the insects that pollinate them. In some…
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin report that they have uncovered what appears to be a “universal thermal performance curve” (UTPC) that applies across the entire tree of life. According to the team, this pattern governs how organisms respond to changes in temperature. The findings suggest that this rule effectively “shackles…
Scientists have found the strongest evidence yet that a black hole and a neutron star collided while moving along an oval shaped orbit instead of the near perfect circles scientists usually expect before such mergers. The discovery challenges long standing ideas about how these extreme cosmic pairs form and evolve.…
Scientists at the University of Oxford say ultrasonic sound devices might one day help reduce the number of hedgehogs killed by cars. Their idea stems from new research published March 11 in Biology Letters showing for the first time that hedgehogs are capable of hearing high-frequency ultrasound. The European hedgehog…
A new study from the University of Oxford, published March 11, finds that sudden cold spells and heavy rainfall can slow growth and reduce survival chances for young great tits in the UK. The research also suggests that birds that begin breeding earlier in the season may avoid many of…
Most cancer treatments attack rapidly dividing cells, but they often harm healthy cells as well. This damage can lead to serious side effects. Researchers are working to design therapies that strike cancer cells more precisely while leaving normal tissues unharmed. An international research team led by the Universities of Geneva…
Researchers may have identified a promising new approach to diagnosing and treating major depression at its earliest stage, potentially improving the chances of recovery for many patients. Scientists at the University of Queensland partnered with researchers from the University of Minnesota to examine levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – known…
Alzheimer’s disease affects an estimated 7.2 million Americans age 65 and older, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Current diagnostic tests typically measure the levels of two proteins — amyloid beta (Aβ) and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) — in blood or spinal fluid. While these biomarkers are widely used, they may not…
As NASA prepares for the Artemis II mission and a renewed push to explore the Moon, scientists are thinking about a practical challenge for future astronauts: what they will eat. New research from The University of Texas at Austin suggests that chickpeas could be part of the answer. In a…
Curtin University scientists have developed a new technique to explore the deep history of Australia’s landscapes. The approach could help researchers understand how the environment responds to geological activity and climate shifts, while also offering clues about where valuable mineral deposits may be located. The international research team was led…
Scientists are uncovering new details about some of the earliest fish to inhabit Earth more than 400 million years ago. Fresh analyses from two separate studies are helping researchers better understand ancient lungfish, a group that represents the closest living relatives of land vertebrates. The discoveries come from work led…
Anastasios (Andy) Tzanidakis was reviewing archived telescope observations from 2020 when he noticed something unusual. A seemingly ordinary star called Gaia20ehk was behaving in a way astronomers rarely see. Located about 11,000 light years from Earth near the constellation Pupis, Gaia20ehk is a stable “main sequence” star similar to our…
For many years, astronomers have relied on distant supernovae as cosmic beacons to study the universe and test the laws of physics. But while analyzing one particular stellar explosion, Joseph Farah, a fifth year graduate student at UC Santa Barbara, noticed something entirely unexpected. The supernova appeared to produce a…
On April 20, 2023, local fishermen accidentally caught a juvenile great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) off the coast of the eastern peninsula. The young shark measured about 210 cm in length and weighed roughly 80-90 kg. Encounters like this are extremely uncommon in the region, prompting scientists to take a…
A scientist from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge, England has identified seven previously unknown species of a distinctive frog-like insect. The insects belong to the genus Batracomorphus, a group of leafhoppers. Dr. Alvin Helden discovered the new species while conducting fieldwork in the tropical rainforest of Uganda. The name…
Scientists in Leiden have developed a new antibiotic called EVG7 that can combat the dangerous gut bacterium C. difficile using only a very small dose. The treatment also appears to greatly reduce the chances that the infection will return, a common problem with current antibiotics. The findings were reported in…
Many high school students find it hard to fall asleep early, which makes waking up for early morning classes a challenge. The reason lies in biology. During adolescence, the body’s internal clock naturally shifts later, meaning teenagers tend to feel alert later at night than adults do. Because of this…
The human body produces a molecule from vitamin B5 that plays a central role in metabolism, the network of chemical reactions that keeps cells alive and functioning. If the body cannot produce this molecule properly, the consequences can be widespread. Problems with its production can disrupt many organ systems and…
The newest class of Alzheimer’s disease medications is the first to show that it can slow the disease itself. These treatments typically allow patients to remain independent for about 10 additional months. Known as monoclonal antibodies, the drugs work by lowering levels of amyloid, a harmful protein that accumulates in…
A medication called sulthiame may help people with obstructive sleep apnea breathe more easily during the night and sleep better overall. The findings come from a European clinical trial in which the University of Gothenburg played an important role. Researchers say the results raise the possibility of a drug treatment…
An international team of scientists has uncovered a surprising molecular strategy used by a rare group of land plants. The finding could one day help researchers redesign important crops such as wheat and rice so they convert sunlight into food far more efficiently. The research was led by scientists at…
Rising ocean temperatures driven by marine heat waves and climate change are reaching deep waters, raising concerns about disruptions to the ocean’s fragile chemical and biological systems. But new research suggests that a key marine microbe, Nitrosopumilus maritimus, may already be adjusting to warmer and more nutrient-poor conditions. Scientists believe…
A long running scientific dispute about the origin of the Silverpit Crater beneath the southern North Sea has now been settled. New research shows that the structure formed when an asteroid or comet struck the region roughly 43 to 46 million years ago. The investigation was led by Dr. Uisdean…
Smoking cannabis may do more than make memories fuzzy. It may actually alter how memories form and are recalled. A new study from Washington State University found that people who consumed THC were more likely to recall words that were never shown to them and had more trouble completing everyday…
For more than ten years, Evan Economo’s lab has relied on micro CT scanners to image insect specimens. These X ray scans allow scientists to examine the physical structure and form of insects, an area of research known as morphology. Although the technique provides extremely detailed 3D data, it is…
