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For decades, many evolutionary biologists have believed that most genetic changes shaping genes and proteins are neutral. Under this view, mutations are usually neither helpful nor harmful, allowing them to spread quietly without being strongly favored or rejected by natural selection. A new study from the University of Michigan challenges…
Engineers from Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology worked with SkyWater Technology, the largest exclusively U.S. based pure play semiconductor foundry, to create a new multilayer computer chip. The team says its architecture could mark a major shift in AI hardware and…
A global research team led by the company Aivocode, working with scientists from the Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), reports that a small compound has a strong protective effect in mouse models of traumatic brain injury. The compound is a peptide…
Researchers led by RMIT University have developed extremely small particles called nanodots that can destroy cancer cells while largely leaving healthy cells unharmed. The particles are made from a metal-based compound and represent a possible new direction for cancer treatment research. The work is still in its early stages and…
The genes of your roommate may be shaping the bacteria in your gut, and your genes may be influencing theirs, according to a rat study published on December 18 in Nature Communications. By examining more than four thousand rats, researchers found that the makeup of the gut microbiome is affected…
In 1798, officer and physicist Benjamin Thompson (a.k.a. Count Rumford) made a simple but powerful observation while watching cannon barrels being drilled in Munich. The metal heated up continuously during the process, leading him to conclude that heat is not a physical substance. Instead, it can be produced endlessly through…
Researchers at the University of Iowa have identified a new way to “purify” photons, a development that could improve both the performance and security of light based quantum technologies. By refining how single particles of light are produced, the approach aims to overcome long standing limitations in optical quantum systems.…
A research team from MIT and Stanford University has developed a new technique designed to push the immune system to go after tumor cells. The strategy is aimed at helping cancer immunotherapy succeed in far more patients than it does today. At the center of the work is a way…
The Hațeg Basin in Transylvania has long been known around the world for its dinosaur fossils, uncovered at dozens of sites over the last hundred years. Even so, complete dinosaur discoveries are usually uncommon across the region. That pattern changed with the identification of a newly studied site where scientists…
Scientists have identified a genetic mechanism that could point to new ways of treating a rare but deadly fungal infection that has forced multiple hospital intensive care units to shut down. The finding offers early hope against a pathogen that has been difficult to control and nearly impossible to treat…
Scientists have developed a compact Raman imaging system that can reliably tell cancerous tissue apart from normal tissue. The approach could support earlier cancer detection and help move advanced molecular imaging tools beyond research laboratories and into more practical clinical settings. The imaging system is designed to detect extremely weak…
In a global research collaboration, neuroscientists Nicholas Hedger (University of Reading) and Tomas Knapen (Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience & Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) set out to better understand how humans experience the world. Their work revealed how the brain converts visual information into sensations of touch, helping create a lived, physical…
Josephson junctions play a central role in modern physics and technology. They enable extremely precise measurements, define the international standard for electrical voltage, and serve as essential components inside many quantum computers. Despite their importance, the quantum-scale processes occurring inside superconductors are notoriously difficult to observe directly. To overcome this…
Blinking is something people do automatically, much like breathing, without giving it much thought. While most scientific research on blinking has focused on eyesight, a new study from Concordia University explores a different connection. The research looks at how blinking relates to cognitive processes, including how the brain filters out…
Wastewater from washing machines is widely seen as a major source of microplastics — tiny plastic particles suspected of harming both people and animals. To help reduce that pollution, researchers at the University of Bonn have created a new filter based on a natural model: the gill arch system in…
MIT chemists have produced verticillin A in the lab for the first time. This fungal molecule was identified more than 50 years ago and has drawn attention for its potential as an anticancer agent. Verticillin A is notoriously hard to build because of its intricate chemical architecture. Even compared with…
The question is playful and unrealistic, but it points to a serious idea: the tension between quantity and quality. New research suggests this same tradeoff has shaped evolution, especially in the rise of complex animal societies. How ants choose numbers over toughness A study published on December 19, 2025, in…
An experimental drug developed at Northwestern University has demonstrated further promise as an early intervention for Alzheimer’s disease. In a new study, Northwestern scientists identified a previously unknown highly toxic sub-species of amyloid beta oligomers — toxic clusters of peptides — that appear to drive several of the brain’s earliest…
A large population-based study examined whether the way people accumulate their daily steps affects their long-term health, regardless of how many total steps they take. The research focused on adults who were not highly active, defined as walking fewer than 8,000 steps per day (<8,000 steps per day). The findings…
After decades of steady progress, computational astrophysicists have reached a major turning point in black hole research. A new study presents the most detailed and complete model yet of luminous black hole accretion, the process by which black holes pull in surrounding matter and emit intense radiation. Using some of…
A new study led by researchers at McGill University is calling into question a long-standing idea about how dopamine influences movement. The findings suggest a shift in how scientists understand Parkinson’s disease and how its treatments work. The research, published in Nature Neuroscience, shows that dopamine does not directly control…
Researchers at Duke University have created a new artificial intelligence framework designed to uncover clear, easy-to-understand rules behind some of the most complicated dynamics seen in nature and modern technology. The system is inspired by the work of history’s great “dynamicists” — scientists who study systems that change over time.…
A research team in Brazil has found strong evidence that the Joseph’s Coat plant (Alternanthera littoralis) is both safe and effective at reducing inflammation, easing pain, and protecting against arthritis. The study was carried out by scientists from the Federal University of Grande Dourados (UFGD), the State University of Campinas…
A large new study suggests that eating more full-fat cheese and cream may be linked to a lower risk of developing dementia later in life. High-fat cheeses are defined as containing more than 20% fat and include familiar varieties such as cheddar, Brie and Gouda. Participants who ate 50 grams…
Researchers at UC Riverside say they have identified a critical gap in how scientists have long understood Earth’s carbon recycling system. By filling in this missing piece, they now believe that periods of global warming can swing too far in the opposite direction, potentially setting the stage for an ice…
Since 2020, scientists have installed monitoring instruments around the Barry Landslide in Alaska’s Prince William Sound to closely track seismic activity in the area. Their goal is to detect warning signs early, before a sudden landslide could trigger a destructive tsunami. By analyzing these seismic recordings, researchers identified a previously…
Exceptional performers play a major role in driving innovation and tackling some of the world’s most urgent challenges. Because of this, societies have a strong stake in understanding how top-level talent develops. A new review published in the journal Science argues that many long standing approaches to gifted education and…
Scientists studying ancient sewer drains at the Roman fort of Vindolanda, located near Hadrian’s Wall, have uncovered evidence that the people living there were infected with three different intestinal parasites: roundworm, whipworm, and Giardia duodenalis. All three parasites spread through poor sanitation, typically when food, water, or hands are contaminated…
Researchers at the University of Navarra in Spain have created RNACOREX, an open-source software platform designed to identify gene regulation networks linked to cancer survival. The tool was developed by scientists at the Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DATAI), in collaboration with members of the Cancer Center Clínica…
A global team of geologists and paleontologists has developed a new technique that makes it possible to accurately determine the age of fossil-bearing rocks by directly analyzing fossilized dinosaur eggshells. This approach offers a reliable alternative to methods that depend on surrounding materials that may not always be present. The…
