Why one of Earth’s most common ocean bacteria is surprisingly fragile
One of the most abundant living organisms on Earth may also be one of the most vulnerable.
A group of ocean bacteria known as SAR11,...
This nickel catalyst could change how drugs and materials are made
Chemists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a new class of nickel catalysts that could significantly change how important chemicals are made.
The...
Sponge-like gold shows powerful new light and electron effects
Gold is best known for its shine and value, but in modern science it is also an important high-tech material.
New research shows that by...
Webb Telescope spots rare five-galaxy merger just 800 million years after the big bang
Astronomers have spotted an unexpected and dramatic event in the early universe: a tightly packed collision involving at least five galaxies just 800 million...
Think bottled water is cleaner? It may contain more microplastics than the tap
Many people choose bottled water believing it is cleaner and safer than tap water. But new research suggests that this assumption may not always...
430,000-year-old wooden tools found in Greece rewrite early human history
Archaeologists have uncovered the earliest known hand-held wooden tools ever used by humans, and the discovery is changing what we know about early technology.
Found...
What an ancient jellyfish can teach us about the evolution of sleep
An upside-down jellyfish drifts in a shallow lagoon, rhythmically contracting its translucent bell.
By night that beat drops from roughly 36 pulses a minute to...
Electric eels inspire a new kind of soft, powerful battery
From medical implants to soft robots, many emerging technologies need power sources that are flexible, safe, and able to work inside or near living...
MIT scientists turn waste heat into computing power with 99% accuracy
Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have demonstrated a surprising new way to compute—by using heat instead of electricity.
In a proof-of-concept study published in...
Ancient DNA solves a 12,000-year-old medical mystery
Scientists have uncovered the oldest known genetic diagnosis of a rare inherited disease, thanks to advances in ancient DNA research.
By analyzing the DNA of...
A simple carbon coating could transform sodium-ion batteries forever
Sodium-ion batteries are attracting growing attention as a greener and more affordable alternative to today’s lithium-ion batteries.
Sodium is abundant, widely available, and cheaper than...
Your smartphones could become lifesaving radiation detectors in emergencies
After a nuclear or radiological accident, knowing who has been exposed to radiation—and how much—can save lives.
But traditional ways of measuring radiation dose usually...
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AI to revolutionize barramundi breeding, shows UQ study
Computer simulations are key to bringing aquaculture into line with genetic advances being made in land-based agriculture, according to a University of Queensland researcher.
PhD...
Scientists explain mysterious finger-like features in solar flares
In January 1999, scientists observed mysterious motions within a solar flare.
Unlike typical flares that showed bright energy erupting outwards from the Sun, this solar...
Scientists reveal new dynamical framework for turbulence
Turbulence plays a key role in our daily lives, making for bumpy plane rides, affecting weather and climate, limiting the fuel efficiency of the...
Wild animals are evolving much faster than previously thought
The raw material for evolution is much more abundant in wild animals than we previously believed, according to new research from The Australian National...
Our Milk Way’s halo is at least 10 times hotter than previously thought
The halo that surrounds our own Milky Way galaxy is much hotter than scientists once believed - and it may not be unique among...