How sperm and egg stay stuck together
Scientists reveal one of nature’s strongest bonds
When a sperm finally reaches an egg, its journey is far from over.
Before a new life can begin,...
Cold sore cream may offer new relief for cats with eye infections
A common cream used by people to treat cold sores could soon bring relief to cats suffering from painful eye infections.
Researchers have discovered that...
Frozen in time: Why Martian ice may hide ancient signs of life
Could ancient microbes still be hiding on Mars—preserved for millions of years in ice? A new NASA and Penn State study suggests it’s possible.
Researchers...
Giant manta rays dive over 1,200 meters deep to explore the abyss
The world’s largest rays may be plunging to incredible depths not to hunt, but to find their way through the vast, empty ocean.
A new...
Scientists reveal 1,000-year-old gut bacteria from ancient Mexican mummy
Scientists have uncovered remarkable details about the gut microbiome of a man who lived in Mexico around 1,000 years ago—long before the arrival of...
Europe’s largest bat caught hunting birds in mid-air for the first time
For nearly 25 years, scientists have puzzled over how Europe’s largest bat, the greater noctule, manages to eat small birds.
The mystery has finally been...
Physicists use electric fields to control DNA in real time
A team of physicists at McGill University has developed a new device that allows them to trap, release, and manipulate DNA molecules without ever...
Scientists use molecular film to tame noisy quantum light
Quantum technologies are often described as the future of computing and communication, but their success depends on achieving an extraordinary level of precision.
At the...
Sea sponges may have been Earth’s first animals, new study shows
What were the first animals to appear on Earth? New research points to a surprising candidate: sea sponges.
A team of geochemists from MIT and...
Would cockroaches really survive a nuclear apocalypse?
Popular culture loves to joke that cockroaches would be the last survivors on Earth if humanity ever faced a nuclear apocalypse.
The 2008 Pixar film...