Latest science news, discoveries and scientific developments.
Authorities in New Delhi stepped up anti-pollution measures on Sunday, including higher parking fees and work-from-home orders, seeking to curb toxic smog in one of the world's most polluted capitals.
Long dubbed an "air-conditioned nation," Singapore is experimenting with cooling alternatives from chilled beams to "passive displacement" to curb its thirst for energy-guzzling air conditioning.
Guided by the beam of a flashlight, Tino Marolo follows his dog Stella through the darkness of a Piedmont woodland, searching for one of Italy's most prized culinary treasures hidden beneath the soil.
Nowhere in the Iberian Peninsula or the Balearic Islands has a tropical climate—for this to be the case, the average temperature in the coldest month would have to be 18°C (64 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher. The contrast between Spain's winters and summers, and the low temperatures reached in winter, do not resemble those of any tropical climate.
In a study spanning 192 sites and four continents, researchers have discovered that conifers planted in the Southern Hemisphere grow up to four times faster and are more drought-resistant than those growing in their native ranges.
Sleep is fundamental to well-being. Decisions to end semiannual clock changes and remain on permanent daylight saving time (DST) in British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Alberta, Manitoba and northwestern Ontario have consequences for many Canadians due to potential sleep disruption.
The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS carries a chemical clue to conditions in the planetary system of its origin, locked away long before it reached our sun. Its methane signature is unusually rich in heavy hydrogen, suggesting that the comet's frozen ingredients took shape in an intensely cold environment around another star—or in the cloud that preceded it.
What materials did ancient Egyptians use to preserve the dead, and how can their composition still be investigated thousands of years later? An interdisciplinary team at Marburg University has combined modern natural product analysis with Egyptology and the history of pharmacy to investigate these questions.
A surprising new study suggests that eating peanuts every day could help support brain health and memory in older adults. Researchers found that consuming about two servings of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts daily for 16 weeks improved insulin responsiveness in brain regions important for memory, a function that often weakens with age and has been linked to Alzheimer's disease.
A UCLA study found that long-term exposure to a common pesticide was linked to more than 2.5 times the risk of Parkinson's disease. Scientists also uncovered how the chemical damages brain cells and identified a promising way to protect them.
Scientists have built a groundbreaking molecular motor that spins in either direction using electricity, inspired by a machine invented more than 2,000 years ago. Even more remarkably, its rotation can boost electrical conductivity by up to 100 times, potentially transforming the future of molecular electronics.
Crown-of-thorns starfish are notorious for devouring coral reefs, but surprising new research reveals these spiny predators may actually help reefs thrive when their populations are kept in check. Scientists studying Australia's Great Barrier Reef discovered that nearly 75% of observed starfish feeding events left behind living coral tissue, rather than destroying entire colonies. By feeding on fast-growing, dominant corals, the starfish create opportunities for slower-growing species to survive, potentially increasing coral biodiversity.
In a recent Nature Communications study, researchers have reported the realization of an anti-spin ice, a system that does the opposite of conventional spin ices by breaking the ice rule that governs them.
A massive study of nearly 486,000 adults found that regularly drinking tea was associated with an 11% lower risk of heart and blood vessel diseases. The lowest risk was linked to drinking roughly six to eight cups per day, with black tea showing more consistent benefits than green tea.
Scientists at the University of Virginia have developed a promising new strategy to fight glioblastoma, one of the deadliest and most difficult-to-treat forms of brain cancer. Their experimental approach combines focused ultrasound, tiny nanoparticles, and genetic molecules called microRNAs to attack multiple cancer-driving genes simultaneously.
A 17- to 18-million-year-old ape fossil discovered in Egypt is challenging long-held beliefs about where the ancestors of humans and other modern apes first evolved. Scientists now suspect that North Africa and the Middle East, rather than East Africa, may have been the cradle of modern ape evolution.
How handy would it be if you could make your tattoos invisible for a job interview in the morning and reveal them again for a party in the evening?
A mysterious particle overlooked for decades may hold the key to why matter survived the Big Bang, allowing stars, planets, and life to exist. Scientists believe this forgotten neutrino reshaped the early universe and may have left detectable gravitational wave signals that could help unlock the cosmos’s deepest mysteries.
Scientists have discovered that trees can sense their own shape and straighten their trunks using specialized wood that acts like opposing muscles. This remarkable ability helps trees maintain their posture and could lead to stronger forests, better timber, and more resilient crops.
Scientists have uncovered a hidden mechanism that allows high-cholesterol diets to undermine the body's natural cholesterol defenses, and blocking it dramatically lowered harmful LDL cholesterol in mice. Even more promising, an experimental drug targeting this pathway has already passed an early human safety trial, potentially speeding the development of a new treatment for high cholesterol.