Latest science news, discoveries and scientific developments.
Losing more ground in the fight against climate change, humanity is heading for a hotter world than experts projected last year—and the United States is a big reason for that, a new United Nations report says.
Many structures in biology are bounded by membranes, but not all of them. Droplets of a liquid called a coacervate, which form when oppositely charged molecules come together in water, have attracted attention as models for membraneless compartments inside cells and for "protocells," hypothetical primitive cells that may have preceded modern ones.
An international study led by the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE, CSIC-UPF) in Barcelona, the Natural Sciences Museum of Barcelona, Harvard University and the University of the Basque Country (EHU) has reconstructed the genetic history of the Iberian Peninsula between the first and eighth centuries A.D. using 243 ancient genomes from 31 archaeological sites.
Moderately cold temperatures have proven to effectively extend lifespan and delay age-related decline in animals. However, how cold temperatures trigger these beneficial effects at the molecular level has remained largely unclear.
Earlier this year, an outbreak of Andes hantavirus on a cruise ship, which killed three passengers and sickened 13, highlighted the lack of approved vaccines or treatments for the virus. In a study published in Nature, scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and collaborators from Institut Pasteur and LSU Health Shreveport show how the virus recognizes its target on a human cell, a finding that could lead to effective therapies against Andes virus and other hantaviruses.
For the first time, Northwestern University physicists have coaxed a single positron—the antimatter counterpart of an electron—into an exquisitely controlled quantum state.
There are an estimated 10 quintillion insects alive on Earth at any given time. That's 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 individual insects. But how many species are there, why do we need them, and what would happen if their numbers continued to fall? Dr. Alex Dittrich, a zoologist at Nottingham Trent University, explains why these small creatures play such a big role in keeping our planet functioning.
For the first time, scientists can make quantum measurements on a positron particle
New research led by the University of Michigan provides utilities and policymakers with forecasts that can help them better prepare for future extremes in peak energy demand in the United States.
Marine heat waves are usually seen as destructive events that can disrupt entire ocean ecosystems and trigger massive environmental damage. In 2018 and 2019, an extreme heat wave hit the Bering Sea, causing spring sea ice levels to plummet.
This year’s photomicrography contest captured the wonders of the very small, from flying ink droplets to the most adorable jumping spider you've ever seen.
A massive study of more than 460,000 Americans found that ultra-processed foods were not associated with increased colorectal cancer risk overall, challenging a widely held assumption. While processed meat was linked to higher cancer incidence, ultra-processed whole grains and dairy products were associated with lower incidence.
Scientists have uncovered an unexpected danger lurking inside cells: too much RNA can damage the structures responsible for producing energy. A new study found that excess RNA, including the normally essential messenger RNA (mRNA), can directly disrupt mitochondria without relying on the immune system. The discovery could help explain how viral infections and certain aging-related diseases damage cells.
Scientists have cracked a 178-year-old mystery surrounding a train delayed by a solar storm, revealing that the famous incident happened in 1848 rather than 1841. The discovery rewrites the early history of space weather and highlights a threat that still endangers modern power grids, satellites, and communication systems.
A new study tracking 13 astronauts suggests that the human heart may be surprisingly well equipped for a journey to Mars, especially with regular exercise during spaceflight. Researchers found that astronauts' hearts adapted to months of weightlessness and handled simulated Martian gravity without major problems, offering new hope for future missions to the Red Planet.
Scientists have turned blood cells from an 80-year-old into neural stem cells with a molecular age of less than 20, effectively reversing more than 60 years of cellular aging in the laboratory. The discovery offers a new way to investigate how cells become younger and could help researchers better understand age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Astronomers have discovered the lightest known pair of neutron stars — two ultradense stellar remnants that circle each other every 2 hours, 22 minutes, veering toward an inevitable collision about 82 million years from now. By timing radio pulses from one of the stars, the researchers detected three subtle effects predicted by Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity and found that the theory describes the pair's motion to within about 1% — proving the visionary physicist right yet again. The researchers published their findings Sept. 15 in the journal Physical Review Letters.Neutron stars are the collapsed cores of massive stars that exploded as supernovas. Each packs more mass than ...
Smithsonian geologist Gabriela Farfan studies corals, gemstones and other minerals for clues to changing oceans and environments.
Sometimes, while people are interacting with each other, their movements and physiological responses can fall into step. Some past studies have linked synchronized bodily responses to cooperation and being attuned to the emotions of others.
A surgeon has told New Scientist they have performed a transplant on someone with a complete spinal cord injury using a piece of spinal cord from a brain-dead donor, but researchers have raised concerns