Science
Scientific discoveries and research
Is the state of nature fair? Researchers measure how biomass is distributed in microbial communities
The distribution of income and growing inequality are central themes in public debate. Far less attention has been paid to how resources are distributed in ecol...
Traveling protein waves reveal how dividing cells set chromosome-splitting spindle size
When a human cell prepares to split into two daughter cells, it must first construct a tiny internal machine called the mitotic spindle—a structure of protein f...
How cells keep genomic hitchhikers under control
Much of the genome is made up of repetitive DNA sequences that trace back to ancient mobile elements, many of which have lost their ability to copy themselves i...
More than 90% of key nutrients degrading the Mar Menor lagoon come from recirculated underground flows
More than 90% of the key nutrients degrading the Mar Menor, such as ammonium, phosphorus and silica, do not come from streams or continental groundwater, but ra...
Making the 'invisible' visible: How high-speed movies could change the way scientists study disease
High-speed movies of microscopic worms may sound like a dull night at the cinema, but this advanced imaging capability could help scientists better understand h...
Nanoplastics found in Antarctic soils for first time, suggesting long-range atmospheric transport
Microplastic contamination has been a much-discussed topic over the last several years, but contamination from even smaller plastic particles represents another...
Turning up the heat on cancer: Manganese ferrite nanoparticles outperform rivals
Scientists have long known that heat can be used to help fight cancer. But heating tumors and cancer cells is trickier than it sounds. Apply too much heat and p...
Large language model guides discovery of catalysts for clean energy tech
Designing high-performance catalysts is essential for cleaner energy technologies, but the behavior of multi-element modern catalyst materials is difficult to p...
Tiny 60,000-neuron ant brains reveal how parental care evolved from feeding circuits
Long before the dawn of modern parenting, animals laid eggs and moved on, leaving their progeny to fend for themselves. Now, a study published in Nature uncover...
A hotter climate may lead to more same-sex mounting in corpse-eating beetles
New research suggests that heat stress increases the occurrence of same-sex sexual interactions between male burying beetles—but also that a surprising number o...
In time but out of tune: Exploring the rapid evolution of Hawaii's songless crickets
New research finds that the "silent" mutant male crickets of Hawaii, first observed more than 20 years ago, have now become well established across the Hawaiian...
Ocean acidification may be shrinking the brains of the world's most intelligent invertebrates
An ongoing research project exploring the effects of rising levels of oceanic CO2 on squid neurology reveals that exposure to future levels of ocean acidificati...