Science
Scientific discoveries and research
Hidden fungus inside desert moss could rewrite 470-million-year story of how plants moved onto land
Mosses are survivors. They can dry into what looks like green dust, only to spring back to life minutes after rain. They can grow on rocks, in deserts, and ther...
How cracks in dry soil impact moisture evaporation
Soils that are exposed to prolonged drought often develop desiccation cracks, which impact soil properties and exacerbate moisture loss through evapotranspirati...
How a telescope's mirror stability makes or breaks exoplanet detection
Finding life beyond our solar system is a major goal of modern astronomy. NASA's planned Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) aims to take direct images of Earth-...
Trace additive unlocks faster bioplastic biodegradation without losing transparency or strength
Compostable plastics could be part of a solution to the world's plastic waste problem. But currently these materials need industrial composting facilities to br...
Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer reveals four cosmic ray classes across 20 elements, defying current models
Millions of light-years away, millions of years ago, a star exploded. In this violent process, it ejected incredible amounts of mass, including carbon, nitrogen...
Hubble glimpses merging galaxy clusters
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features a galaxy cluster called CL0016+1609, or MACS J0018.5+1626, that is very bright at X-ray wavelengths and is one o...
Heat waves increase wildfire risk—a new study explains how much, and it's not a small number
When heat waves hit the Western United States, the risk of wildfires quickly rises. The prolonged heat dries out vegetation, but that's only part of the cause—h...
Greenland sees wildfires earlier in the year
Greenland has recently been hit by localized wildfires, a rarity at this time of year that could be explained by global warming, a researcher at the Greenland I...
Mating reveals cholesterol's hidden role in male fruit fly lifespan
Scientists have discovered that the optimal diet for male fruit flies may depend strongly on whether they are reproducing, challenging long-standing assumptions...
Five new springtail species discovered in China
There is a Chinese saying that east or west, Guilin scenery is the best. Guilin and Chongqing, located in western China, are famous for their many mountains and...
Missing DNA replication step revealed in first image of pre-initiation complex
Cells have evolved careful checks to ensure DNA is copied only once, but how they switch on replication at the right moment has been the focus of a 30-year rese...
Bedding structure controls rainfall runoff in mountain catchments
Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have discovered that rainwater runoff in the highly rugged sedimentary rock mountains of Japan's Southern Alps is gover...