Science
Scientific discoveries and research
'Tis the season: Sharing resources sustains ocean microbial biodiversity
Oceanographers from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa discovered that microbial communities—from the sunlit surface to extreme depths—in the North Pacific Subt...
Plastic texturing kills viruses when they land
Researchers have developed a thin plastic film that tears apart viruses on contact, offering a promising new way to keep high-touch surfaces such as smartphones...
Japan warns of slightly increased risk of mega-quake after a 7.7-magnitude one
An earthquake registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 off northern Japan on Monday prompted a short-lived tsunami alert and the advisory of a higher risk of...
New genetic evidence from Stajnia Cave reveals the oldest Neanderthal group reconstructed in Central-Eastern Europe
An international study published in Current Biology presents the results of the analysis of ancient mitochondrial DNA obtained from eight Neanderthal teeth disc...
Preserved orchids show pollination has fallen 60% since the 1970s
With their dazzling blooms, orchids are among the most famous and collected flowering plants on Earth. But orchids are not just beautiful and rare. They can als...
Tiny structural shift leads to big leap in solar fuel
Researchers have uncovered that an orthogonal molecular architecture directs the formation of a rare double-cable structure, offering a new blueprint for advanc...
Migratory blackcap bird brain mapped for the first time, opening a new era of 3D digital atlases
A migratory bird brain, the Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), has been mapped for the first time using high-resolution light microscopy. The open-source s...
Cocaine pollution alters salmon behavior in the wild, study reveals
An international study, led by researchers from Griffith University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Zoological Society of London and the M...
Disabled parrot is undefeated alpha male of his group thanks to novel 'beak jousting'
A study reported in Current Biology shows how physical disabilities in the animal world can be overcome through behavioral innovation. The report features an en...
Bringing quantum time into the lab—a single clock can run young and old at once
Few concepts in physics are as familiar, yet as enigmatic, as time. In Einstein's theory of relativity, time is not absolute: its passage depends on motion and...
NASA shuts off instrument on Voyager 1 to keep spacecraft operating
On April 17, engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California sent commands to shut down an instrument aboard Voyager 1 called the Low...
How primitive plants evolved to survive Earth's most catastrophic extinction event
Earth responded to its most severe past warming event by evolving a new and bizarre type of photosynthesis that allowed a group of primitive plants to survive....