Science
Scientific discoveries and research
New 'AI scientists' are improving—but reveal their fundamental limits
Many of the most exciting discoveries in science involve highly specialized knowledge and making connections between far-flung facts. Scientists must combine de...
Not just a fun hobby: Board games can help build connections and reduce stress
Researchers at the University of Plymouth recently confirmed what board game fans and role-playing game (RPG) enthusiasts have known for decades: that tabletop...
Gold-coated optical fiber rapidly gathers microscopic targets for faster, more sensitive detection
Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have developed a light-driven technique that quickly amasses thousands of bacteria into a single spot, boosting detect...
Study shows how sunspot activity speeds up reentries
It's getting crowded up there. Over the past few years, the advent of SpaceX's Starlink and other players in the mega-satellite constellation game are adding an...
Mathematicians solve decades-old mystery about the hidden order in high-dimensional randomness
Three mathematicians have laid out proof that solves a long-standing problem in mathematics. Even the mathematician—an Abel prize winner—that first posed the pr...
The impact of microplastics on ocean carbon uptake
Marine microplastics affect algae's ability to grow and photosynthesize. Researchers have now calculated what impact this has on the greenhouse effect and the o...
Hydrous mantle minerals reveal possible source of seismic anisotropy in stagnant slabs
Seismic waves traveling through Earth's interior often propagate at different speeds depending on their direction, a phenomenon known as seismic anisotropy. Suc...
'Patchwork families' existed more than 5,000 years ago, Neolithic DNA reveals
Children from previous relationships growing up as siblings in a new family, couples adopting or fostering children: So-called patchwork families are a widespre...
Solar activity follows an 11‑year cycle. Here's how it controls eruptions and solar flares
When you look up at the sky on a sunny day, the sun might seem like a bright spot, unchanging in the sky. But the sun is a complex, dynamic celestial body, wrap...
Heavily reddened quasars caught going through a 'blow-out' phase
At the center of most large galaxies sits a supermassive black hole (SMBH). When these black holes are actively consuming material, they become incredibly lumin...
Early locust warning systems are key to minimizing natural disasters, returning up to 680 times investment
A study of one of the world's longest-running disaster warning systems—desert locust monitoring—finds surveillance limits damages and generates returns of up to...
Human-centered framework cuts child development tests to eight minutes across four skill areas
Educators and researchers around the world, especially in countries with limited resources, need cost-effective, scalable tools for assessing early child develo...