Science
Scientific discoveries and research
'Peculiar' crocodile ancestor started life on four legs before learning to walk on two
A "peculiar" ancient relative of the crocodile which experts believe began life on four legs before, in adulthood, it learned how to walk on just two has been r...
AI disclosure labels may do more harm than good, study warns
The growing use of AI-generated scientific and science-related content, especially on social media, raises important concerns: these texts may contain false or...
Superconductivity controlled by a built-in light-confining cavity
For the first time, physicists have demonstrated that a material's superconductivity can be altered by coupling it to an in-built, light-confining cavity. In ex...
When silence isn't an option: Designing green spaces that still relax
Local recreation areas play an important role in reducing stress. In two new publications, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Lands...
'Mesoscale' swimmers could pave way for drug delivery robots inside the body
In physics, the mesoscale lies between the microscopic and the macroscopic. It is not just the domain of tiny living creatures like small larvae, shrimp, and je...
How a protein pair ensures that faulty mRNA is destroyed
Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is one of the most important processes in our cells to ensure that no faulty or incomplete proteins are produced. Scientists...
Inland China experienced typhoon-related population decline 3,000 years ago, according to 'oracle bones,' AI and physics
Evidence suggests that China's "cradle of civilization" experienced marked climate disasters and social upheavals during the mid-late Holocene (around 3,000 yea...
Study finds biodiversity credits could boost rewilding, but fall far short
Payments that enable landowners to rewild ecologically degraded land—in the form of biodiversity credits bought by investors wishing to offset their impact on n...
Engineered magnetic films follow graphene's equations for massless electron waves
The electronic and magnetic properties of two-dimensional materials both have strong potential for technological applications. Researchers have long assumed tha...
Quantum entanglement offers route to higher-resolution optical astronomy
Researchers in the US have demonstrated how quantum entanglement could be used to detect optical signals from astronomical sources at the single-photon level. P...
Why the Doomsday Clock has outlived its usefulness
The Doomsday Clock—a symbolic device to signal an array of existential threats to the world since 1947—was recently moved to 85 seconds before midnight, the clo...
How long does it take to get last liquid drops from kitchen containers? These physicists know the answer
At some point, most people have found themselves holding a tilted carton of milk or bottle of cooking oil, patiently waiting for the last drops to drip out. Now...