Scientists shocked to find E. coli spreads as fast as the swine flu

Researchers have, for the first time, estimated how quickly E. coli bacteria can spread between people — and one strain moves as fast as swine flu. Using genomic data from the UK and Norway, scientists modeled bacterial transmission rates and discovered key differences between strains. Their work offers a new way to monitor and control antibiotic-resistant bacteria in both communities and hospitals.

from All Top News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/ogVNfQz

Scientists uncover the secret triggers of ‘impossible’ earthquakes

Once considered geologically impossible, earthquakes in stable regions like Utah and Groningen can actually occur due to long-inactive faults that slowly “heal” and strengthen over millions of years. When reactivated—often by human activities—these faults release all that built-up stress in one powerful event before stabilizing again. This discovery reshapes how scientists assess earthquake risks in areas once thought safe, offering new insights for geothermal and energy storage projects that rely on the Earth’s shallow subsurface.

from All Top News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Niw7Ohg

Ancient fish with human-like hearing stuns scientists

Long ago, some saltwater fish adapted to freshwater — and in doing so, developed an extraordinary sense of hearing rivaling our own. By examining a 67-million-year-old fossil, researchers from UC Berkeley discovered that these “otophysan” fish didn’t evolve their sensitive Weberian ear system in rivers, as long thought, but rather began developing it in the ocean before migrating inland. This new timeline suggests two separate invasions of freshwater, explaining why so many freshwater species exist today.

from All Top News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/RA3sP7Y

Entangled atoms found to supercharge light emission

Physicists have uncovered how direct atom-atom interactions can amplify superradiance, the collective burst of light from atoms working in sync. By incorporating quantum entanglement into their models, they reveal that these interactions can enhance energy transfer efficiency, offering new design principles for quantum batteries, sensors, and communication systems.

from All Top News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/OCj6ywR

Scientists achieve forensics’ “Holy Grail” by recovering fingerprints from fired bullets

Researchers at Maynooth University have achieved a forensic milestone by revealing fingerprints on fired bullet casings using a safe electrochemical process. The method uses mild voltage and non-toxic materials to make hidden ridges visible within seconds. Effective even on aged casings, it could help investigators connect evidence directly to a suspect rather than just a weapon.

from All Top News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/QrZgD9R

Soil microbes remember drought and help plants survive

Researchers discovered that soil microbes in Kansas carry drought “memories” that affect how plants grow and survive. Native plants showed stronger responses to these microbial legacies than crops like corn, hinting at co-evolution over time. Genetic analysis revealed a key gene tied to drought tolerance, potentially guiding biotech efforts to enhance crop resilience. The work connects ecology, genetics, and agriculture in a novel way.

from All Top News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/7dwW9ap

Scientists find “living fossil” fish hidden in museums for 150 years

Researchers have uncovered dozens of long-misidentified coelacanth fossils in British museums, some overlooked for more than a century. The study reveals that these ancient “living fossils” thrived in tropical seas during the Triassic Period, around 200 million years ago. By re-examining mislabeled bones and using X-ray scans, scientists discovered a once-flourishing community of coelacanths that hunted smaller marine reptiles.

from All Top News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/k6oNHv9

Those Halloween fireballs might be more dangerous than you think

The Taurid meteor shower, born from Comet Encke, delights skywatchers but may conceal hidden risks. Research led by Mark Boslough examines potential Taurid swarms that could increase impact danger in 2032 and 2036. Using planetary defense modeling and telescope data, scientists assess these threats while fighting misinformation and promoting preparedness.

from All Top News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Fwu5vXr

Webb reveals the Universe’s first galaxies were a chaotic mess

JWST observations show that early galaxies were chaotic, gas-filled systems rather than stable disks. Researchers from Cambridge studied over 250 galaxies and found most were turbulent, still forming stars and merging rapidly. These findings challenge earlier views of early galactic order and bridge the gap between the universe’s early chaos and the calmer “cosmic noon” era of peak star formation.

from All Top News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/TxbQPKi

Twin black hole collisions put Einstein’s general relativity to its most extreme test

Two recently observed black hole mergers, occurring just weeks apart in late 2024, have opened an extraordinary new window into the universe’s most extreme events. These collisions not only revealed exotic spins and possible second-generation black holes but also provided unprecedented tests of Einstein’s general relativity. The precision of these detections allowed scientists to confirm theoretical predictions with unmatched accuracy, while also probing the possible existence of ultralight bosons—mysterious particles that could draw energy from black holes.

from All Top News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/GPZC1UF

Hidden clues in ghostly particles could explain why we exist

In a rare global collaboration, scientists from Japan and the United States joined forces to explore one of the universe’s deepest mysteries — why anything exists at all. By combining years of data from two massive neutrino experiments, researchers took a big step toward understanding how these invisible “ghost particles” might have tipped the cosmic balance in favor of matter over antimatter.

from All Top News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/9WQirFf

Gum disease may quietly damage the brain, scientists warn

People with gum disease may have higher levels of brain white matter damage, a new study finds. Researchers observed that participants with gum disease had significantly more white matter hyperintensities, even after accounting for other risk factors. The findings hint that chronic oral inflammation could subtly impact the brain, especially in older adults. More research is needed, but keeping gums healthy might protect the mind too.

from All Top News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/dOnSRmK

James Webb spots a cosmic moon factory 625 light-years away

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured the first detailed look at a carbon-rich disk surrounding the exoplanet CT Cha b, located about 625 light-years from Earth. The observations reveal a possible “moon factory,” where dust and gas could be coalescing into new moons. The planet orbits a young star only 2 million years old, and the disk’s composition offers rare insight into how moons and planets form in the early stages of a solar system’s life.

from All Top News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/UO879oq