Life cycles of some insects adapt well to a changing climate: Others, not so much

Some biologists speculate that animals will get smaller with global warming to reduce heat stress. While this may be true of warm-blooded animals, what about exotherms like insects? Thanks to a 65-year-old grasshopper collection, scientists have documented that some species -- those overwintering as juveniles -- got larger over the years, helped by an earlier green spring. Grasshoppers with other lifestyles got smaller. Much of this can be predicted given what biologists know of insect life cycles.

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White shark liver is on Australian killer sharks' menu

DNA evidence has confirmed killer whales in Australia hunted a white shark for its liver. Based on DNA analysis from the bite wounds on the carcass of a large white shark washed ashore near Portland in Victoria in 2023, the study identified that killer whales were responsible for consuming the mid-section containing the nutritionally rich liver.

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New light-tuned chemical tools control processes in living cells

A research group has developed new advanced light-controlled tools that enable precise control of proteins in real time in living cells. This groundbreaking research opens doors to new methods for studying complex processes in cells and could pave the way for significant advances in medicine and synthetic biology.

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Researchers combine holograms and AI to create uncrackable optical encryption system

Researchers developed a new optical system that uses holograms to encode information, creating a level of encryption that traditional methods cannot penetrate.

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Relative of deadly Hendra virus found in the US

Researchers have identified the first henipavirus in North America.

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A new register with thousands of entangled nuclei to scale quantum networks

In a groundbreaking achievement for quantum technologies, researchers have created a functional quantum register using the atoms inside a semiconductor quantum dot.

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How simple prompts can make partially automated cars safer

A new study finds that prompts do a good job of getting drivers to engage with their environment and take over control of the vehicle when necessary while using partially automated driving systems -- with one exception. If drivers are deeply distracted, these system-generated prompts have little or no effect.

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Explaining persistent hydrogen in Mars' atmosphere

The fact that the cold, dry Mars of today had flowing rivers and lakes several billion years ago has puzzled scientists for decades. Now, researchers think they have a good explanation for a warmer, wetter ancient Mars. Building on prior theories describing the Mars of yore as a hot again, cold again place, a team has determined the chemical mechanisms by which ancient Mars was able to sustain enough warmth in its early days to host water, and possibly life.

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Vacations are good for employee well-being, and the effects are long lasting

If you're like many Americans, you probably didn't take all your vacation time this year. Even if you did, it's highly likely you didn't fully unplug while off the clock. But you might want to change that if you want to improve your health and well-being, according to a new review article.

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Strong as steel, light as foam: High-performance, nano-architected materials

Researchers have used machine learning to design nano-architected materials that have the strength of carbon steel but the lightness of Styrofoam. The team describes how they made nanomaterials with properties that offer a conflicting combination of exceptional strength, light weight and customizability. The approach could benefit a wide range of industries, from automotive to aerospace.

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Myth busted: Healthy habits take longer than 21 days to set in

We're nearly one month into 2025, but if you're struggling to hold onto your New Year's resolution, stay strong, as new research shows that forming a healthy habit can take longer than you expect. Researchers found that new habits can begin forming within about two months (median of 59-66 days) but can take up to 335 days to establish.

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New evidence pushes back arrival of early hominins in Europe

Research reveals new evidence of early hominin activity in Europe, suggesting that hominins were present on the continent far earlier than previously thought.

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Progress and challenges in brain implants

A scientific team looks at the progress and challenges in the research and development of brain implants. New achievements in the field of this technology are seen as a source of hope for many patients with neurological disorders and have been making headlines recently. As neural implants have an effect not only on a physical but also on a psychological level, researchers are calling for particular ethical and scientific care when conducting clinical trials.

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New study reveals how a 'non-industrialized' style diet can reduce risk of chronic disease

Researchers have found that a newly developed diet inspired by the eating habits of non-industrialized societies can significantly reduce the risk of a number of chronic diseases -- and are to share recipes with the public.

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Stronger stress response in monkeys helps them survive

Researchers used the environmental circumstances and fecal samples collected from the six years prior to the severe El Ni o drought in Costa Rica to study the relationship between the endocrinologic stress response and survival in white-faced capuchin monkeys. Monkeys who showed a steeper rise in these stress hormones during the mild droughts were more likely to survive the severe El Nino drought. As weather intensifies globally, longitudinal studies of how wild animals cope with changes in temperature, rainfall and food availability can help us understand which species can adapt rapidly.

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Final synthetic yeast chromosome unlocks new era in biotechnology

Scientists have completed construction of the final chromosome in the worlds' first synthetic yeast genome following more than a decade of work, opening new possibilities for creating resilient, engineered organisms.

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Fighting experience plays key role in brain chemical's control of male aggression

Like humans, mice will compete over territory and mates, and show increased confidence in their fighting skills the more they win. At first, a brain chemical called dopamine is essential for young males to master this behavior. But as they gain experience, the chemical grows less important in promoting aggression, a new study shows.

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Extreme supersonic winds measured on planet outside our Solar System

Astronomers have discovered extremely powerful winds pummeling the equator of WASP-127b, a giant exoplanet. Reaching speeds up to 33,000 km/h, the winds make up the fastest jet-stream of its kind ever measured on a planet. The discovery provides unique insights into the weather patterns of a distant world.

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Why our biological clock ticks: Research reconciles major theories of aging

Two major theories of aging both involve DNA, but in very different ways. Researchers have revealed that these theories may not be so different after all.

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First fast radio burst traced to old, dead, elliptical galaxy

Astronomers previously thought all FRBs were generated by magnetars formed through the explosions of very young, massive stars. But new FRB is pinpointed to the outskirts of 11.3-billion-year-old galaxy without young, active stars -- calling those assumptions into question. 'Just when you think you understand an astrophysical phenomenon, the universe turns around and surprises us,' researcher says.

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Global trust in science remains strong

A global survey spanning 68 countries reveals that public trust in scientists is still high. A team of 241 researchers conducted the largest post-pandemic study of trust in science, societal expectations and public views on research priorities.

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In chimpanzees, peeing is contagious

A new study has described a phenomenon researchers refer to as 'contagious urinations.' The study in 20 captive chimpanzees living at the Kumamoto Sanctuary in Japan shows that, when one chimp pees, others are more likely to follow.

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Ancient viral DNA shapes early embryo development

Over half of our genomes consists of thousands of remnants of ancient viral DNA, known as transposable elements, which are widespread across the tree of life. Once dismissed as the 'dark side' of the genome, researchers have now revealed their crucial role in early embryo development.

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Insights into how populations conform or go against the crowd

Cultural traits -- the information, beliefs, behaviors, customs, and practices that shape the character of a population -- are influenced by conformity, the tendency to align with others, or anti-conformity, the choice to deliberately diverge. A new way to model this dynamic interplay could ultimately help explain societal phenomena like political polarization, cultural trends, and the spread of misinformation.

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The universe is expanding too fast to fit theories: Hubble tension in crisis

The Universe really seems to be expanding fast. Too fast, even. A new measurement confirms what previous -- and highly debated -- results had shown: The Universe is expanding faster than predicted by theoretical models, and faster than can be explained by our current understanding of physics. This discrepancy between model and data became known as the Hubble tension. Now, results provide even stronger support to the faster rate of expansion.

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Thawing permafrost threatens up to three million people in Arctic regions

In an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary study, an international team examined the social risks for Arctic regions associated with thawing permafrost. They identified five key risks related to infrastructure, transport and supply, water quality, food security and health. The scientists found that the thawing permafrost posed an increased risk of exposure to infectious diseases and release of contaminants, and interruptions of supply routes.

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Conquest of Asia and Europe by snow leopards during the last Ice Ages uncovered

Scientists have identified fossils of snow leopards. The discovery has allowed them to trace the evolutionary history of the species during the Quaternary period and to propose how it dispersed from the Tibetan plateau to the Iberian Peninsula, far from the high and icy Himalayan mountains.

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Red light linked to lowered risk of blood clots

Humans and mice exposed to long-wavelength red light had lower rates of blood clots that can cause heart attacks, lung damage and strokes, according to research led by surgeon-scientists.

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This metaphorical cat is both dead and alive -- and it will help quantum engineers detect computing errors

Engineers have demonstrated a well-known quantum thought experiment in the real world. Their findings deliver a new and more robust way to perform quantum computations and they have important implications for error correction, one of the biggest obstacles standing between them and a working quantum computer.

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Floating solar panels could support US energy goals

Federal reservoirs could help meet the country's solar energy needs, according to a new study. Geospatial scientists and senior legal and regulatory analyst quantified exactly how much energy could be generated from floating solar panel projects installed on federally owned or regulated reservoirs.

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Residents of unburned homes reported health symptoms months after Marshall Fire

Wildfires that burn homes and vehicles could expose people to dangerous airborne compounds through ash and smoke. Research has shown that people returning to their unburned homes may also experience health symptoms months after a nearby fire is extinguished. Through a survey of people affected by the 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder, Colorado, researchers found that headaches, sore throats and coughs were frequently self-reported by residents living near burned structures.

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Synthetic chemicals and chemical products require a new regulatory and legal approach to safeguard children's health

Nations must better safeguard health and reduce childhood diseases linked to exposures to toxic chemicals, according to researchers. Governments need to test and regulate chemicals and chemical products as closely as they safeguard prescription drugs, the researchers write.

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DNA nanorobots can alter artificial cells

Scientists have succeeded in controlling the structure and function of biological membranes with the help of 'DNA origami'. The system they developed may facilitate the transportation of large therapeutic loads into cells. This opens up a new way for the targeted administration of medication and other therapeutic interventions. Thus, a very valuable instrument can be added to the toolbox of synthetic biology.

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X-ray flashes from a nearby supermassive black hole accelerate mysteriously

Astronomers observed flashes of X-rays coming from a supermassive black hole at a steadily increasing clip. The source could be the core of a dead star that's teetering at the black hole's edge.

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'What is that?' Scientists explain white patch that appears near northern lights

A whitish, grey patch that sometimes appears in the night sky alongside the northern lights has now been explained.

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Chimpanzees are genetically adapted to local habitats and infections such as malaria

Chimpanzees bear genetic adaptations that help them thrive in their different forest and savannah habitats, some of which may protect against malaria, according to a study by an international team.

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Tiny microbe colonies communicate to coordinate their behavior

A new study reveals evidence of electrical signaling and coordinated behavior in choanoflagellates, the closest living relatives of animals. This elaborate example of cell communication offers key insights into the early evolution of animal multicellularity and nervous systems.

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Why do birds make so many different sounds? A study gets at the underlying factors

Researchers conducted a global study of the factors that influence bird sounds, using more than 100,000 audio recordings from around the world.

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Discovery of new class of particles could take quantum mechanics one step further

In a study, physicists now observed a class of quantum particles called fractional excitons, which behave in unexpected ways and could significantly expand scientists' understanding of the quantum realm.

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'Sandwich carers' experience decline in mental and physical health

People who care for both their children and older family members -- also known as 'sandwich carers' -- suffer from deterioration in both their mental and physical health over time, finds a new study.

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Pluto-Charon formation scenario mimics Earth-Moon system

A researcher has used advanced models that indicate that the formation of Pluto and Charon may parallel that of the Earth-Moon system. Both systems include a moon that is a large fraction of the size of the main body, unlike other moons in the solar system. The scenario also could support Pluto's active geology and possible subsurface ocean, despite its location at the frozen edge of the solar system.

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Beyond the 'Dragon Arc', a treasure trove of unseen stars

Taking advantage of a cosmic 'double lens,' astronomers resolved more than 40 individual stars in a galaxy so far away its light dates back to when the universe was only half its present age.

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Tuberculosis strains resistant to new drugs are transmitted between patients

Tuberculosis (TB) is the world's biggest infectious disease killer with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) posing a particular threat to global health. A study shows that resistance to the new MDR-TB treatment regimen recently recommended by the World Health Organization is already spreading between patients.

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Non-opioid pain relievers beat opioids after dental surgery

Researchers find an over-the-counter combo is more effective for wisdom tooth extraction pain.

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Researchers discover class of anti-malaria antibodies

Antibodies that bind to a previously untargeted portion of the malaria parasite could lead to new monoclonal antibody treatments and vaccines for malaria.

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Oldest-known evolutionary 'arms race'

A new study presents what is believed to be the oldest known example in the fossil record of an evolutionary arms race. These 517-million-year-old predator-prey interactions occurred in the ocean covering what is now South Australia between a small, shelled animal distantly related to brachiopods and an unknown marine animal capable of piercing its shell.

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Study reveals that sleep prevents unwanted memories from intruding

The link between poor sleep and mental health problems could be related to deficits in brain regions that keep unwanted thoughts out of mind.

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Pupil size in sleep reveals how memories are sorted, preserved

Researchers have found the pupil is key to understanding how, and when, the brain forms strong, long-lasting memories.

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Ancient DNA unlocks new understanding of migrations in the first millennium AD

Waves of human migration across Europe during the first millennium AD have been revealed using a more precise method of analysing ancestry with ancient DNA, in research led by the Francis Crick Institute.

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Scientists pin down the origins of a fast radio burst

Astronomers pinned down the origins of at least one fast radio burst, a brief and brilliant explosion of radio waves emitted by an extremely compact object. The team's novel technique might also reveal the sources of other FRBs.

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