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- Crushes and other injuries: What science tells us about grieving a heartbreak
Something funny happened at work, and there is one person you really want to tell. You stare at their name in your contact list. You know that if you call, no one will answer. They're gone.
- Beyond food: Bran-based gels show potential for targeted drug delivery
When it comes to colon health, the benefits of wheat and rye bran in whole-grain foods are well known. Now researchers in Sweden have shown how these fibers may have a therapeutic use, too. A new study published in the journal Biomacromolecules demonstrates the potential to use bran fiber for direct delivery of drugs to treat colon diseases like ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease or colorectal cancer.
- Glass does surprising things when stretched 1 atom wide. The discovery could help shrink electronics
Smartwatches worn on millions of wrists today pack vastly more processing power than the computers that helped Apollo astronauts land on the moon. But the scientific drive to go tiny has come at a cost: It means heat, electricity and energy now have much less room to flow through devices.
- Bennu asteroid analysis suggests unexpected origins for organics in space
Samples from the Bennu asteroid, which is currently more than 200 million miles (322 million kilometers) from Earth, and the Murchison meteorite, which fell to Earth in 1969, both contain molecules that build proteins necessary for life. New research has found that the molecules may have formed through the same process but originated far from one another in the solar system.
- New strategy boosts iron-based single-atom catalysts for Fenton-like reactions
Researchers at the Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry (XTIPC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have developed a core-shell confined iron-based single-atom catalyst that combines high Fenton-like catalytic activity with structural stability, enabling nearly complete removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) within 20 minutes under mildly acidic conditions.
- The faces of iridium: One metal, many reactions
The same metal can have many faces, and each tells a different chemical story. At the atomic scale, those different faces can push the same reaction along very different paths.
- III-nitride device integrates sensing and memory for in-sensor computing
A new study published in Nature Materials reports that researchers have developed an aluminum gallium nitride device that combines light detection, memory and basic processing by controlling charge at polarization interfaces. The device can detect light at the nanowatt-per-square-centimeter level and operate stably at temperatures up to 300°C.
- A standard shortcut, used since the 1970s, hides a magneto-optic effect in ordinary glass fiber
For more than 50 years, engineers have described light in optical fiber using a convenient shortcut, one that works so well it is rarely questioned. Engineers at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) in Johannesburg, South Africa, have now shown that this shortcut hides a small but real effect. A magnet placed beside a multimode fiber, rather than along it, can change the light traveling inside.
- New algorithm improves phase readout for space-based gravitational wave detection
In a study published in Optics Communications, a research group led by Yu Tao from the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences proposed a new analytical phase readout algorithm for deep frequency modulation interferometry (DFMI).
- Wonder and ore: A spectacular new view from space maps Australia's mineral wealth
A new tool that uses detailed satellite images to help unlock Australia's mineral wealth has been unveiled.
- Research snapshot: The use of icons in aphasia-friendly texts
Pictorial reading supports, such as icons, can help people with aphasia better comprehend the material and enjoy the reading process. But exactly what type of icon is most helpful?
- RipEye flags possible rip currents in beach photos within seconds
Rip currents remain one of Australia's deadliest beach hazards, contributing to 47% of the 66 beach drowning deaths recorded in the 2025 National Drowning Report.
- Roman-era 'frog feast' near Cambridge was the work of owls, bone analysis suggests
Around 1,800 years ago, over 9,000 bones, mainly from frogs, ended up in an Iron Age/Roman gully near Cambridge. When archaeologists first dug them up, speculation soon followed. Were these the remains of a Roman frog feast or perhaps the skeletal aftermath of a ritual?
- Overlooked bushland remnants serve as 'stepping stones' for endangered Carnaby's cockatoos
New research from Murdoch University has revealed that Carnaby's cockatoos depend on small, fragmented patches of native vegetation to survive in heavily cleared landscapes—a finding that could play an important role in protecting the endangered species.
- India pollution monitors overwhelmed by toxic smog
India's air pollution monitors were overwhelmed this week by toxic smog so severe that concentrations exceeded their upper measurement limit, equivalent to 66 times the World Health Organization's recommended daily maximum, regulators said.
- Finding new life in old chemicals for pharmaceuticals using light-driven chemistry
Drug companies maintain large libraries of chemical compounds that can be screened for potential use in the development of new pharmaceuticals. One class of these compounds, sulfonamides, is used in antibiotics and in drugs to treat type 2 diabetes, hypertension and inflammation. Thousands of these sulfonamides exist in these libraries, but their use beyond their initial purpose is limited because they are difficult to chemically modify.
- Deeper dives are linked to longer surface recovery in sea lions
Sea lions, marine mammals belonging to the eared seal family, have to dive to search for food and other resources. Between dives, however, they return to the surface to breathe and recover.
- El Niño looms over Colombia's battle with fire-prone plant
Colombian farmer Albert Montano razes a beautiful thorny shrub, fearful that its yellow flowers will fuel potent wildfires expected during the El Niño weather pattern.
- Why land—a scarce resource—is so important for climate protection
A new study quantifies, for the first time, the interrelationships and competing objectives of two major areas of action for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: the phaseout of fossil fuels and measures taken on natural land, such as farmland, forests and wetlands. It demonstrates how a well-balanced policy mix can keep costs low for both people and nature. The study, conducted at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), was published in Nature Sustainability.
- Deep-sea mining could destroy unique habitats hidden inside metal-rich nodules
In the extreme depths of the Pacific Ocean, there are small, metal-bearing formations that are far more than just valuable sources of raw materials. A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports shows that polymetallic nodules serve as specialized habitats for tiny organisms.
- New study shows COVID value-added tax cut significantly boosted private consumption
In summer 2020, the German federal government lowered value-added tax from 19% to 16% for half a year as part of its COVID economic stimulus package. A new study, recently published in the journal Review of Economic Studies, uses survey data, data on retail purchases and an economic model to show the extent to which this measure influenced private consumption. The study found that lower-wealth households, as well as younger and middle-aged households, particularly benefited, regardless of their level of financial literacy.
- Coyotes are likely a permanent fixture on the Outer Banks of North Carolina
A new study reveals that coyote populations on the Outer Banks persist despite ongoing removal programs, posing a continued threat to shore-nesting birds and protected sea turtles. The study is the first in-depth assessment of coyote populations on barrier islands and has ramifications for understanding how coyotes may impact these and other barrier island ecosystems.
- Simplified framework could make products' environmental impacts easier to assess
Life cycle assessment is used to quantify the environmental impact of products and services and forms an important basis for political decisions. However, the necessary data is always difficult to capture completely. A study by the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI now shows that four established hybrid methods can be reduced to just two: a first step towards open-source software that could enable such analyses even without in-depth mathematical knowledge.
- Mental health app may help unemployed people find jobs, six-week trial suggests
Losing a job can be a life-shattering experience. And when depression complicates a job search, unemployment can become a vicious cycle. Now, a Northwestern University–led clinical trial suggests a new intervention may break that cycle: a phone app, named DRIVEN, that combines weekly self-guided mental health exercises (to reduce stress and increase motivation) with job-seeking strategies.
- A new tool makes biodiversity conservation planning more efficient and reproducible
ZonationR is a new tool that simplifies the use of Zonation to identify priority areas for biodiversity conservation. It brings all stages of the conservation planning analysis together in one automated and reproducible workflow and helps users systematically explore and compare alternative conservation scenarios.
- Genetic ancestry plays a key role in the migration of Cory's shearwaters
To what extent do genes influence the migratory routes of birds? The factors that determine the long-distance migrations of seabirds are not yet fully understood. Now, a study published in the journal Molecular Ecology reveals that, in the case of Cory's shearwater, an individual's genetic ancestry is a more significant factor in their migratory decisions than their social environment in the breeding colony.
- Earliest known compact quasar pair poses a black hole growth puzzle
The oldest pair of compact quasars ever observed has been found only 900 million years after the Big Bang. Scientists say there is no theoretical explanation for how the pair of actively feeding black holes grew so massive at such an early time in the history of the universe. The pair of quasars has been given the Hawaiian nickname Nāpōwawāʻenakaulua.
- New organic iron-sulfur framework boosts photosynthesis and carbon fixation
Iron-sulfur clusters are ancient protein cofactors that are essential for electron transport, enzyme catalysis and photosynthesis. However, their sensitivity to oxygen and inherent instability have long hindered their practical application.
- How ripples in space-time can reveal new exoplanets
The LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) observatory, now in development, will detect gravitational waves, the tiny ripples in space-time caused by orbiting masses. Now two studies led by NASA astrophysicists show in new detail how LISA could reveal a new and unique population of exoplanets—worlds beyond our solar system—throughout our galaxy.
- European eels transmit a herpesvirus through bites, revealing another route for fish infections
Contrary to what was previously believed, viruses infecting fish are not transmitted exclusively through water acting as an abiotic vector. A team of researchers from the University of Liège has demonstrated that a virus affecting European eels can spread very efficiently through biting during aggressive interactions between individuals.
- Where AI can aid chemistry research and where reliability falls short
Researchers from the Skoltech AI Center, together with colleagues from the Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, ITMO University and other institutions, have published a paper in Chemical Society Reviews that examines where AI produces measurable value in a chemical research workflow, how to assess its reliability and why a strong benchmark result does not necessarily translate into laboratory performance.
- Repurposing the internet's backbone to advance whale monitoring
Bioacoustics researcher Léa Bouffaut, at the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, has spent the past several years eavesdropping on the conversations of whales. But instead of using underwater microphones like other marine scientists, she listens by tapping into fiber-optic cables lying on the ocean floor—a powerful tool to aid in marine mammal conservation.
- Anemone bleaching spurs stronger home defense and more aggression among clownfish
Marine heat waves and anemone bleaching are altering clownfish behavior, making clownfish more defensive of their host and more aggressive toward one another, new research reveals.
- Rerouting ships to avoid killing whale sharks has little cost, study finds
Redirecting shipping traffic to avoid collisions with whale sharks has very little impact on fuel use, according to new research led by the University of Southampton published in Royal Society Open Science.
- Ancient rocks reveal when Earth's tectonic engine 'switched on'
Scientists have identified a major turning point in Earth's geological history, when the processes shaping the planet's crust changed dramatically and began to resemble the plate tectonics we see today—about 2.5 billion years ago.
- High-achieving disadvantaged students are far less likely to take and pass entrance exams for selective schools
Disadvantaged students are less likely than their more advantaged peers with similar attainment to take and pass entrance exams for selective schools, and introducing an opt-out system for the tests would only deliver a small boost.
- Scientists anchor first scientific animal name to a modern-day spider
Scientists led by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History have restored the physical reference of one of the most historically significant names in biology. In a paper published in Taxonomy, researchers designated a new type specimen, or neotype, for Araneus angulatus, the first animal species described using binomial nomenclature, the two-part naming system that scientists use today to identify and classify living organisms. The designation reconnects the name to a physical specimen decades after the original name-bearing spiders disappeared.
- Governments are failing to rein in emissions from their own power plants, analysis finds
World leaders meeting at the annual U.N. climate summit in November 2026 are wrestling with a persistent challenge: how to get countries to follow through on their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet.
- Gamma radiation transforms brittle bioplastic into 'superstructure' hydrogel
Biomaterials engineers have created a "superstructure" hydrogel that could be an eco-friendly tool used in medical technologies and as a recovery aid for surgical procedures. The research is published in the journal Macromolecular Rapid Communications.
- The pet and skin trades pose little threat to reptile species, analyses suggest
Reptiles are captivating creatures—so captivating that people keep them as pets, or wear clothes and carry handbags fashioned from their patterned skins.