Science & Technology
Groundcherry research bears new fruits
More adaptable crops are needed to address global hunger and worsening challenges in food production. Researchers have now developed new genetic blueprints for two types of groundcherry. Their work can help unlock the potential for orphan crops like gr…
Antarctic summer thaw starts earlier, ends later than previously believed
New research changes our understanding of seasonal thawing in parts of Antarctica, as scientists have learned that summer thawing occurs nearly a month earlier, and stays thawed for a full two months longer than previously believed.
Artificial intelligence approach may help identify melanoma survivors who face a high risk of cancer recurrence
Researchers have developed and validated a machine learning–based method to predict which patients with early-stage melanoma are most likely to experience a cancer recurrence.
Israeli coastline is contaminated with over two tons of microplastics, researchers discover
A first-of-its-kind study reveals alarming findings about the level of microplastic pollution on Israel’s beaches.
Warning of the need to standardize the beach safety signage system
A study warns that safety flag systems differ even between beaches in close proximity to each other, and that this lack of uniformity may be due to an outdated legal framework and the absence of an agreed system between different organizations. They pr…
Uncovering the massive quantum mysteries of black holes
Bizarre quantum properties of black holes — including their mind-bending ability to have different masses simultaneously — have been confirmed by physicists.
Socio-economic factors shown to drive mangrove losses and gains
New research into the drivers of mangrove loss over the past 20 years has revealed that most of the degradation can be attributed to socio-economic and biophysical factors, with mangrove cover increasing in some areas.
Breakthrough in optical information transmission
Scientists have managed for the first time to create a unidirectional device that significantly increases the quality of a special class of transmitted signals in optical communications: optical vortices. By transmitting selective optical vortex modes …
Scientists discover anti-inflammatory molecules that decline in the aging brain
Scientists reveal another factor implicated in the aging process — a class of lipids called SGDGs (3-sulfogalactosyl diacylglycerols) that decline in the brain with age and may have anti-inflammatory effects. The research helps unravel the molecular b…
New tech solves longstanding challenges for self-healing materials
Engineering researchers have developed a new self-healing composite that allows structures to repair themselves in place, without having to be removed from service. This latest technology resolves two longstanding challenges for self-healing materials,…
New computational method builds detailed maps of human tissues
Researchers have developed a computational method to map the architecture of human tissues in unprecedented detail. Their approach promises to accelerate studies on organ-scale cellular interactions and could enable powerful new diagnostic strategies f…
Transistors help identify cancer cell markers
Researchers have found that a system based on ion-sensitive field effect transistors — a tiny electrical circuit that is activated by a change in pH — and enzymatic chemical signal amplification can accurately detect EGFR on breast cancer cells. This…
Treated or not, COVID-19 recurrence seems symptomatic for some
Researchers and others report that more than one-third of the COVID-19 patients who did not receive any treatment experienced complete resolution of symptoms for at least two consecutive days, but then subsequently reported a return of symptoms.
New catalyst can turn smelly hydrogen sulfide into a cash cow
Engineers and scientists have discovered a low-energy, one-step photocatalytic method for converting the problematic industrial pollutant hydrogen sulfide — a gas with the unmistakable odor of rotten eggs — into valuable hydrogen gas and sulfur.
Ultra-cold mini twisters
A team of quantum physicists has established a new method to observe vortices in dipolar quantum gases. These quantum vortices are considered a strong indication of superfluidity, the frictionless flow of a quantum gas, and have now been experimentally…
Partisans willing to upend democracy to help their party win even when polarization is diminished
There has long been an assumption that a connection exists between affective polarization and anti-democratic attitudes. A new study tests several depolarization interventions and finds that, while they depolarize, they do not affect anti-democratic at…