Science & Technology

A massive study of rainforest species across three regions of the world finds striking similarities in how animals spend their days.

The strongest Arctic cyclone ever observed struck in January 2022. A new analysis shows that while forecasts accurately predicted the massive storm, models seriously underestimated its effect on sea ice. Results suggest where forecast models for a chan…

Bats use distinct structures in the larynx to produce high-frequency echolocation calls and lower-frequency social calls, according to a new study. The structures used to make the low-pitched calls are analogous to those used by death metal vocalists i…

A simple breeding experiment, combined with genetic analysis, can rapidly uncover genes that promote cooperation and higher yields of plant populations, according to a new study. The results have the potential to quickly increase crop productivity thro…

If you’re blaming your genes for morning sluggishness, think again. A new study finds that genetics plays a minor role in morning alertness. Instead, test subjects were most alert after sleeping longer and later than typical for them, exercising the pr…

The 1930s Dust Bowl affected heat extremes across much of North America and as far away as Europe and East Asia, according to new research. The study found that the extreme heating of the Great Plains triggered motions of air around the Northern Hemisp…

A new study reveals that the relationship between work demands and a good night’s rest is nuanced. Conventional wisdom that suggests that people with the most demanding jobs would have the most trouble sleeping isn’t necessarily true.

About one third of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) develop diabetic retinopathy (DR), a leading cause of blindness in working-age individuals. DR typically develops after many years of DM, and some patients do not develop DR for more than 50 years…

How picky should females and males be when they choose a mate? How fiercely should they compete for mates? And how much should they engage in raising their offspring? The answers to these questions largely depend on the ratio of adult females to males …

New research yields a novel method to use ultrasound to enhance machine learning’s ability to accurately diagnose — or rule out — ovarian cancer.

Researchers are introducing a better way to perform mosquito-tracking for disease applications. Their new method, which involves getting larval mosquitoes to eat harmless particles made entirely of DNA and proteins, has the potential to revolutionize h…

Unique new material has shown significant promise in the treatment of spinal cord injury. The new hybrid biomaterials, in the form of nanoparticles and building on existing practice in the tissue engineering field, were successfully synthesized to prom…

Understanding how cancer cells evolve from healthy brain cells and evade treatment could open up potential new drug therapies for glioblastomas, one of the most common and lethal brain cancers, new research has revealed. By bringing together neuroscien…

Too much sun and too much heat can reduce the efficiency of photovoltaics. A solar farm with optimally spaced panels facing the correct direction could cool itself through convection using the surrounding wind. Researchers explored how to exploit the g…

They are the salt-tolerant shrubs that thrive in the toughest of conditions, but according to new UniSA research, mangroves are also avid coastal protectors, capable of surviving in heavy metal contaminated environments.

Researchers have found that cells in the rat hippocampus — a brain region that is essential for making memories — are specifically organized into small clusters when fear-based memories are formed. Furthermore, when rats slept after a learning period…

Soon after cholesterol and fat start depositing on the lining of the blood vessels that supply your heart, the smooth muscle cells that give the blood vessels strength and flexibility start to get bigger and multiply. While scientists studying the phen…

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a promising semiconductor material for power electronic devices, but it suffers from bipolar degradation, which severely limits its lifespan. To address this long-standing issue in a cost-effective manner, researchers have deve…

Pregnant women living in U.S. states where cannabis is legal must be screened for the drug, for the health of both mother and baby, claim scientists who in a new national study have found that they are far more likely to use the substance.

A research team has developed a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) piezoelectric vibration energy harvester, which is only about 2 cm in diameter with a U-shaped metal vibration amplification component. The device allows for an increase of approximat…