Science & Technology

Forecasters are predicting a ‘three-peat La Niña’ this year. A recent study of ocean temperature patterns suggests that climate change could, in the short term, be favoring La Niñas. A La Niña winter tends to be cooler and wetter in the Pacific Northwe…

Using data from the Pennsylvania Overdose Information Network from the years 2018-20 and American Community Survey data from 2015-19, geography researchers looked at the prevalence of overdoses in the state and found the availability of the anti-overdo…

Chemists have uncovered a mechanism for peptide-forming reactions to occur in water — something that has puzzled scientists for decades.

Researchers have found that eddies at the edges of subtropical ocean gyres deliver nutrients that sustain the phytoplankton within the gyres. The findings answer a longstanding question about how these microbes are able to survive.

The bacterium that causes tuberculosis has a cousin you’ve never heard of: MAC. This bacterial complex is everywhere, but most people never show symptoms. Yet some people get very, very sick. Researchers have now uncovered an immunologic defect that co…

Two studies combine bioinformatics and other techniques to develop new vaccine candidates against HIV.

A professor is reporting on a new type of solar energy harvesting system that breaks the efficiency record of all existing technologies. And no less important, it clears the way to use solar power 24/7.

Newly published research sheds light on how adolescents can get more shut-eye.

Researchers have shown that 3D laser printing can be used to fabricate a high-quality, complex polymer optical device directly on the end of an optical fiber. As described, this type of micro-optical device — which has details smaller than the diamete…

A research finding in mice that the drug gabapentin improved rehab compliance after spinal cord injury led scientists to a related, unexpected discovery: Injured mice that didn’t receive gabapentin and declined to exercise by themselves were willing to…

Scientists have developed a breakthrough process to transform the most widely produced plastic — polyethylene (PE) — into the second-most widely produced plastic, polypropylene (PP), which could reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

Mandatory mask wearing saw more than 90 percent of deaf people struggle to communicate during the pandemic, research has revealed. It also discovered that 76 percent missed vital information and 59 percent felt disconnected from society due to the face…

A nationwide U.S. study of more than 893,000 adults provides solid evidence confirming that mRNA booster immunizations extend protection against moderate and severe COVID for four to five months. These findings provide a more complete understanding of …

A large study has looked at DNA methylation in Alzheimer’s disease. DNA methylation is the process by which the activity of genes is regulated, acting a bit like a dimmer-switch to turn genes on or off. Increasingly, this process is thought to have a k…

Researchers in public policy and education recently found that young adults who use more social media are significantly more likely to develop depression within six months, regardless of personality type.

Two researchers have published a study that asked students if they see themselves as a math or science person, then followed up with them several times in following years. Results showed those who said yes in ninth grade were much likelier to major in …

Scientists have made a key breakthrough in the quest to accurately predict fluctuations in the rotation of the Earth and so the length of the day — potentially opening up new predictions for the effects of climate change.

The presence of some fungal species in tumors predicts — and may even help drive — worse cancer outcomes, according to a new study.

You may not realize it, but each time you recall a memory — like your first time riding a bike or walking into your high school prom — your brain changes the memory ever so slightly. It’s almost like adding a filter, with details being filled in and …

A new study offers insights into understanding the inflammatory disorder mevalonate kinase deficiency, and reveals new potential treatment approaches for this devastating disease.