Science & Technology

An ancient fossil reveals the earliest panda to survive solely on bamboo and the evolutionary history of panda’s false thumbs.

A small tweak to hospitals’ prescribing systems might make a big difference in reducing risk from leftover opioid pain medication, while still making sure surgery patients get relief from their post-operation pain, a new study suggests.

Zebra finches communicate via eye contact and calls to coordinate their spatial positions during flocking flight

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai submarine volcano in January 2022 was one of the most explosive volcanic events of the modern era, a new study has confirmed.

Computer scientists develop Emu, an algorithm that uses long reads of genomes to identify the species of bacteria in a community. The program could simplify sorting harmful from helpful bacteria in microbiomes like those in the gut or in agriculture an…

Researchers examined 21st century changes in ocean-surface temperature, salinity, and density, across mangrove forests worldwide. Their study suggests that changes in surface-ocean density may impact the dispersal patterns of widely distributed mangrov…

Environmental sensors are a step closer to simultaneously sniffing out multiple gases that could indicate disease or pollution. Researchers combined laser writing and responsive sensor technologies to fabricate the first highly customizable microscale …

New research highlights how the risk of wildfire is rising globally due to climate change — but also, how human actions and policies can play a critical role in regulating regional impacts. The study shows that anthropogenic climate change is a ‘push’…

Only a fraction of the material that could be turned into new plastic is currently recycled. Researchers have now demonstrated how the carbon atoms in mixed waste can replace all fossil raw materials in the production of new plastic. The recycling meth…

Using data gathered over the last four decades to study the effects of temperature changes and rain on the atmospheric concentration of methane, scientists have concluded that Earth could be both delivering more, and removing less, methane into the air…

Using pickled snakes collected decades ago and stored in an underground bunker of collections, scientists have found ways to get DNA samples from specimens previously considered near-impossible to get genetic data from. They used that DNA to solve a lo…

Even before carbohydrates reach the bloodstream, the very sight and smell of a meal trigger the release of insulin. For the first time, researchers have shown that this insulin release depends on a short-term inflammatory response that takes place in t…

Scientists have identified a new gene called MGMT that increases the risk of Alzheimer’s in women.

Traffic and unintentional injuries are the leading cause of adolescent deaths worldwide.

A new series highlights the growing problem of road traffic injuries and lays out some opportunities for preventing injuries and saving lives. The series offers a comprehensive analysis of this rising public health threat.

A pair of Orca (Killer Whales) that have been terrorizing and killing Great White Sharks off the coast of South Africa since 2017 has managed to drive large numbers of the sharks from their natural aggregation site.