Science & Technology

Humans tend to form groups, which often find themselves in conflict with rival groups. But why do people show such a ready tendency to harm people in opposing groups? A new study led by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University used functional br…

Cheatgrass, an invasive annual grass that has invaded Nevada rangelands, is responsible for much of the increasing wildfire danger in the Intermountain West. However, scientists have discovered that fire danger can be reduced through the application of…

A drug discovery approach developed — in part inspired by oil companies — revealed why drugs for cystic fibrosis fall short.

More than two years after the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, scientists have become increasingly aware of a group of patients — so-called ‘long haulers’ — who remain plagued by a combination of symptoms long after the infection passes. In a new study, re…

Researchers demonstrated in 2019 that pre-schoolers can safely overcome peanut allergies with a treatment called oral immunotherapy. Now they have evidence that the earlier pre-schoolers start this treatment, the better. This real-world study focused o…

Researchers measured tiny magnetic fields with unprecedented speed. By monitoring spins at nitrogen-vacancy centers along using ultrafast spectroscopy, this work may lead to extremely accurate future quantum computers.

Scholars have created a new global repository of linguistic data. The project is designed to facilitate new insights into the evolution of words and sounds of the languages spoken across the world today. The Lexibank database contains standardized lexi…

The development of new thin semiconductor materials requires a quantitative analysis of a large amount of reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) data, which is time consuming and requires expertise. To tackle this issue, scientists identif…

The study found that shoppers who drank a cup of complimentary caffeinated coffee prior to roaming the stores spent about 50 percent more money and bought nearly 30 percent more items than shoppers who drank decaf or water.

A common hormone disorder among women of reproductive age has been linked to an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events and pregnancy outcomes at the time of birth, according to a new study.

Researchers have developed a new method to dramatically extend the lifetime of organic aqueous flow batteries, improving the commercial viability of a technology that has the potential to safely and inexpensively store energy from renewable sources suc…

An analysis of ancient DNA from a 100,000-year-old polar bear has revealed that extensive hybridization between polar bears and brown bears occurred during the last warm interglacial period in the Pleistocene, leaving a surprising amount of polar bear …

A new study of the impact of childhood fitness and obesity on cognition in middle age, followed over 1200 people who were children in 1985 for over 30 years, has found that better performance on physical tests is related to better cognition later in li…

A new study busts the long-held economic belief that humans are all motivated to want more and more, which could have important implications for sustainability policies.

Researchers have identified and reconstructed the first ancient genome of E. coli, using fragments extracted from the gallstone of a 16th century mummy.

Scientists have identified the biochemical signals that control the emergence of the body pattern in the primate embryo. This will guide work to understand birth defects and pregnancy loss in humans.

The cerebellum is essential for sensorimotor control but also contributes to higher cognitive functions including social behaviors. Researchers uncovered how dopamine in the cerebellum modulates social behaviors via its action on D2 receptors (D2R). Th…

During recent decades, the rate of infertility among women in the United States has remained largely the same, according to researchers. Their new analysis of data collected from 1995 and 2019 found that infertility is more common among women who are o…

A new study shows targeting a protein in smooth muscle cells can block and decrease buildup of atherosclerotic plaque in mouse models, according to researchers.

Researchers have developed a unique 3D printed system for harvesting stem cells from bioreactors.