Science & Technology

Providing customized training to Brazilian ranchers can not only help keep carbon in the ground, but improve their livelihoods and mitigate climate change, according to new research.

Marine cold spells are cold versions of heat waves: periods of exceptionally cold water, able to hurt or help the ecosystems they hit. Today, the oceans experience just 25% of the number of cold spell days they did in the 1980s, and cold spells are abo…

Scientists have developed a new approach to the design of thermoelectric materials by constructing a database of electronic structure parameters correlated with materials’ thermoelectric conversion properties and by a comprehensive analysis of the data…

A potential cornucopia of neuroactive compounds, which might yield clues to the design of future psychiatric and neurological drugs, has become more accessible to synthetic chemists.

A new study shows that smoke from wildfires destroys the ozone layer. Researchers caution that if major fires become more frequent with a changing climate, more damaging ultraviolet radiation from the sun will reach the ground.

SOT-RAM, a promising type of next-generation magnetic memory, could pave the way to ultra-low-power electronics. However, scientists have identified a source of disturbance during the read operation in SOT-RAMs that compromises their reliability. Fortu…

Researchers have described application of a pioneering chemical technique which could unlock ground-breaking new treatments for cancer and other diseases.

Evolution is normally considered to be a gradual process, unfolding over long timescales. But new findings show that widespread physical and genomic adaptation to the environment can occur within just weeks.

A new report addresses the issue of exactly how bright lighting should be during the day and in the evening to support healthy body rhythms, restful sleep, and daytime alertness.

Forest restoration schemes should prioritize restoring native forests for greatest climate and environmental benefits, but these benefits incur a trade-off with wood production in comparison with tree plantations.

Methanotrophic bacteria consume 30 million metric tons of methane per year and have captivated researchers for their natural ability to convert the potent greenhouse gas into usable fuel. Yet we know very little about how the complex reaction occurs, l…

Researchers have identified a link suggesting that lithium could decrease the risk of developing dementia, which affects nearly one million people in the UK.

Scientists have long known that learning requires the flow of calcium into and out of brain cells. But researchers have now discovered that floods of calcium originating from within neurons can also boost learning. The finding emerged from studies of h…

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. However, why premenopausal women are more resistant to NAFLD than men is currently unknown. Now, scientists demonstrate, through sex-balanced experiments on mice,…

An artificial intelligence (AI) tool can accurately and consistently classify breast density on mammograms, according to a new study.

Humans are usually pretty good at recognizing when they get things wrong, but artificial intelligence systems are not. According to a new study, AI generally suffers from inherent limitations due to a century-old mathematical paradox.

Metastases in cancer are often caused by a few abnormal cells. These behave more aggressively than the other cancer cells in a tumor. Researchers are now on a method to detect these cells.

Researchers have discovered the essential role of a new factor, LCOR, in enabling cancer cells to present tumor antigens on their surfaces. These antigens allow the immune system to recognize the tumor, an essential step if immunotherapy treatment is t…

Researchers have genetically engineered a microbial encapsulation system for therapeutic bacteria that can hide them from immune systems, enabling them to reach tumors more effectively and kill cancer cells in mice.

A new study unlocks the science behind a key ingredient — namely oxygen — in some of the world’s most violent volcanoes. The research offers a new model for understanding the oxidation state of arc magmas, the lavas that form some volcanoes, such as …