Science & Technology

Knowledge creation — the generation of new ideas and patents — is an important driver of economic growth. Understanding how knowledge moves across industry sectors and regions can inform research and development (R&D) efforts, promote university-indu…

More energetic commercials are likely to be tuned in more or avoided less by viewers, according a new study.

Math is the language of the physical world, and some see mathematical patterns everywhere: in weather, in the way soundwaves move, and even in the spots or stripes zebra fish develop in embryos.

Certain small RNAs called tDRs can be found inside and outside cells during stress responses to different diseases. Researchers have created an atlas of the stress signatures for tDRs that might be used as markers of disease and identify new disease-ca…

The concept of ecosystem services allows researchers to quantify the benefits that nature contributes to people into monetary units. A new study suggests that trees provide greater economic value when used to regulate climate and air quality than the v…

Analysis presents a first-of-its-kind framework to design the most efficient mix of urban buildings along with integrated systems to supply power and water services. The approach could significantly reduce costs and pollution compared to traditional sy…

They are part of the brain of almost every animal species, yet they remain usually invisible even under the electron microscope.

Rice University chemists treat waste plastic to absorb carbon dioxide from flue gas streams more efficiently than current processes.

Scientists have developed a treatment for pulmonary fibrosis by using nanoparticles coated in mannose — a type of sugar — to stop a population of lung cells called macrophages that contribute to lung tissue scarring. The cell-targeting method holds p…

Researchers have found that geosmin is made by certain kinds of bacteria that are known toxin producers. This acts as a warning to C. elegans, a common type of worm, that the bacteria they are about to graze on is poisonous. The chemical is an aposemat…

Researchers report that two seemingly opposing theories of language processing are both correct. The study shows that greater left-brain asymmetry can predict both better performance and average performance on a foundational measure of reading ability,…

Pregnancy, long reproductive span, and older age at menopause are associated with a lower risk of dementia in women, according to a new study. Inversely, hysterectomy, younger age of first birth, and younger or older than average age at first period we…

Faces and voices are more likely to be judged as male when they are angry, and as female when they are happy, new research has revealed. The study found that how we understand the emotional expression of a face or voice is heavily influenced by perceiv…

Scientists have built instruments to give humans eyes and a nose on Mars — and now they are helping add ears as well.

On average, people with epilepsy live 10-12 years fewer than those who do not have the condition. Excess mortality is particularly pronounced among people with epilepsy and mental disorders.

Scientists use brain organoids to understand how a mutated gene affects brain development.

Despite a greater than 85% population loss worldwide due to overharvesting, collaborative research shows oyster reefs can rebound through restorative efforts.

Patients who are most likely to suffer severe pain following an operation can be reliably identified using a new technique.

An international team of researchers has compiled a massive dataset that overlays years’ worth of information on the position, migration and interaction of sharks and game fish. This research has immediate relevance for anglers, who have been reporting…

Scientists presents evidence that adults can generate new brain cells, and that this process is dramatically altered in patients with long-term epilepsy. The study details the presence of newborn neurons and an immature version of a related cell type, …