Science & Technology

Researchers studying giant Amazonian waterlilies have unraveled the engineering enigma behind the largest floating leaves in nature.

People adopt different social behavior depending on the context they’re in. A deeply generous friend may be a cutthroat colleague, for example. Using a game theory framework, researchers find that context-dependent behavior doesn’t stop cooperation fro…

The way we experience the world occurs due to complex and intricate interactions between neurons in the brain. Now, a study suggests that astrocytes — star-shaped, non-neuronal cells in the brain — might also play an important role in processing info…

Researchers have developed a new approach for shape changing at the material level. They use rubber, metal, and temperature to morph materials and fix them into place with no motors or pulleys.

Fungal disease represents one of the greatest threats to tree industries and forests in the United States. They’re carried by invasive wood borers from overseas. A pre-invasion risk assessment tested 111 fungi samples extracted from 55 Eurasian beetles…

Ferromagnetic materials have a self-generating magnetic field, ferroelectric materials generate their own electrical field. Although electric and magnetic fields are related, physics tells us that they are very different classes of material. Now the di…

Scientists have identified a molecule released from the gut after a protein-rich meal that switches the focus of fruit flies from eating to courtship. The discovery of Dh31, a type of chemical messenger, opens the door to unexplored areas of gut-to-bra…

Sea pineapples are a delicacy in Japan and the Tohoku region is renowned for its extensive sea pineapple industry. Soon they might not only be fueling our appetites, but helping power our future too. A research group demonstrated that the carbonization…

A new study shows that people with migraine or frequent tension headaches have a reduced work ability in particularly three areas. The researchers hope that the new knowledge may help workplaces become better at accommodating those suffering from heada…

Researchers have discovered that metabolic changes affect how blood cells are formed during embryonic development. They found a previously unknown metabolic switch with a key role in how different types of blood cells develop. This means blood cell for…

An in-hospital stroke is a stroke that occurs during a hospitalization for another diagnosis. In-hospital stroke affects roughly 35,000-75,000 hospitalized people annually in the United States and occurs most often among patients who have undergone a r…

An international team has launched CellRepo, a species and strain database that uses cell barcodes to monitor and track engineered organisms. The database keeps track and organizes the digital data produced during cell engineering. It also molecularly …

Prime editing is an improved variant of the CRISPR/Cas system that can introduce alterations in DNA with exquisite precision. But the method is complex and inefficient. A research group has now been able to show that the DNA mismatch repair process pla…

Droughts occurring at the same time across different regions of the planet could place an unprecedented strain on the global agricultural system and threaten the water security of millions of people, according to a new study.

Feeling lightheaded upon standing up due to initial orthostatic hypotension (IOH), or a transient decrease in blood pressure and increase in heart rate, is a common but poorly understood condition. A new study offers two simple cost- and drug-free tech…

The Breakthrough Agenda agreed at COP26 could help trigger positive tipping points to tackle the climate crisis, researchers say.

An international team of researchers confirm that a specimen previously considered a radiodont is in fact an opabiniid. The new study used novel and robust phylogenetic methods to confirm Utaurora comosa as only the second opabiniid ever discovered and…

A long-term study in the Southern Ocean reveals a clear correlation between warming waters, decreased sea ice, and reduced abundance of Antarctic silverfish. These small, abundant fish are important prey for penguins, seals, and other regional marine l…

Researchers have found a new relationship between counting ability of Tsimane’ individuals and their ability to perform matching tasks that involve numbers up to about 25. The results suggest that in order to think about exact numbers, people need to h…

Sequencing more than 170,000 single cells from animal models have provided exceptionally detailed insight into the early immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in the lungs. The findings will help inform future treatment options for the current pandemic and fut…