How dormant bacteria come back to life

Bacterial spores can survive for years, even centuries, without nutrients, resisting heat, UV radiation, and antibiotics. How inert, sleeping bacteria — or spores — spring back to life has been a century-long mystery. New research identifies how sens…

Elephant ecosystems in decline

Global space for Asian elephant habitats has been in rapid decline since the 1700s, a new report reveals. More than 3 million square kilometers of the Asian elephant’s historic habitat range has been lost in just three centuries and may underlie presen…

Why people include themselves in photos

A new study may help explain why people choose to include themselves in some photos — and it is not vanity. Researchers found that first-person photos (capturing the scene as it looks from one’s own eyes) best represent the physical experience of an e…

Can jack-of-all-trades AI reshape medicine?

Most medical AI models in use today are trained to perform one or two specific tasks and have limited utility. Next-generation AI — called generalist medical AI — incorporates various types of data to perform a variety of complex tasks in a range of …

Using microbes to get more out of mining waste

Researchers have developed a new mining technique which uses microbes to recover metals and store carbon in the waste produced by mining. Adopting this technique of reusing mining waste, called tailings, could transform the mining industry and create a…

A transistor made of wood

Researchers have developed the first transistor made of wood. Their study paves the way for further development of wood-based electronics and control of electronic plants.