Science & Technology

Ponderosa pine forests in the Sierra Nevada that were wiped out by western pine beetles during the 2012-2015 megadrought won’t recover to pre-drought densities, reducing an important storehouse for atmospheric carbon.

Eating lots of fats increases the risk of metabolic disorders, but the mechanisms behind the problem have not been well understood. Now, biologists have made a key finding about how to ward off harmful effects caused by a high-fat diet.

Placing levies on the profits made in the renewable energy industry could hinder the UK’s ability to meet its 2050 net zero carbon reduction targets, an expert has said.

Whether you’re afraid of dogs, needles or enclosed spaces, one of the most effective interventions for this type of anxiety disorder is exposure therapy in which you confront your fear in a safe environment. A new study finds that exposure therapy is a…

A new study provides a complete design overhaul for IMCs by creating a broadly applicable strategy that solves key challenges in the design of ear tubes and other ‘implantable medical conduits.’ The approach enables IMCs with predictable and effective …

It’s the spines. New research shows that the spiny pollen from plants in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) both reduces infection of a common bee parasite by 81 — 94% and markedly increases the production of queen bumble bees. The research provides mu…

The early universe was a rambunctious place where galaxies often bumped into each other and even merged together. Using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and other space and ground-based observatories, astronomers investigating these developments have made…

About 12% of the total global energy demand comes from heating and cooling homes and businesses. A new study suggests that using underground water to maintain comfortable temperatures could reduce consumption of natural gas and electricity in this sect…

Scientists have found that human ribosomes decode mRNA slower than bacteria, with implications for drug development.

Solid-state Lithium-Sulfur batteries offer the potential for much higher energy densities and increased safety, compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries. However, the performance of solid-state batteries is currently lacking, with slow charging a…

Natural disasters can devastate a region, abruptly killing the species that form an ecosystem’s structure. But how this transpires can influence recovery. While fires scorch the landscape to the ground, a heatwave leaves an army of wooden staves in its…

Researchers are studying the genes of superbugs to aid the development of new and effective treatments for drug-resistant bacterial infections. Superbugs are characterized as infection-causing bacteria resistant to treatment with antibiotics.

Feeling like we have a degree of control makes us tolerate pain better. In the case of fibromyalgia, however, this simply doesn’t work. A study provides clues as to why.

Chemotherapy treatments produce strong side effects. A new agent that accumulates in the tumour tissue and is activated there by ultrasound waves does not have this problem.

Unlocking the secrets of magnetic materials requires the right illumination. Magnetic x-ray circular dichroism makes it possible to decode magnetic order in nanostructures and to assign it to different layers or chemical elements. Researchers have succ…