Science & Technology
Analysis suggests 2021 Texas abortion ban resulted in increase in infant deaths in state in year after law went into effect
Researchers use statistical modeling to estimate infant deaths expected if one of the country’s most stringent state abortion laws had not been enacted. The study estimates that infant deaths in Texas increased more than expected in the year following …
A heart of stone: Study defines the process of and defenses against cardiac valve calcification
The human body has sophisticated defenses against the deposition of calcium minerals that stiffen heart tissues, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and collaborators at UCLA Health and the University of Texas at Austin found in …
Materials research revolutionized by a small change
Scientists develop the next generation of highly efficient memory materials with atom-level control.
Synthetic fuels and chemicals from CO2: Ten experiments in parallel
Why do just one experiment at a time when you can do ten? Researchers have developed an automated system, which allows them to research catalysts, electrodes, and reaction conditions for CO2 electrolysis up to ten times faster. The system is complement…
Light-controlled artificial maple seeds could monitor the environment even in hard-to-reach locations
Researchers have developed a tiny robot replicating the aerial dance of falling maple seeds. In the future, this robot could be used for real-time environmental monitoring or delivery of small samples even in inaccessible terrain such as deserts, mount…
Projected loss of brown macroalgae and seagrasses with global environmental change
Researchers predict that climate change will drive a substantial redistribution of brown seaweeds and seagrasses at the global scale. The projected changes are alarming due to the fundamental role seaweeds and seagrasses in coastal ecosystems and provi…
The density difference of sub-Neptunes finally deciphered
The majority of stars in our galaxy are home to planets. The most abundant are the sub-Neptunes, planets between the size of Earth and Neptune. Calculating their density poses a problem for scientists: depending on the method used to measure their mass…
No more stressing out over structural formulas
Structural formulas are a source of dread for many students, but they’re an essential tool in biology lessons. A study has now shown that the stress levels of students working with chemical formulas are significantly reduced if they are given simple ti…