For The Better

Plant biologists report that a species of tree fern found only in Panama reanimates its own dead leaf fronds, converting them into root structures that feed the mother plant. The fern, Cyathea rojasiana, reconfigures these ‘zombie leaves,’ reversing th…

A new study, which centers on evidence from skulls of a 6-million-year-old fossil ape, Lufengpithecus, offers important clues about the origins of bipedal locomotion courtesy of a novel method: analyzing its bony inner ear region using three-dimensiona…

Five cases of Alzheimer’s disease are believed to have arisen as a result of medical treatments decades earlier, reports a team researchers.

Researchers have revealed that hydroxyurea significantly reduces infections in children with sickle cell anemia. Their findings enhance strong evidence of hydroxyurea’s effectiveness and could ultimately reduce death in children in Africa, the continen…

A Bay Area wetlands ecosystem that was expected to serve as a carbon sink is emitting surprisingly high levels of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The study suggests factors governing carbon cycles in these habitats are even more complex than we thought.

A new qualitative study highlights the negative interpersonal and psychological consequences associated with ‘yo-yo dieting,’ also known as weight cycling. The work underscores how toxic yo-yo dieting can be and how difficult it can be for people to br…

Scientists have identified 18 new tidal disruption events (TDEs) — extreme instances when a nearby star is tidally drawn into a black hole and ripped to shreds. The detections more than double the number of known TDEs in the nearby universe.

Researchers are developing a new type of sensor that reacts to certain sound waves, causing it to vibrate. The sensor is a metamaterial that acquires its special properties through the structuring of the material. Passive sound-sensitive sensors could …

The first analysis results now confirm that the grave in Tiarp is one of the oldest stone burial chambers in Sweden. The researchers noted that some parts of the people buried in the grave are missing, such as skulls and thigh bones, posing intriguing …

Great whites, the largest predatory sharks in the world with the most fatal attacks on humans, are tough to imagine as newborn babies. That is partially because no one has seen one in the wild, it seems, until now.

Calcium ions are essential for cells, but can be toxic in higher concentrations. A team of researchers has now designed and prepared a combination drug that kills tumor cells by modulating the calcium influx into the cell. An external calcium source is…

An optometry researcher is warning that the use of low-level red-light therapy as a method to control nearsightedness may cause injury to the retina, especially in children.

Global warming continues to pose a threat to human society and the ecological systems, and carbon dioxide accounts for the largest proportion of the greenhouse gases that dominate climate warming. To combat climate change and move towards the goal of c…

Researchers showed that biofilm formation can be controlled with laser light in the form of optical traps. The findings could allow scientists to harness biofilms for various bioengineering applications.

Engaging in music throughout your life is associated with better brain health in older age, according to a new study. Scientists working on PROTECT, an online study open to people aged 40 and over, reviewed data from more than a thousand adults over th…

Researchers have developed a robotic sensor that incorporates artificial intelligence techniques to read braille at speeds roughly double that of most human readers.

Scientists have employed novel statistical methods to reveal the extent of biodiversity loss in Singapore over the past two centuries. The study paints the most accurate picture to date of the ecological impact of deforestation and urban development in…

Meteorites are fragments of asteroids which find their way to Earth as shooting stars and provide information on the origins of our solar system. A team of researchers has examined the so-called Winchcombe meteorite and demonstrated the existence in it…

Researchers found that when mice were fed a high-fat diet, mitochondria within their fat cells broke apart and were less able to burn fat, leading to weight gain. They also found they could reverse the effect by targeting a single gene, suggesting a ne…