For The Better

Researchers have studied the relationships between five closely related species of larks that occur in Africa south of the Sahara. Two of these have not been observed for decades, so the researchers analyzed DNA from museum specimens, some of which wer…

Conventional wisdom suggests that searching online to evaluate the veracity of misinformation would reduce belief in it. But a new study by a team of researchers shows the opposite occurs: Searching to evaluate the truthfulness of false news articles a…

Insect decline is being driven by losses among the locally more common species, according to a new study. The meta-analysis of 923 locations around the world notes two significant trends: 1) the species with the most individuals (the highest abundance)…

Using artificial intelligence, researchers discovered a class of compounds that can kill methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a drug-resistant bacterium that causes more than 10,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.

A research team has uncovered a previously undetected mechanism in mice — starring the genetic molecule RNA — that could explain how each sensory cell, or neuron, in mammalian noses becomes tailored to detect a specific odor chemical.

Researchers develop transistor that simultaneously processes and stores information like the human brain. Transistor goes beyond categorization tasks to perform associative learning. Transistor identified similar patterns, even when given imperfect inp…

Vaccine development aims at protecting as many people as possible from infections. Short protein fragments of pathogens, so-called epitopes, are seen as a promising new approach for vaccine development. In a new study, scientists present a method for i…

A subset of neurons related to memory and neuroplasticity continue to migrate into the brain through toddlerhood.

An artificial intelligence-driven system has autonomously learned about certain Nobel Prize-winning chemical reactions and designed a successful laboratory procedure to make them. The AI did so in just a few minutes and correctly on its first attempt. …

The intricate process of duplicating genetic information, referred to as DNA replication, lies at the heart of the transmission of life from one cell to another and from one organism to the next. This happens by not just simply copying the genetic info…

Researchers discover a new mechanism controlling the uptake of lipids from digested food.

Research reveals a steady increase in the number of people at risk from tropical cyclones and the number of days per year these potentially catastrophic storms threaten health and livelihoods. The findings could help relief agencies, development banks,…

A new review surveys a broadening landscape of studies showing what’s known, and what remains to be found, about the therapeutic potential of non-invasive sensory, electrical or magnetic stimulation of gamma brain rhythms.

Focusing on the Lake Titicaca Basin in the Andes mountains, anthropologists found through analysis of 1,179 projectile points that the rise of archery technology dates to around 5,000 years ago. Previous research held that archery in the Andes emerged …

Scientists outline the first direct evidence linking seemingly random weather systems in the ocean with climate on a global scale. The team’s work creates a promising framework for better understanding the climate system.

Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) patients lose body weight and muscle mass, despite being on a high-calorie diet while in the intensive care unit. Their muscle wasting is substantial and extends beyond what can explained by inactivity or denervation (los…

Signs of injury to the brain’s white matter called white matter hyperintensities, as seen on brain scans, may be tied more strongly to vascular risk factors, brain shrinkage, and other markers of dementia in former tackle football players than in those…

Researchers have engineered bacteria that can produce two chemical products at the same time from underutilized plant fiber. And unlike humans, these multitasking microbes can do both things equally well. The discovery could help make biofuels more sus…

Scientists have discovered that flowering plants growing in farmland are increasingly doing without insect pollinators. As reproduction becomes more difficult for them in an environment depleted in pollinating insects, the plants are evolving towards s…

A newly developed, highly conductive copper wire could find applications in the electric grid, as well as in homes and businesses. The finding defies what’s been thought about how metals conduct electricity.