For The Better

A new study investigates where toddlers look when they learn new words. It finds that children with larger vocabularies looked quickly towards objects when learning new words. Meanwhile, children who knew fewer words looked back and forth between objec…

Engineers find the hydrogel polyethylene glycol (PEG) doubles its water absorption as temperatures climb from 25 to 50 C, and could be useful for passive cooling or water harvesting in warm climates.

A nanocellulose wound dressing that can reveal early signs of infection without interfering with the healing process has been developed.

Hybrid perovskites are organic-inorganic molecules that have received a lot of attention over the past 10 years for their potential use in renewable energy. Some are comparable in efficiency to silicon for making solar cells, but they are cheaper to ma…

A tiny biobattery that could still work after 100 years has been developed.

Global experts on solar power strongly urge a commitment to the continued growth of photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing and deployment to power the planet, arguing that lowballing projections for PV growth while waiting for a consensus on other energy path…

Researchers are studying radical new ways to improve solar power and provide more options for the industry to explore. Chemists are proposing to make solar cells using not silicon, but an abundantly available natural material called molybdenum disulfid…

Added-sugar warning labels reduced the likelihood that consumers would order items containing high amounts of added sugar in an online experiment.

A new global survey of 1000 forest areas shows how climate change since the peak of the last ice age has had a major impact on the diversity and distribution of tree species we see today. The results can help us predict how ecosystems will react to fut…

A star’s chemical composition strongly influences the ultraviolet radiation it emits into space and thus the conditions for the emergence of life in its neighborhood.

It is known that perceived or real factors in a person’s environment can impact their daily routines. Researchers have now found that ‘place attachment’ — the emotional and functional relationship with one’s surroundings — influences people’s weekly …

Solids can be melted by heating, but in the quantum world it can also be the other way around: An experimental team has shown how a quantum liquid forms supersolid structures by heating. The scientists obtained a first phase diagram for a supersolid at…

In a unique analysis of experimental data, nuclear physicists have made observations of how lambda particles, so-called ‘strange matter,’ are produced by a specific process called semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS). What’s more, these dat…

Information available at birth may help to identify children with higher likelihood of developing ADHD, according to new research.

The diverse swimming techniques of the ancient reptiles that ruled the Mesozoic seas have been revealed.

Seeds and fat balls do more than just fill small birds’ stomachs. New research from Lund University in Sweden shows that feeding during the wintertime causes birds to be healthier, since they do not have to expend as much energy fighting infections.

A viable formula for a carbon-negative, environmentally friendly concrete that is nearly as strong as regular concrete has been developed.  In a proof-of-concept work, the researchers infused regular cement with environmentally friendly biochar, a type…

A recent study shows that different people have similar brain activity when perceiving social situations. Researchers discovered an extensive neural network in the human brain that effectively processes various social information.

Researchers have discovered how long ago the Australian Nullarbor plain dried out, with a new approach shedding light on how ancient climate change altered some of the driest regions of our planet.

Over the past 40 years, the financial losses caused by biological invasions have been equivalent to those caused by various types of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods or storms; however, according to scientists, they are now increasing at …