For The Better

Hundreds of millions of light-years away in a distant galaxy, a star orbiting a supermassive black hole is being violently ripped apart under the black hole’s immense gravitational pull. As the star is shredded, its remnants are transformed into a stre…

Participation in environmental education programs can motivate children across diverse language groups to act responsibly toward the environment, a recent study suggests.

Scientists have successfully demonstrated that autonomous methods can discover new materials. The artificial intelligence (AI)-driven technique led to the discovery of three new nanostructures, including a first-of-its-kind nanoscale ‘ladder.’

Targeting iron metabolism in immune system cells may offer a new approach for treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) — the most common form of the chronic autoimmune disease lupus. A multidisciplinary team of investigators has discovered that blo…

Seemingly spontaneously coordinated swarm behavior exhibited by large groups of animals is a fascinating and striking collective phenomenon. Experiments conducted on laser-controlled synthetic microswimmers now show that supposed swarm intelligence can…

When people are in a negative mood, they may be quicker to spot inconsistencies in things they read, a new study suggests.

When genes are activated and expressed, they show patterns in cells that are similar in type and function across tissues and organs. Discovering these patterns improves our understanding of cells — which has implications for unveiling disease mechanis…

Flow batteries offer a solution. Electrolytes flow through electrochemical cells from storage tanks in this rechargeable battery. The existing flow battery technologies cost more than $200/kilowatt hour and are too expensive for practical application, …

A new study has found that chemicals that accumulate in the vagina, potentially originating from personal care products, may contribute to preterm birth.

Using artificial intelligence, engineers have simplified and reinforced models that accurately calculate the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) — the soot, dust and exhaust emitted by trucks and cars that get into human lungs — contained in urban air po…

Disturbances to Earth’s magnetic field can lead birds astray — a phenomenon scientists call ‘vagrancy’ — even in perfect weather, and especially during fall migration. While other factors such as weather likely play bigger roles in causing vagrancy, …

Understanding how dust grains form in interstellar gas could offer significant insights to astronomers and help materials scientists develop useful nanoparticles.

Chemists have found a simple way to produce previously inaccessible chiral Z-alkenes, molecules that offer a significant synthetic short-cut for the production of bioactive molecules. Instead of eight to ten synthetic steps to produce these molecules, …

Scientists have used paleogenomics to trace 10,000 years of human immune system evolution. They analyzed the genomes of more than 2,800 individuals who lived in Europe over the past ten millennia. They were able to date the increase in frequency of mos…

This laboratory protocol gives researchers a road map to understand the complex traffic system between the gut and the brain and its effects both in health and disease.’