For The Better

Using a pair of sensors made from carbon nanotubes, researchers discovered signals that help plants respond to stresses such as heat, light, or attack from insects or bacteria. Farmers could use these sensors to monitor threats to their crops, allowing…

Researchers have identified a variant in the gene TBX1 as key in the development of the unique morphology at the base of the skull. TBX1 is present at higher levels in humans than in closely related hominins. Low TBX1 also occurs in certain genetic con…

A new hybrid layered perovskite featuring elusive spontaneous defect ordering has been found, report scientists. By introducing specific concentrations of thiocyanate ions into FAPbI3 (FA = formamidinium), they observed that ordered columnar defects ap…

Scientists have developed a new method using knot theory to find the optimal routes for future space missions without the need to waste fuel.

In some materials, spins form complex magnetic structures within the nanometer and micrometer scale in which the magnetization direction twists and curls along specific directions. Examples of such structures are magnetic bubbles, skyrmions, and magnet…

Researchers who captured footage of dog attacks on endangered mountain tapirs in Colombia are calling for action to protect threatened wildlife.

Adults with congenital heart defects were more likely to experience an abnormal, irregular heartbeat, finds a new study.

A team has constructed an improved mid-infrared microscope, enabling them to see the structures inside living bacteria at the nanometer scale. Mid-infrared microscopy is typically limited by its low resolution, especially when compared to other microsc…

Competition between species played a major role in the rise and fall of hominins — and produced a ‘bizarre’ evolutionary pattern for the Homo lineage — according to a new study that revises the start and end dates for many of our early ancestors.

Researchers have used artificial intelligence techniques to massively accelerate the search for Parkinson’s disease treatments. The researchers designed and used an AI-based strategy to identify compounds that block the clumping, or aggregation, of alp…

While the electronic tongue bears little physical resemblance to its namesake, the strand-like sensory probes of the ‘e-tongue’ still outperformed human senses when detecting contaminated wine in a recent study. In a recent experiment, the e-tongue ide…

During the unusually dry year of 2018, Sweden was hit by numerous forest fires. A research team has investigated how climate change affects recently burnt boreal forests and their ability to absorb carbon dioxide.

The Warm Arctic-Cold Continent (WACC) phenomenon is the puzzling combination of Arctic warming and extreme coldness in specific mid-latitude regions. However, the progression of WACC events remains unclear amidst global warming. Scientists have now pre…

Chattering squirrels, charming coypus, and tail-slapping beavers — along with some other rodents — have orange-brown front teeth. Researchers have produced high-resolution images of rodent incisors, providing an atomic-level view of the teeth’s ingen…

Copper is a natural antimicrobial material that, when added to pig feed, may promote the growth and health of the animals. Since pigs can tolerate high levels of the metal, researchers recently investigated whether copper might be used to promote their…

Researchers have developed a powerful, new technique to generate ‘movies’ of changing protein structures and speeds of up to 50 frames per second.

A mice study suggests a father’s diet may shape the anxiety of his sons and the metabolic health of his daughters before they are even conceived.

More than five million central lines are placed in patients who need prolonged drug delivery, such as those undergoing cancer treatments, in the United States every year, yet the common procedure can lead to a bevy of complications in almost a million …

Engineers have developed a record-setting nanomaterial which when stretched in one direction, expands perpendicular to the applied force.

To make weeding easier, scientists suggest bioengineering crops to be colorful or to have differently shaped leaves so that they can be more easily distinguished from their wild and weedy counterparts. This could involve altering the crops’ genomes so …