Science
Scientific discoveries and research
Q&A: Gas fermentation could be game changer for the circular economy
Central goals of the circular economy include closing material cycles, reducing waste, and permanently keeping raw materials in the economic system. Achieving t...
New microscopy technique lets scientists see cells in unprecedented detail and color
Scientists have developed a new imaging technique that uses a novel contrast mechanism in bioimaging to merge the strengths of two powerful microscopy methods,...
How your body senses cold—and why menthol feels cool
When you step outside on a winter morning or pop a mint into your mouth, a tiny molecular sensor in your body springs into action, alerting your brain to the se...
Sometimes less is more: Messier nanoparticles may actually deliver drugs more effectively than tightly packed ones
The tiny fatty capsules that deliver COVID-19 mRNA vaccines into billions of arms may work better when they're a little disorganized. That's the surprising find...
A low-cost microscope to study living cells in zero gravity
As space agencies prepare for human missions to the moon and Mars, scientists need to understand how the absence of gravity affects living cells. Now, a team of...
How tuberculosis bacteria use a 'stealth' mechanism to evade the immune system
Scientists have uncovered an elegant biophysical trick that tuberculosis-causing bacteria use to survive inside human cells, a discovery that could lead to new...
A hidden reason inner ear cells die—and what it means for preventing hearing loss
Proteins long known to be essential for hearing have been hiding a talent: they also act as gatekeepers that shuffle fatty molecules across cell membranes. When...
How travel and dating apps are changing relationship rules for queer men
Travel and dating apps like Grindr are reshaping how some queer men in relationships negotiate sex and intimacy—often through careful discussion and agreed boun...
Minnesota is falling short on its climate goals, new state data shows
Minnesota is struggling to achieve its climate goals despite decades of falling greenhouse gas emissions, newly released state data shows. State law requires Mi...
Pushing the right buttons: Fern guides its embryo's sense of up and down
Passing on fundamental life lessons from parent to offspring is not unique to humans and animals. Ferns do it too. Not with words, but through pressure. By appl...
In Tampa, storm-weary residents detail the costs of extreme weather
An Ybor business owner closed her yoga studio repeatedly from worries over moldy, waterlogged walls. A Pinellas woman's home flooded in one hurricane, and a tre...
Linguist explains how AI makes fake news more credible
Fake news generated by AI is often perceived as more credible than texts written by humans. That worries linguist Silje Susanne Alvestad. In 2017, "fake news" w...