Science
Scientific discoveries and research
One ancient swimming mammal fossil and two evolutionary surprises, including a third set of teeth
What may have looked like a cross between a platypus and a beaverlike rodent and lived around 120 million years ago? Dongoconodon platycauda, a newly discovered...
A biologist queries whether AI 'borrowed' his work to make major discovery—an expert explains the rules
AI company Anthropic recently announced that its popular system Claude had identified an unusual family of biological molecules. These molecules were enzymes, a...
AI is changing pilgrims' journeys, but sacred journeys have always adapted to new technology
In 2025, two scholars of religion decided to make a multiday pilgrimage along the Kumano Kodō trail—an ancient route in Japan connecting Shinto shrines and Budd...
Plating matters: How sauce placement can make a dish appear healthier
Our experience of eating is shaped by the combined influence of vision, smell, touch and taste. The way food is presented can shape diners' expectations before...
700,000-year-old elephant tooth reveals a lost ecosystem shared by early humans in the Levant
A remarkably preserved elephant tooth previously recovered from Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY-NBA)—a prehistoric site in northern Israel where early humans made sto...
World must seize shrinking window to save nature as wildlife decline continues, warns major report
The world must seize a shrinking window to reverse the steep decline of wildlife and nature by triggering positive tipping points in food and finance, following...
Could grass become the clothes of the future?
Producing textile fibers from wood involves extracting cellulose from a structure that is tougher and more resistant than that of grass. But what if grass offer...
AI skills not enough to level the playing field—study
Training in AI skills improves the chances of women from underrepresented backgrounds being invited to job interviews, but not enough to eliminate the inequalit...
Changes in DNA packaging help immune cells swell and burst
Immune cells are the elite athletes of the human body. While other cells stay in place, immune cells travel throughout our bodies, squeezing through small chann...
More than half of LGBTQ+ adults in Massachusetts faced food insecurity in 2024
More than half of LGBTQ+ adults in Massachusetts experienced food insecurity in 2024, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. Researchers also...
Sperm whale study highlights need for 'extensive and dynamic' conservation
A new study of sperm whales highlights the need for ocean conservation that covers large areas—with boundaries redrawn as our climate changes. The research team...
New electrode design breaks key barrier to greener ammonia production
A new approach to producing ammonia using renewable electricity has overcome a fundamental energy limitation of the technology, opening new possibilities for cl...