Science
Scientific discoveries and research
Researchers combine five metals to build a better nanocrystal
A nanocrystal is an extraordinarily tiny piece of material—composed of anywhere from a few to a few thousand atoms—in which atoms are arranged in a precise, ord...
Every dollar spent on forest fuel treatments saves $3.75 in wildfire damages, study finds
Every dollar spent on forest fuel treatments saves about $3.75 in wildfire damages, according to a new study, led by researchers at the University of California...
Myanmar's devastating quake could reshape how California and other fault zones gauge future risk
A devastating earthquake in Myanmar is giving scientists new insight into how major quakes start, spread, and grow. The findings could improve risk estimates fo...
Trafficked pangolin DNA reveals hotspots of illegal wildlife trade
Small samples of DNA can reveal hotspots and trade routes in the illegal wildlife trade, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology...
Why plant extinctions may rise by 2100 even if species keep shifting ranges
No matter how fast a species under threat can move, escape can only be successful if the new destination can meet its needs. An ecological modeling study from t...
Thawing Arctic soil awakens only half of soil microbes, new study reveals
As the Arctic warms at an unprecedented rate, frozen soils that have remained locked in ice for most of the year are now thawing for longer periods. Yet new res...
Scientists unlock fungi's secret chemistry, offering a greener path to crop protection
Pesky pests can wreak havoc on plants by chewing leaves, boring into stems, and sucking sap from trees. Beyond the direct damage, they also spread harmful bacte...
LED light unlocks 3D optical fingerprints inside materials without lasers
Researchers have developed, for the first time in the world, incoherent dielectric tensor tomography (iDTT), a technology that can read complex three-dimensiona...
How cells 'back up' DNA replication to survive severe damage
Every time a cell divides, it must copy its DNA with extraordinary precision. But this process is constantly challenged by DNA damage. Among the most dangerous...
How evolution sculpts the facial shapes of birds and mammals
Shapes of beaks and snouts come in an extraordinary range of forms, reflecting adaptations to different lifestyles and environments. Yet beneath this diversity...
Mobile qubits on a chip move us a step closer to everyday quantum computers
For years, quantum computers have lived under a huge bubble of hype, promising to revolutionize numerous fields, from medicine and battery design to materials s...
Photonics advance could enable compact, high-performance lidar sensors
Lidar systems use pulses of infrared light to measure distance and map a 3D scene with high resolution, allowing autonomous vehicles to rapidly react to obstacl...