Science
Scientific discoveries and research
Lavatory shaft reveals the cost of 17th‑century vanity in Germany
Four goose skulls were pulled from a former toilet shaft in Brandenburg, Germany, each of them riddled with strange holes. As it turns out, these holes were the...
Liquid ripples rewrite 130-year-old biological classic: New reflections on the lock-and-key model
This April, when the spring breeze carried the formal acceptance notice of our paper by the Journal of the American Chemical Society to my desk, my thoughts ins...
A new strategy can improve safety in poultry processing
Salmonella is a common source of food poisoning that leads to potentially life-threatening illnesses, widespread food recalls and a consistent challenge for pou...
Natural symbiosis: How plants and microbes share vital nutrients in fragile ecosystems
Nitrogen is essential for all living organisms, but in many ecosystems it is in short supply. Plants and soil microbes both rely on nitrogen to grow, leading to...
Looking at AI startups to predict which jobs AI will affect
A study of funded AI startups provides a glimpse of which jobs may be most affected by AI. As AI tools are embraced by industry after industry, the impacts of t...
Contact lenses can repair themselves with just one hour of UV light exposure
Contact lenses are a great vision correction option for many, but if one of them gets damaged, there is little to do other than throw it away. A team reporting...
Amazon fish reveal a synchronized survival tactic that could transfer to drone swarms
Some fish swim in synchrony. Others, it turns out, breathe in synchrony. This is true for arapaimas, an obligate air-breathing species living in the Amazon. A n...
Study shows the good state of Garraf's fishery resources
A scientific project launched by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) in direct collaboration with fishermen in the region has evaluated the state of fis...
White barn owls may use moonlight to startle prey
White barn owls are effective killing machines. They fly silently through the night air and swoop down on unsuspecting prey with their sharp talons. But they ha...
Australia's echidnas reveal a prickly scientific puzzle
An echidna in Tasmania looks very different from one in Western Australia. But the differences run much deeper than appearance. A new review published in Austra...
Honeybee metamorphosis map uncovers 842 active DNA switches that drive worker bee development
Researchers have identified "DNA switches" that become active as honeybee larvae grow into worker bees, offering new insight into the development of these impor...
How long can plants survive on Earth? New model suggests up to 2 billion more years
Vegetarians need not worry yet—plants will be on Earth for a long time to come. But not forever. The sun will ultimately determine the long-term existence of li...