Science
Scientific discoveries and research
New model measures economic risks solar storms pose to US power grid
In 1967, a solar storm nearly triggered World War III by jamming early-warning radar systems in the United States, causing U.S. leaders to think the Soviet Unio...
How 'hyperselection' is making modern life efficient, pleasant—and boring
It's difficult to imagine a song like Queen's 1975 "Bohemian Rhapsody" topping the charts today. Almost six minutes long, it moves through several radically dif...
Two-color X-ray pulses capture the same nanoparticle at two moments in time
One big dream of ultrafast science has been to watch changes in nanoparticles or biomolecules on their natural timescale. Experimentally, this can be realized b...
Reconstructed ancient protein maps how bacterial enzymes evolved distinct functions
How do related proteins develop different functions? This is the question investigated by a research team involving Kiel University, DESY and the Center for Str...
New digital tool shows exactly where California's water goes—and how climate change might disrupt it
Water has always been one of California's most contested resources. For more than a century, battles have raged over how much of the state's water should be div...
What happens when you flush? Study reveals how toilet aerosols reach the breathing zone
Researchers from Flinders University have found that flushing toilets can release aerosols and bioaerosols into the surrounding air, with some studies detecting...
Genomic analysis clarifies origin of unusual tail in endangered Tsushima leopard cat
Tsushima leopard cats are an endangered species found only on this isolated island. The most recent government survey estimated the population at around 150 ind...
Isle of Jura research casts new light on how rivers carve through landscapes
The waters of the remote Scottish island of Jura have long been famous for making whiskey. Now, the island's rivers have helped geologists learn more about how...
Rare pulsar unleashes 114 giant pulses in a single hour
Astronomers have detected extreme, never-before-seen behavior from a rare kind of pulsar and stumbled on a surprising link to one of astronomy's biggest current...
Dog parks are an antidote to the isolation and divisions that social media can fuel
The case against social media has become so well rehearsed that most people can easily merge it into ordinary conversation: It makes people lonely. It sorts the...
Decades-old museum specimens reveal 10 extraordinary new worms
Scientists have discovered that one of the most unusual creatures in the animal kingdom is far more diverse and evolutionarily complex than previously known. An...
Do black holes have hidden hair? Scientists find a new way to check
When two black holes crash together and merge, the newly formed black hole rings like a bell, sending out gravitational waves with specific frequencies that fad...