Science
Scientific discoveries and research
Cleaner hulls, safer seas? How eDNA checks could spot invasive species early
Antarctic scientists have trialed a DNA "barcoding" technique that could improve biosecurity measures that help protect polar ecosystems from invasive marine sp...
What banana-scented kombu means for probiotic foods and seaweed-based drinks
Kombu (Saccharina japonica) is a brown seaweed extensively cultivated and consumed in Japan, Korea and China. Despite its nutritional value, its strong fishy an...
Quantum algorithm beats classical tools on complement sampling tasks
Quantum computers—devices that process information using quantum mechanical effects—have long been expected to outperform classical systems on certain tasks. Ov...
Shining a light on the secret life of carbon dioxide in cells
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) connects us to the natural world: What we breathe out becomes fuel for forests. But inside our own bodies, CO₂ has a secret life. It sparks...
Germany's coastal regions brace for change, fearing rising sea levels
Standing on the coast and looking out to sea, you cannot detect the changes with the naked eye. But in northern Germany, sea levels are rising, as is the risk o...
Study uncovers how schools circumvent suspension bans
New research emerging from SFUSD's Shoestrings program reveals informal exclusionary discipline is a widespread problem—but there are solutions. When San Franci...
Artificial rivers and lakes can help keep freshwater mussel populations afloat
Researchers at Murdoch University have found that artificial waterbodies could play a crucial role in slowing the decline of Carter's freshwater mussel (Westral...
New evidence shows indoor plants can quietly reshape the health and quality of our homes and workplaces
Houseplants and more advanced plant systems, such as indoor living walls and hydroponic towers, have the potential to raise indoor humidity, boost thermal comfo...
Earth's mantle may have been cooler than thought before Pangea's breakup
When the supercontinent Pangea began to fragment around 200 million years ago during the Early Jurassic, it reshaped the face of the planet. Vast new oceans ope...
Breadcrumbs offer fossil fuel–free production of everyday goods
The humble breadcrumb could hold the key to cutting out fossil fuels from one of the chemical industry's most widely used reactions, according to a new study. S...
Peatland lakes in Congo Basin release carbon that is thousands of years old
Researchers at ETH Zurich have now discovered for the first time that large blackwater lakes in the extensive peatlands of the central Congo Basin are releasing...
Globe-trotting ancient 'sea-salamander' fossils rediscovered from Australia's dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs
Around 250 million years ago, what is today scorching desert in remote northwestern Australia was the shore of a shallow bay bordering a vast prehistoric ocean....