Science
Scientific discoveries and research
Astronomers search for 'exotrojans' hiding in extreme pulsar systems
Greek mythology has given a name to a great many objects in our solar system. But perhaps one of the least well understood are the Trojans, named after the peop...
A 'two-factor authentication' system that controls microRNA destruction
Cells rely on tiny molecules called microRNAs to tune which genes are active and when. Cells must carefully control the lifespan of microRNAs to prevent widespr...
First world map shows impact of the tidal pulse in coastal rivers
Tides not only affect regions along the coast, their periodic fluctuations are carried upstream inland through coastal rivers. River sections particularly affec...
Colliding dust and the sparks of creation: Carbon-coated grains provide new clue to life's early energy
Two microscopic grains collide and produce a tiny spark. This phenomenon may have provided the energy to kick off life on Earth. But if these solid particles ha...
Mystery of quinine biosynthesis solved with newly discovered enzymes
For over 350 years, quinine and other extracts from the cinchona tree (Cinchona spp.) were the only effective medicines against malaria, a tropical fever caused...
Integrative archaeogenetics reveal how Southern Andean communities adopted farming and endured crises
An interdisciplinary study published in Nature reconstructs over 2,000 years of population history in Argentina's Uspallata Valley (UV), a southern frontier of...
Global study finds majority of people worldwide prioritize environmental protection over economic growth
A new study by University of Vermont researchers finds that a majority of people across the globe favor protecting the environment over growing the economy when...
Platypus fur adds another strange feature to an increasingly long list
The combination of a beaver-like body and duck-like bill of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is only the first of a long list of strange features on this...
Dim delights in the Cancer constellation
Cancer the Crab is a dim constellation, yet it contains one of the most beautiful and easy-to-spot star clusters in our sky: the Beehive Cluster. Cancer also po...
Black Sea highstands during the last glacial period reconstructed
An international team led by the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH) has just published a paper in the journal Quaternary Scienc...
New palm tree species discovered in Colombian Amazon
Two researchers at the University of Zurich have discovered and described a new, previously unknown palm species found in the virgin forests of Colombia. In clo...
Using fiber-optic cables to detect moonquakes
Two recent studies suggest that fiber-optic cables laid directly on the moon's surface could potentially detect moonquakes, offering a simpler way to gather sei...