Science
Scientific discoveries and research
AI struggles to decipher 'animal language' because sound doesn't equal meaning, experts say
In recent years, numerous attempts have been made to use artificial intelligence to decipher the communication of bats, whales, birds and other animals. However...
Time of day may be key in speech therapy for youth
For young people with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), a disorder that affects the brain's ability to plan and coordinate the movements needed for speech, spe...
Iron, sulfur and purple light unlock greener carbon-carbon bond formation
Much of organic chemistry, including the type used to create and alter medicinal drugs, relies on modifying carbon bonds. Rice University's Julian West has been...
Bacterial invasion proteins could improve detection of live crop pathogens
Scientists, clinicians, seed companies and others may soon have a new tool in their toolkit for detecting bacterial pathogens, thanks to a new study by research...
AI can be more comforting than a person—our research shows why
Some of us now use generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) to talk through difficult feelings. We may ask a chatbot to write an email or plan a vacation, bu...
Ultrathin membranes unlock nano-infrared views of biomolecules in water
Very small biological samples and even individual biomolecules can now be examined under near-physiological conditions with high confidence at the BESSY II infr...
Roll waves emerge as uniform water flow destabilizes on steep slopes, equations show
When it rains, traveling waves appear on steep asphalt pavement, slowly making their way down the slope. Because these so-called "roll waves" propagate without...
Spekboom is nutritious, water‑wise and edible—so why aren't more South Africans eating it?
Spekboom (Portulacaria afra) is an easy-to-grow succulent shrub, small tree or hedge. In the wild, it grows naturally as tall as five meters (16 feet) on steep...
How online platforms are misaligned with late-career workers
The wonders of internet technology and the advent of the gig economy have given hope to many highly skilled workers that their reputations, built up over many y...
Fungi neutralize spruce defense mechanisms with sugar
A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology discovered a previously unknown strategy by which certain fungi neutralize spruce defense compo...
Snow, monsoons and oceans shift Earth's center of mass each year, satellite tracking shows
Seasonal changes redistribute enough water around Earth to shift the planet's center of mass back and forth by fractions of an inch relative to its geometric ce...
Lockdown or active shooter drill? The distinction matters for children's safety and well-being
School shooting preparedness drills have been a routine, though uncomfortable, part of the back-to-school experience. Since the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine...