Science
Scientific discoveries and research
X-ray snapshots reveal how viral shells change shape as they dry out
When viruses travel through the air in tiny droplets, they can quickly start to dry out. Yet many viruses remain infectious after rehydration—something that is...
Free love in communes? Not quite, says researcher
The myth of the sexually liberated life of communes is persistent, even though research shows a different reality. According to postdoctoral researcher Anna Hei...
What happens when environmental change outpaces life's ability to adapt?
When an animal's environment changes faster than the animal can adapt, its chances of survival can flatline. The same is true for populations and even entire sp...
A nanotrap for HIV: Liposomes repurposed to trigger immune response
Medical advancements over the last several decades have made great strides in the treatment of HIV. Pharmaceutical treatments are able to contain and reduce a p...
Room-temperature laser hits record stability with 68-cm optical cavity
Scientists at NPL have demonstrated the best-reported laser frequency stability achieved with an optical reference cavity operating at room temperature, marking...
Out of darkness, blind Mexican cavefish illuminate brain evolution
Deep within the dark caves of northeastern Mexico lives a fish that has spent hundreds of thousands of years adapting to a world without light. The blind Mexica...
Businesses often row back on ethics when times get tough. Here's how technology can keep them on track
Five carmakers are involved in a case at the High Court in London over claims that they cheated on emissions tests. A decade ago, the "dieselgate" scandal broke...
Organic carbon detected in Bright Angel rock formation on Mars
In September 2025, NASA announced that its Perseverance rover had discovered a potential biosignature, which is a substance or structure that might have a biolo...
Plasma approach keeps catalysts working for longer in hydrogen production
Scientists from the University of Manchester have shown how a plasma-based approach, using nonthermal plasma—an electrically energized gas often described as th...
Synthetic DNA toolkit expands scientists' ability to recognize genetic targets
A new method for recognizing and targeting DNA that dramatically expands the range of genetic sequences scientists can identify has been developed by experts at...
Environmental DNA reveals impact of climate and humans on global river fish biodiversity
A global analysis of fish biodiversity using environmental DNA (eDNA) reveals how human activity and climate influence biodiversity patterns in river ecosystems...
Pseudomonads boost crop growth in salty soils across multiple plants, could protect against rising sea levels
Researchers at the University of East Anglia have helped uncover a hidden ally in the fight against one of agriculture's greatest threats—salty soil. Led by Chi...