Science
Scientific discoveries and research
Physics-informed AI improves predictions of how critical minerals move through rock
The key to finding more critical minerals may lie in understanding how fluids and chemicals move through rock. As these fluids travel underground, they can diss...
Record European fires burn over 500,000 hectares during summer
A record-breaking summer that saw more than 1,000 wildfires has torched some 540,000 hectares (1.3 million acres) of land across the European Union since mid-Ju...
Hiking canyons can quickly turn deadly when storms hit—what you should know before going in
Hiking a picturesque valley or climbing a craggy gorge are among the most exhilarating experiences in nature. As a geologist, I have hiked and climbed some of t...
Ultrafast sample spinning improves protein structural data by dizzying proportions
Researchers have been elucidating the structures of complex molecules for more than 100 years using a variety of techniques. Some molecular structures, however,...
Since the 1980s, climate change has increasingly altered European bumblebee habitats
Global biodiversity loss is occurring at a rapid pace, driven by multiple human-caused factors, including overexploitation, pollution, invasive species and clim...
Shoppers buying online while drunk is big business—but who is responsible?
One Sunday morning, Juliet* woke up to a delivery driver with a large package that she had no recollection of ordering. She was quick to dismiss it as an e-comm...
Not a cheetah: Ancient DNA reveals the surprising Arctic life of extinct North American cat
A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has overturned decades of assumptions about Miracinonyx trumani, the extinct predato...
Rescue satellite gets close to NASA's doomed telescope, even if it can't save it
A private spacecraft that was supposed to supply a lifeline to NASA's Swift Observatory managed to get close to the sinking telescope and even snap photos more...
Patent-reading AI could strengthen early warning systems for hazardous chemicals
Patents are far more than legal documents protecting intellectual property. They are a vast source of scientific information about chemicals under development,...
Divergent molecular mechanisms for fungal plant biomass conversion
Fungi are major degraders of plant biomass, including leaves, stems and roots. Investigating the molecular mechanisms that control this process is essential for...
Critically endangered pygmy raccoons observed making their own paper toys
Some of the most intriguing scientific breakthroughs happen when researchers aren't explicitly looking for them. Take, for example, the pygmy raccoon (Procyon p...
An activity-based probe library for identifying protein function
Proteins are vital to living systems. They build and repair tissues, act as enzymes to speed chemical reactions, regulate hormones and transport nutrients—all o...