Science
Scientific discoveries and research
Pond-dwelling microalga exposes a parallel track for RNA processing
Biology textbooks explain that cells follow a universal rule when processing gene transcripts to make proteins. Non-coding snippets of RNA are bracketed by a gu...
Scientists clock a driving factor in the evolution of error correction
All complex biological systems—like the DNA, RNA and proteins constantly being copied and built within our cells—are prone to errors. That means as life evolved...
Lord of the fruit flies: How scientists are defending against a major agricultural pest
When Vasilis Rodovitis rips open his brown paper bag in a sunny persimmon orchard just outside Naousa, in Greece, I half expect groceries to spill out. Instead,...
Scientists create a hexagonal diamond that could be even harder than the real thing
To misquote a famous song, "Diamonds are industry's best friend." Cubic diamond is the hardest mineral on Earth and is used in everything from precision cutting...
Introducing the Interplanetary Habitable Zone
Anyone familiar with the search for alien life will have heard of the "Goldilocks Zone" around a star. This is defined as the orbital band where the temperature...
Binary star population of open cluster NGC 2158 explored with Hubble
Astronomers have analyzed the images collected by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to investigate a galactic open cluster known as NGC 2158. Results of the stud...
Multifractal patterns across deep time: What measurement density reveals about Earth's history
Much of our understanding of Earth's past is derived from stratigraphic records exposed in rock outcrops or recovered from drilled cores. These records span imm...
Newfound terrestrial crocodile fossil redraws the map of Europe in the age of the dinosaurs
A research team led by Dr. Márton Rabi from the Biogeology Department of the University of Tübingen, together with Máté Szegszárdi and Professor Attila Ősi from...
Drug-related homicides increased in Mexico after NAFTA, study finds
The opening of trade borders under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994 was accompanied by a significant increase in drug-related violence in...
Freshwater fish are more resilient to rising temperatures than marine fish, ecologists find
Fish that live in rivers, ditches, and streams are better able to withstand warming water than fish in the sea. This is the conclusion of research by ecologist...
Researchers find harmful algae species wasn't new to South Australian waters
The coastline of South Australia has been affected for nearly a year by an unprecedented harmful algal bloom which has led to the deaths of millions of fish and...
How Japanese red elder plants save two lives with one fruit drop
Japanese red elder plants safeguard their own survival when they drop fruits infested by Heterhelus beetle larvae, as well as the survival of these larvae. A Ko...