Science
Cellular 'glue' helps epithelial tissues engulf dead cells while staying sealed
A protein that sticks cells and tissues together has been found to have a surprising second job: helping cells that are packed into a continuous sealed layer, also known as epithe…
Fleeting sugar pairs may help curb abnormal cell-growth signals
Acting as armor, a scaffold and a communication platform in one, our cells' plasma membrane lies at the heart of many crucial cellular processes. Traditionally, it has been though…
Corpus Christi Withholds Water to Wetlands While Lifting Restrictions on Lawns
Environmental regulators in Texas issued an emergency order on Tuesday evening suspending requirements for the drought-stricken city of Corpus Christi to release water from its re…
As Water Pollution Concerns Grow in Iowa, So Do Fertilizer Industry Profits
As farmers balk at skyrocketing fertilizer costs and runoff threatens drinking water sources in Iowa, North American manufacturers are raking in cash. Illinois-based CF Industries…
Light particles reveal critical scaling in a two-dimensional photon gas
A team of researchers from the University of Bonn, Heidelberg University and the National Autonomous University of Mexico has studied the critical behavior of light particles (pho…
Virtual cell model could accelerate protein-degrader therapy design
A team of Weill Cornell Medicine investigators has developed a computer model that will help scientists more efficiently develop protein-destroying therapies, a newer type of trea…
What caused the catastrophic flash flood in Nepal and Tibet – and how does a glacier collapse?
Did a massive glacial collapse in the Himalayas trigger the disaster and is climate change involved?Flash floods that swept through the Nepal-Tibet border region on Wednesday have…
‘Sad moments ahead’: Kew Gardens to fell rare trees in race to save Victorian greenhouse
Horticulturalists begin moving and propagating plants before the rusty and warped Palm House begins renovation – but some are too tall to saveIt will be a gut-wrenching moment for…
Weatherwatch: how to protect our railways in hotter summers
Steel rails warping and signalling equipment failing in metal cabinets are among the problems to be solvedTarmac softens in the summer heat, which may cause problems on the roads,…
Wild swimming linked to higher risk of stomach bugs and skin rashes
Findings from research into illnesses associated with bathing in lakes and rivers come amid boom in hobbyWild swimming has been linked to a higher risk of stomach bugs and skin ra…
APOD: 2026 August 27 – Colorful Aurora over an Icelandic Waterfall
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 27 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmo…
How to spot a psychopath: ‘It’s like the difference between a domestic cat and a wild cat’
People with persistent predatory personalities cause an inordinate amount of pain. Recently, our shared understanding of them has grown – and it could help protect usThe classic c…
The flat-pack skyscraper: how wood can shape the cities of the future
Our buildings are monuments to extraction and extreme emissions. But what if we turned from destructive concrete to timber?Last chance to buy the summer issue of The Long Read mag…
Some Galápagos 'yellow' sea turtles remain homebodies, surprising scientists
Sea turtles are famous for being prodigious wanderers. Guided by Earth's magnetic field, ocean currents and the sun, they tend to crisscross the seas in search of food, returning …
Rare, Widespread Snow in the Atacama Desert
Back-to-back winter storms in August 2026 brought snowfall to northern Chile, from the Andes to near the Pacific coast.
Team identifies an evolutionarily conserved enhancer that regulates tendon and ligament development
A research team has uncovered fundamental molecular mechanisms governing the formation of tendons and ligaments, which are essential for musculoskeletal integration. Understanding…
The crisis in cosmology continues: Critical problems in a recent defense of cosmic acceleration
Doubts about the standard model of cosmology are deepening after a new study identified fundamental problems in a recent analysis that defended the conventional view that the univ…
Virtual reality reveals glassfish synchronize through split-second copying of single neighbors
For centuries, scientists have been fascinated by the remarkable coordinated movements of flocking birds, swarming insects and schooling fish. Researchers have studied these natur…
Reworked tRNAs enable protein design with up to 34 amino acids
Scientists have been hard at work for more than 20 years to instruct biological systems, such as E. coli cells, to produce proteins they don't naturally produce. Success could mea…
How plants use scoop-shaped pores to distribute their pollen efficiently
Bees are the most important pollinators of flowering plants, and approximately 10% of flowering plants are functionally specialized for buzz pollination. Buzz pollination is a mec…
Electrically charged raindrops could be corroding metal with protective coatings
Electrically charged raindrops, a naturally occurring phenomenon, can break down surfaces treated with protective coatings, according to new research published in Nature. This pre…
Ramped fields create more robust entanglement between trapped-ion qubits
While quantum computing could be the future, it is currently plagued by finicky hardware. To make the technology practical, researchers must demonstrate that it consistently and c…
We discovered rare dinosaur tracks from the Coniacian age near Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia
Imagine the Western Plains of North America, from Texas to Alaska, submerged under a broad, shallow seaway. To the west lay the ancestral Rocky Mountains. To the east were low-lyi…
Reference genome of the Saimaa ringed seal released
Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Oulu have produced the first chromosome-level reference genome for the Saimaa ringed seal. The sequence of e…