Science
Alpine bacteria show unexpected ability to fight viruses
A silent, long-running competition has been taking place in Swiss alpine lakes for millions of years, killing trillions of organisms every day without anyone noticing. This compet…
Drones, satellites and AI help scientists watch over Antarctica's smallest lifeforms
Monitoring Antarctica's tiny, scattered ecosystems is a challenge that has long plagued researchers. But a new study led by the University of Wollongong (UOW) offers a new approac…
Q&A: The safety and sterilization of pharmaceuticals manufacturing
Manufacturing modern medicines is a multistage process, and each step introduces the opportunity for contamination, which can be both deadly and expensive. Recently, epinephrine i…
Light-activated crystals break down DNA-like molecules in water, potentially curbing antibiotic resistance
Engineers have developed a new approach for turning ordinary water into a weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a study published in the journal Chem Catalysi…
All of a flutter: how butterflies avoid being a predator’s lunch
Their whirring wings and bright patterns help keep them safe from birds, British study findsNaturalists have long wondered how brightly coloured butterflies manage to evade the at…
Butterflies use optical illusions to dodge predators
A bird attacking a butterfly will often find its beak snapping at thin air. According to new research, that split-second miss isn't just bad luck. It's caused by a visual illusion…
Asgard archaea suggest crawling motility may be far older than previously thought
Asgard archaea, our closest known microbial relatives, play a key role in current models of the origin of more complex organisms, known as eukaryotes (all animals, plants, protist…
Physicists identify 'octupolar' magnetism, with implications for quantum technologies
Most magnets have two poles: north and south, or positive and negative, in a familiar arrangement called a "dipole." But researchers are increasingly uncovering more complex forms…
Lost shark becomes viral star in South Korea
A wayward shark has become an unlikely celebrity in South Korea, drawing massive crowds, earning plaudits from the local mayor and even moving the stock market.
As El Niño strengthens across the Pacific, Australian farmers could face fierce frosts
In the highlands of Papua New Guinea, crops have been killed by drought and frost. Severe frosts have destroyed food crops such as taro, sweet potatoes, bananas and sugarcane, lea…
Pigeon fathers take on more responsibility when times get tough
A study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science by researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) shows that when food becomes scarce, male pigeons spend more…
Climate refuges may be key to restoring imperiled amphibians
As a deadly fungal disease ravages wild frog populations around the globe, scientists have identified potential locations in Panama where amphibians might persist despite the dise…
Homeowners in England urged to check flood risk: ‘A third of people don’t realise’
Environment Agency warns residents of 6m properties to prepare for a wet and windy three months aheadMore than two million people in England are unaware their properties are at ri…
Study reveals how tilapia adapt to extreme salt stress
In the world of aquatic life, the Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) is remarkably tolerant of saltwater, surviving in habitats ranging from fresh water to hypersaline p…
Laser-made muons produce first images of dense objects
Muons are constantly being created as cosmic rays collide with molecules in Earth's upper atmosphere. With their ability to penetrate far into dense, solid materials, these cosmic…
Unlocking the cell's supply chain: How cholesterol keeps cellular recycling centers running
Mention cholesterol, and most people will think of clogged arteries or health warnings. But inside the microscopic universe of the human cell, cholesterol has a drastically differ…
The north pole of Mars is less dusty than scientists thought
Although Mars may have once resembled Earth, the rocky red planet now appears far from hospitable. Still, certain details—such as ice-bound water—pique researchers' curiosity. As …
Starship's first orbital flight put its heat shield to the test
SpaceX's Starship, the most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, reached Earth orbit for the first time on Sept. 28, 2026. This mission, the rocket's 14th test flight, also mar…
More cats: The key to happy countries?
National happiness is influenced by complex relationships beyond basic economic factors, according to a study by Javier I. Borráz-León of the Secretariat of Science, Humanities, T…
E. coli survives longer in poultry-amended Georgia onion soils, two-year study finds
New research suggests that poultry litter-based soil amendments and weather conditions, particularly extreme weather events, may influence how long bacteria survive in agricultura…
New simulations connect the first stars to cosmic fingerprints still visible today
Researchers have used some of the most detailed simulations yet of the early universe to investigate how the first stars and galaxies formed. Led by researchers at the University …
UK banks are Europe’s biggest coal financiers, report finds
Study says UK-based banks provided $8.3bn in coal financing in four year, with Barclays and HSBC leading riseUK banks are Europe’s biggest financial backers of the global coal ind…
After 20 years, jet diffusion wakes detected in quark-gluon plasmas
Boats passing over smooth water form a pair of diffusion wakes behind them veering off at a certain angle. Turbulence occurs along the line directly behind the boat, but the two d…
Gene-silencing technology to protect forests from invasive pests
A University of Kentucky forest entomologist is advancing a pest-control approach designed to target destructive forest beetles while minimizing effects on surrounding wildlife.