Bottlenose dolphins smile at each other when they play—new study reveals how and why
Dolphins have an irresistible charm for people. They are extremely playful at all ages and often play alone, surfing the waves, leaping into the air, performing flips and striking the water with their tail flukes. ⌘ Read more

Lab work digs into gullies seen on giant asteroid Vesta by NASA’s Dawn
Pocked with craters, the surfaces of many celestial bodies in our solar system provide clear evidence of a 4.6-billion-year battering by meteoroids and other space debris. But on some worlds, including the giant asteroid Vesta that NASA’s Dawn mission explored, the surfaces also contain deep channels, or gullies, whose origins are not fully understood. ⌘ Read more

‘Living’ ceramics utilize bacteria for gas sensing and carbon capture
A team of materials scientists and chemists at ETH Zürich has developed a way to make “living” ceramics that can detect small amounts of formaldehyde and capture carbon dioxide from the air. In their project, reported in the journal Advanced Materials, the group developed a multi-step process that allows bacteria to grow in a ceramic material. ⌘ Read more

Latest gravitational wave observations conflict with expectations from stellar models
Almost 300 binary mergers have been detected so far, indicated by their passing gravitational waves. These measurements from the world’s gravitational wave observatories put constraints on the masses and spins of the merging objects such as black holes and neutron stars, and in turn this information is being used to better understand the evolution of massive stars. ⌘ Read more

Simulations of hominin Lucy help show how long distance running evolved in modern humans
A team of natural scientists, musculoskeletal specialists, and evolutionary biologists affiliated with several institutions in the U.K., working with a colleague from the Netherlands, has found via simulations, that the famous early hominin Lucy, could run upright, but not nearly as quickly as modern humans. ⌘ Read more

LA Zoo hatches first-ever perentie lizards, one of largest lizard species in the world
Two new baby lizards have hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo, the first of their species to be bred there, zoo officials said Thursday. ⌘ Read more

Plasma heating efficiency in fusion devices boosted by metal screens
Heating plasma to the ultra-high temperatures needed for fusion reactions requires more than turning the dial on a thermostat. Scientists consider multiple methods, one of which involves injecting electromagnetic waves into the plasma, the same process that heats food in microwave ovens. But when they produce one type of heating wave, they can sometimes simultaneously create another type of wave that does not heat the plasma … ⌘ Read more

Study reveals how transcription factors navigate DNA architecture to shape cellular identity
A new study led by Prof. Yosef Buganim from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Dr. Abdenour Soufi from the University of Edinburgh reveals how transcription factors (TFs)—key proteins that regulate gene activity—navigate DNA and chromatin structures to determine cellular identity. This discovery provides new insights into how cells establish their roles and opens pathways for advancements in … ⌘ Read more

Storm fears overshadow India coast decades after tsunami
The deadly tsunami that swamped India’s southern coast two decades ago was a one-off disaster, but storms that are growing ever more intense spark panic each time howling gales whip up waves. ⌘ Read more

Uncovering a centaur’s tracks: Scientists examine unique asteroid-comet hybrid
Although our solar system is billions of years old, we’ve only recently become better acquainted with one of its more dynamic and captivating inhabitants known as (2060) Chiron. ⌘ Read more

Shrimp that can ‘punch’ through aquarium glass found in New Zealand bay, officials say
Government officials in New Zealand are investigating how an aggressive species known as “the thumb splitter” ended up in the country’s northern coastal waters. ⌘ Read more

SpaceX completes 3 rocket launches, 1 Dragon landing in 22 hours
In a span of less than 22 hours, SpaceX managed three Falcon 9 rocket launches and one landing of a Dragon spacecraft. ⌘ Read more

Tackling climate change could harm nature and water crises, many experts warn
Tackling climate change in isolation could cause damaging trade-offs and unintended consequences to nature and other planetary crises, an international body of experts has warned. ⌘ Read more

Study uncovers high extinction risk for many Amazonian tree species
Among tree species in the Ecuadorian Amazon, investigators at the Universidad de las Américas, in Ecuador, found that 14% are critically endangered and 47% are endangered. The study in Plants, People, Planet indicates that trees with smaller fruits face the greatest threats due to declines of specific animal species that disperse them. ⌘ Read more

Ocean microbe’s unusual pair of enzymes may boost carbon storage
Stanford researchers have found a surprising genetic twist in a lineage of microbes that may play an important role in ocean carbon storage. The microbes, known as blue-green algae or cyanobacteria, have two different forms of a ubiquitous enzyme that rarely appear together in the same organism. ⌘ Read more

Household slavery: ‘An overlooked method of enslaving people’
When discussing enslavement, attention often focuses on Africans forcibly shipped to South America. Researcher Timo McGregor’s new Veni research sheds light on a lesser-known method, whereby indigenous populations were enslaved through the households of colonizers. ⌘ Read more

Low glycemic index rice seen as promising solution to mitigate Asia’s diabetes crisis
A new paper recently published by scientists explores the potential of low glycemic index (Low GI) rice to combat the growing diabetes epidemic, particularly in Asia. ⌘ Read more

Study claims all observables in nature can be measured with a single constant: The second
A group of Brazilian researchers has presented an innovative proposal to resolve a decades-old debate among theoretical physicists: How many fundamental constants are needed to describe the observable universe? Here, the term “fundamental constants” refers to the basic standards needed to measure everything. ⌘ Read more

Wind alters snow crystals, impacting climate models
Wind tunnel experiments conducted by the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF show how snow crystals change in the wind. The findings could force climate researchers to adjust their models—particularly in the polar regions, where snow transport by strong winds is widespread. ⌘ Read more

Brain cells mature faster in space but stay healthy: ISS study
Microgravity is known to alter the muscles, bones, the immune system and cognition, but little is known about its specific impact on the brain. To discover how brain cells respond to microgravity, Scripps Research scientists, in collaboration with the New York Stem Cell Foundation, sent tiny clumps of stem-cell derived brain cells called “organoids” to the International Space Station (ISS). ⌘ Read more

Cutting-edge satellite tracks lake water levels in Ohio River Basin
The Ohio River Basin stretches from Pennsylvania to Illinois and contains a system of reservoirs, lakes, and rivers that drains an area almost as large as France. Researchers with the SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) mission, a collaboration between NASA and the French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales), now have a new tool for measuring water levels not only in this area, which is home to more than 25 mil … ⌘ Read more

SpaceX aims for 3 rocket launches, 1 Dragon landing in 20 hours
In a span of about 20 hours, SpaceX could manage three rocket launches and one landing of a Dragon spacecraft. ⌘ Read more

Dogs demonstrate ability to match voices to familiar humans
Researchers at ELTE Department of Ethology, Hungary designed an experiment to investigate whether dogs can recognize their owners based on pre-recorded speech. The results provided the first evidence that dogs are capable of voice-based individual-level recognition of humans. The study is published in Animal Behaviour. ⌘ Read more

The social cost of carbon: Study finds current estimates omit key effects
The social cost of carbon—an important figure that global policymakers use to analyze the benefits of climate and energy policies—is too low, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis. ⌘ Read more

Novel bioluminescent immunosensor shows promise for quantitative point-of-care testing
A novel nanobody-based immunosensor, designed to function stably in undiluted biological fluids and harsh conditions, has been developed, report researchers from Science Tokyo. Their innovative design leverages BRET—bioluminescence resonance energy transfer—and exhibits great potential for point-of-care testing, therapeutic drug monitoring, and environmental applications using paper-based devices. ⌘ Read more

Detecting the gravitational wave memory effect from core-collapse supernovae
Einstein’s theory of gravity, general relativity, has passed all tests with predictions that are spot-on. One prediction that remains is “gravitational wave memory”—the prediction that a passing gravitational wave will permanently change the distance between cosmic objects. ⌘ Read more

Patients whose allergies cause the sniffles have different fungi living in their noses, scientists discover
Nearly a quarter of Portuguese adults have allergies that cause a runny nose. This respiratory disease, formally called allergic rhinitis and frequently associated with asthma, is a common problem around the world, and the upper airway is a key target for research into the underlying disease processes. ⌘ Read more

Unidentified jumping bristletail exhibits extreme specialization in male external genitalia
Researchers at Meijo University and University of Tsukuba collected and taxonomically re-examined numerous enigmatic jumping bristletails. These were first reported 75 years ago. The team observed extreme specialization in the external genitalia of the males and discovered that this species belongs to a unique group, potentially representing a primitive state leading to “copulation” during … ⌘ Read more

Closest relative of ‘magic mushroom’ discovered in Africa
A team of biologists, mycologists and microbiologists in the U.S., South Africa and Zimbabwe reports that a species of mushroom growing in parts of Africa is the closest relative of Psilocybe cubensis, the most widespread hallucinogenic mushroom known to science. ⌘ Read more

Model suggests Earth’s subsurface may hold up to 5.6 × 10⁶ million metric tons of natural hydrogen
A pair of geologists with the U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, has created a model that shows Earth’s subsurface may hold up to 5.6 × 106 million metric tons of natural hydrogen. In their study, published in the journal Science Advances, Geoffrey Ellis and Sarah Gelman added factors to a geological model to produce estimates regarding the likely amount of hydrogen in parts of the Earth. ⌘ Read more

Race against time for rescuers as hundreds feared dead in Mayotte
Rescuers raced against time Monday to reach survivors after a devastating cyclone ripped through the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, destroying homes across the islands, with hundreds feared dead. ⌘ Read more

Completing the ‘timetree’ of primates: A new way to map the evolutionary history of life on Earth
In a new article published in Frontiers in Bioinformatics, biologists Dr. Jack M Craig, Dr. Blair Hedges, and Dr. Sudhir Kumar, all at Temple University, have built an evolutionary tree that encompasses 455 primates, every species for which genetic data are available. The tree, the most complete of its kind, shows the evolutionary timescale of the whole order of primates, including monkeys, ap … ⌘ Read more

Archaeological study uncovers world’s oldest evidence of livestock horn manipulation
Archaeologists Dr. Wim van Neer, Dr. Bea De Cupere, and Dr. Renée Friedman have published a study on the earliest evidence of horn modification in livestock in the Journal of Archaeological Science. ⌘ Read more

Japan’s Space One delays Kairos rocket launch again
A startup aiming to become Japan’s first private firm to put a satellite into orbit postponed a rocket launch for the second day running on Sunday, after its first try ended in a mid-air explosion. ⌘ Read more

World falls short of drought deal at Saudi-hosted talks
Negotiators failed to produce an agreement on how to respond to drought at Saudi-hosted UN talks, participants said on Saturday, falling short of a hoped-for binding protocol addressing the scourge. ⌘ Read more

How to catch the Geminids, one of the strongest meteor showers of the year
The Geminids—among the few major meteor showers to come from asteroids—peak on Friday. It’s one of the year’s last chances to see fireballs in the sky. ⌘ Read more

Huge and rare Mekong catfish spotted in Cambodia, raising conservation hopes
Six critically endangered Mekong giant catfish—one of the largest and rarest freshwater fish in the world—were caught and released recently in Cambodia, reviving hopes for the survival of the species. ⌘ Read more

The secret to living to 110? Bad record-keeping, researcher says
Most of what we know about humans living to very old age is based on faulty data, including the science behind the “blue zones” famous for having a high proportion of people over 100, according to one researcher. ⌘ Read more

Climate resilience over the past 5,000 years: How human communities have adapted throughout history
According to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the global average temperature in 2024 will almost certainly exceed the limit of 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average temperature as set in the Paris Climate Agreement for the first ever time. ⌘ Read more

Looks in hospitality: When appearance matters to employment
First impressions count but hospitality-tourism workplace experts warn that ‘looks’ should not be the main consideration when recruiting for face-to-face consumer jobs. ⌘ Read more

Proteomics method identifies ligand-binding proteins and binding sites in complex systems
In a study published in Nature Methods, a research group developed a highly sensitive proteomics method called peptide-centric local stability assay (PELSA), which enables the simultaneous identification of ligand-binding proteins and their binding sites in complex systems. PELSA is broadly applicable to diverse ligands including metabolites, drugs, and pollutants. ⌘ Read more

The science of shopping: Neuroeconomist explains what happens in the brain when we buy
‘Tis the season for spending for many. An estimated 197 million people shopped from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, according to the National Retailer Federation. On Black Friday alone, consumers spent a record $33.6 billion. ⌘ Read more

Neural mechanisms of aggression reveal how fighting female flies focus on their foes
In most research labs, the scientists are on the same page about why they’re pursuing a research project. But the Rubin Lab at HHMI’s Janelia Research Campus isn’t an ordinary research lab. The lab is examining how aggression affects vision in female fruit flies, but Janelia Senior Group Leader Gerry Rubin doesn’t care too much about the specific answer. Instead, he simply wants to see if the neuroscience r … ⌘ Read more

The origin of genetic code: Study finds textbook version needs revision
Despite awe-inspiring diversity, nearly every lifeform—from bacteria to blue whales—shares the same genetic code. How and when this code came about has been the subject of much scientific controversy. ⌘ Read more

New model find molecular interactions key to creating order in active systems
Non-reciprocal interactions can increase the order in an active system. This is the finding of a study by scientists from the department of Living Matter Physics at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS). ⌘ Read more

Room-temperature superconductivity: Researchers uncover optical secrets of Bi-based superconductors
Copper-oxide (CuO2) superconductors, such as Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Bi2212), have unusually high critical temperatures. Optical reflectivity measurements of Bi2212 have shown that it exhibits strong optical anisotropy. However, this has not been studied through optical transmittance measurements, which can offer more direct insights into bulk properties. ⌘ Read more

Multi-fidelity modeling boosts predictive accuracy of fusion plasma performance
Fusion energy research is being pursued around the world as a means of solving energy problems. Magnetic confinement fusion reactors aim to extract fusion energy by confining extremely hot plasma in strong magnetic fields. ⌘ Read more

When do dogs enter old age? New study provides answers
A new study from the University of Liverpool has pinpointed the average age when dogs are considered by vets to be in “old age,” providing insights that can help owners prepare for their pets’ senior years. ⌘ Read more

How a piece of plastic shut down DNA testing at crime lab
It was technically a successful scientific discovery when analysts at the Hennepin County, Minnesota, forensic science lab recognized there was a contaminant somewhere in its DNA process. That did not lessen the sense of dread. ⌘ Read more

Satellite observations show changing rainfall patterns impact crops and forests
A new NASA-led study has found that how rain falls in a given year is nearly as important to the world’s vegetation as how much. Reporting Dec. 11 in Nature, the researchers showed that even in years with similar rainfall totals, plants fared differently when that water came in fewer, bigger bursts. ⌘ Read more