Scientists have long theorized that supermassive black holes can wander through space—but catching them in the act has proven difficult. | Continue reading
Proteins are the key component in all modern forms of life. Hemoglobin, for example, transports the oxygen in our blood; photosynthesis proteins in the leaves of plants convert sunlight into energy; and fungal enzymes help us to brew beer and bake bread. Researchers have long bee … | Continue reading
Colloidal suspensions of microscopic particles show complex and interesting collective behaviors. In particular, the collective dynamics of colloids is fundamental and ubiquitous for materials assembly, robotic motion, microfluidic control, and in several biological scenarios. Th … | Continue reading
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have revolutionized the displays industry. LEDs use electric current to produce visible light without the excess heat found in traditional light bulbs, a glow called electroluminescence. This breakthrough led to the eye-popping, high-definition viewin … | Continue reading
Humans rely on nature extensively for everything from food production to coastal protection, but those contributions might be more threatened than previously thought, according to new findings from the University of Colorado Boulder. | Continue reading
When people think of sea level rise, they usually think of coastal erosion. However, recent computer modeling studies indicate that coastal wastewater infrastructure, which includes sewer lines and cesspools, is likely to flood with groundwater as sea-level rises. | Continue reading
The lights of Philadelphia might not shine as bright in the coming weeks as a coalition in the City of Brotherly Love tries to prevent millions of migrating birds that pass through twice a year from slamming into skyscrapers and crashing to the sidewalk. | Continue reading
Daily science news on research developments, technological breakthroughs and the latest scientific innovations | Continue reading
From 1995-2015, fullerene derivatives had been the dominating electron acceptors in organic solar cells (OSCs) owing to their performance superiority to other acceptors. However, the drawbacks of fullerenes, such as weak visible absorption, limited tunability of electronic proper … | Continue reading
Waste cooking oil, sulfur and wool offcuts have been put to good use by green chemists at Flinders University to produce a sustainable new kind of housing insulation material. | Continue reading
In order to exploit the properties of quantum physics technologically, quantum objects and their interaction must be precisely controlled. In many cases, this is done using light. Researchers at the University of Innsbruck and the Institute of Quantum Optics and Quantum Informati … | Continue reading
France on Friday prepared to simulate an attack by a hostile power on one of its satellites in a war game scenario the government said is less outlandishly futuristic than it may seem. | Continue reading
A team of researchers from University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nanjing Tech University and Philipps-Universität Marburg has found that it is possible to use calcium(I) with β-diketiminate as a ligand and potassium as a terminal reductant for dinitrogen reduction. In their paper publish … | Continue reading
Despite ESA's GOCE mission ending over seven years ago, scientists continue to use this remarkable satellite's gravity data to delve deep and unearth secrets about our planet. Recent research shows how scientists have combined GOCE data with measurements taken at the surface to g … | Continue reading
As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, an international team of researchers have published a review of the best techniques to collect airborne aerosols containing viruses. | Continue reading
Multistable mechanical metamaterials are artificial materials whose microarchitecture offers more than two different stable configurations. Existing mechanical metamaterials rely on origami or kirigami-based designs with snap-through instability and microstructured soft mechanism … | Continue reading
After 12 years, woody vegetation now covers the upper part of the rehabilitated area, offering a green visual landscape to the inhabitants of the village. However, in the lower part of the pile the vegetation shows excessive levels of cadmium, leading the researchers to propose a … | Continue reading
New Imperial research shows a fire suppressant, when combined with water, cuts the amount of time and water needed to extinguish peat fires by 40%. | Continue reading
By using laser spectroscopy in a photophysics experiment, Clemson University researchers have broken new ground that could result in faster and cheaper energy to power electronics. | Continue reading
Shaping radio signals using photonics technologies seems like a detour. But the versatility of current programmable silicon photonic circuits can open new possibilities according to researchers of the University of Twente. They have presented their microwave photonic spectral sha … | Continue reading
In recent years, there have been significant advancements in the development of digital quantum computers and simulators. These emerging physical systems are opening up unprecedented possibilities for controlling and measuring a variety of quantum dynamics. As a result, some fund … | Continue reading
A study published in Nature Communications involving researchers from the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Nanoscience (IMDEA) and the University of Sevilla has measured for the first time the electrical conductivity of a single carbon nanotube with spin-crosslinked molec … | Continue reading
With more rain on the horizon in NSW and Queensland, a UNSW climate scientist answers our questions about whether we can expect more wet and cold from La Niña, and what's in store for next summer. | Continue reading
The next time you're walking or biking in a city, take a look around—you may be able to get a sense of air quality by how the buildings are laid out. | Continue reading
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Maywa Montenegro de Wit joined the UC Santa Cruz faculty this past July, amidst the global coronavirus pandemic, and that experience has guided her work in some important new directions. | Continue reading
New bioarchaeological research shows malaria has threatened human communities for more than 7,000 years, earlier than when the onset of farming was thought to have sparked its devastating arrival. | Continue reading
A new trial by the University of Liverpool's Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET) has demonstrated effective strategies for reducing the prescription of critically important antimicrobials in veterinary practice. | Continue reading
It's one year since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. While the human and economic toll have been enormous, new findings show the fallout from the virus also seriously damaged nature. | Continue reading
Jesús Rodríguez and Ana Mateos, scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), working with the geographer Christian Willmes of the University of Cologne (Germany), have analyzed the climatic conditions humans experienced in western Europe … | Continue reading
More than a half-million Americans are exposed to oil and gas "flaring" events—the burning off of excess natural gas at production sites—resulting in potentially serious health risks, according to new research from USC and UCLA. | Continue reading
A pioneering study led by University of Saskatchewan (USask) veterinary ophthalmologist Dr. Marina Leis (DVM, DACVO) shows that bacterial communities vary on different parts of the eye surface—a finding that significantly alters understanding of the mechanisms of eye disease and … | Continue reading
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a dramatically improved laser-based instrument that measures the diameter of fine-gauge wires, fibers and other objects only about three times the thickness of a human hair. Known as a laser m … | Continue reading
The aptly named gopher tortoise is a keystone species of the southeastern United States, digging burrows that can extend more than 30 feet and serve as a habitat for more than 350 other species. Unfortunately, one of them is the red imported fire ant, an invasive species from Sou … | Continue reading
Human cells typically transcribe half of their roughly 20,000 genes into RNA molecules at any given time. Just like with proteins, the function of those RNA species not only relies on their abundance but also their precise localization within the 3D space of each cell. Many RNA m … | Continue reading
Globular clusters are old and dense star systems in the Galaxy halo and bulge. Their average age is almost equal to the age of our universe. | Continue reading
A team led by scientists from Cardiff University has, for the first time, been able to track the development of the largest and least understood habitat on Earth. | Continue reading
Working with the Navajo Nation, the rover team has named features on Mars with words from the Navajo language. | Continue reading
As NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover continues to explore the surface of Mars, scientists on Earth have developed a new nanoscale metal carbide that could act as a "superlubricant" to reduce wear and tear on future rovers. | Continue reading
In Brazil, a study conducted by researchers affiliated with the University of São Paulo (USP) and collaborators revealed that deforestation in the Amazon causes an increase in the diversity of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The researchers have reported their findings in Soil Bio … | Continue reading
Scientists from the Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research at Osaka University fabricated nanopores in silicon dioxide, that were only 300 nm, in diameter surrounded by electrodes. These nanopores could prevent particles from entering just by applying a voltage, which ma … | Continue reading
A new study led by University of Maryland and UCLA researchers found that DNA from tissue samples can be used to accurately predict the age of bats in the wild. The study also showed age-related changes to the DNA of long-lived species are different from those in short-lived spec … | Continue reading
Researchers at Tufts University School of Engineering have created light-activated composite devices able to execute precise, visible movements and form complex three-dimensional shapes without the need for wires or other actuating materials or energy sources. The design combines … | Continue reading
The largest asteroid to pass by Earth this year will approach within some 1.25 million miles (two million kilometers) of our planet on March 21, NASA said Thursday. | Continue reading
In popular culture they're depicted as ruthless warriors who pillaged and plundered. That reputation is not totally undeserved, but is only part of the picture. | Continue reading
Their highly superior sense of smell has long been used to sniff out drugs, weapons and dead bodies. Now Latin America's crime-fighting police dogs are being trained to detect COVID-19. | Continue reading
New research released in Bioscience found that a remote region of North America's largest temperate rainforest is experiencing changes to its ecosystem due to climate change. Brian Buma, a researcher and professor of integrated biology at University of Colorado Denver, co-leads t … | Continue reading
As the global population grows, the demand for food increases while arable land shrinks. A new University of Illinois study investigates how rice production in India can meet future needs by adapting to changing climate conditions and water availability. | Continue reading
The showy colors of some butterflies could advertise their speed and nimbleness, much like a coat of bright yellow paint on a sports car. A new study shows birds can learn to recognize these visual cues, avoiding not only butterflies they've failed to nab in the past but similar- … | Continue reading