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Supercomputers just solved a 50-year-old mystery about giant stars
Astronomers have finally cracked a decades-old mystery about red giant stars—how material from their deep interiors makes its way to the surface. Using cutting-edge supercomputer simulations, researchers discovered that stellar rotation plays a powerful role in mixing elements across a previously unexplained barrier inside the star.
A secret weapon to fight carbon emissions was just discovered: Beavers
A new study in Switzerland finds that beaver-built wetlands can trap and store large amounts of carbon, offering a low-cost boost for restoration and climate resilience.
Friction without contact discovered as magnetic forces break a 300-year-old law
Researchers have uncovered friction without contact—driven entirely by magnetic interactions. As two magnetic layers slide, their internal forces compete, causing constant rearrangements that dramatically increase resistance at certain distances. This creates a surprising peak in friction instead of a steady rise, breaking a long-standing physics law.
At age 41, a Westmoreland mom of 3 is diagnosed with a cancer that's rising in younger populations
When Misty Ament felt sharp pain in her right side last August, the 41-year-old assumed she was dealing with appendicitis. Instead, doctors discovered...
New AI tool predicts cancer spread with surprising accuracy
Researchers have discovered that cancer spread isn’t random—it follows a kind of biological “program.” By studying colon tumor cells, they identified gene patterns that signal whether a cancer is likely to metastasize. Their AI model, MangroveGS, can predict this risk with about 80% accuracy and even works across multiple cancer types. This could transform how doctors decide who needs aggressive treatment and who doesn’t.
New Spider Mimics ‘The Last of Us’ Zombie Fungus Cordyceps
A newly discovered species of spider in the Ecuadorean Amazon mimics a pathogen, known as a zombie fungus, to protect itself.
How did these flowers evolve to survive a megadrought?
A multi-year megadrought in the Western U.S. has claimed untold populations of wild plants. Amid the conditions, some have survived. Scientists have produced a stunningly complete picture about how populations of one particular flower – the scarlet monkeyflower – made it through. In a new study published in the journal Science, a team of scientists spent decades studying and sampling select populations of scarlet monkeyflowers in California and Oregon. Through genetic sequencing, the team discovered that the populations that did best went through genetic changes in a short time period. This is known as rapid evolution. The team found that three of the populations that recovered the BEST adapted their stomata to open less, so they could conserve more water. Stomata act like a plant’s pores, managing gas exchange and water loss. This allowed the scarlet monkeyflowers to hunker down in the drought and survive. Interested in more stories about rapid evolution? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.Listen to Short Wave on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.This episode was produced by Jeffrey Pierre, Rachel Carlson and Hannah Chinn. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Rebecca Ramirez. Aru Nair checked the facts. The audio engineers were Becky Brown and Robert Rodriguez.
1,800-year-old nails discovered in 3 burials in Roman necropolis, possibly to 'protect' both the living and the dead
Archaeologists excavating in Rome's Ostiense necropolis found three skeletons with iron nails on their chests, hinting at a ritual to prevent restless spirits.
An experimental AI agent broke out of its testing environment and mined crypto without permission
Researchers discovered that an AI agent roamed beyond its parameters, creating backdoors in IT infrastructure.
A new iPhone hacking tool puts some iOS 18 users at risk
Google and its cybersecurity research partners have discovered a new hack called "DarkSword" that can instantly access data from iPhones running iOS 18.
Hundreds of Millions of iPhones Can Be Hacked With a New Tool Found in the Wild
A powerful iPhone-hacking technique known as DarkSword has been discovered in use by Russian hackers. It can take over devices running iOS 18 that simply visit infected websites.
Here's Where Apple is Hosting More 50th Anniversary Events Following New York
After hosting a surprise Alicia Keys concert at its Grand Central store in New York last week, Apple is turning to Asia for more 50th-anniversary celebrations. So far, it has been discovered that there will be events held in China and South Korea. Apple's retail store at Taikoo Li in Chengdu, China is temporarily closed this Wednesday, March 18, according to the store's page.
The voice of a long ago whale could lead scientists to a breakthrough
Researchers on Cape Cod, Mass., recently discovered the oldest known recordings of whale sounds and believe the discovery could help scientists understand how the animals communicate
Samsung Is Reportedly Offering Refunds So That Galaxy S26 Ultra Owners Do No Return Their Phones
A netizen has just discovered a grift for the ages, provided that you are the not-so-proud owner of a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra smartphone.
Scientists uncover the secret timing behind glowing fireflies
Researchers have discovered the mathematical pattern that allows thousands of synchronized fireflies light up the night.
Scientists Discovered Orbs of Glass from an Ancient Asteroid Impact. The Crater Is Nowhere to Be Found.
The discovery of a new tektite-strewn field in northeastern Brazil points to a large meteorite impact—but geologists have yet to find the crater.
Cells can sense 10x farther than expected and it may explain cancer spread
Scientists have discovered that cells can sense far beyond the surfaces they touch. While individual cancer cells can probe about 10 microns ahead by tugging on surrounding collagen fibers, clusters of normal epithelial cells can combine forces to detect layers as far as 100 microns away. This long-range “depth sensing” helps cells decide where to migrate. Understanding how it works could reveal new targets to stop cancer from spreading.
A strange new quantum state appears when atoms get “frustrated”
Physicists at UC Santa Barbara have uncovered a new way to manipulate unusual magnetic states by exploiting “frustration” inside a crystal’s atomic structure. The team discovered a rare system where two different kinds of frustration—magnetic and electronic bond frustration—coexist and interact. By coupling these competing effects, researchers may be able to control exotic quantum states, potentially unlocking new ways to manipulate entangled spins for future quantum technologies.
Scientists just discovered a tiny signal that volcanoes send before they erupt
A new detection method called “Jerk” could dramatically improve how scientists forecast volcanic eruptions. By using a single broadband seismometer, the system can detect extremely subtle ground movements caused by magma pushing underground—often hours before an eruption begins. Tested for more than a decade at the Piton de la Fournaise volcano on La Réunion, the tool successfully predicted 92% of eruptions between 2014 and 2023, sometimes giving up to eight hours of warning.
Scientists discover ALS protein that links DNA repair to cancer and dementia
A protein tied to ALS and dementia may have a much bigger role in disease than scientists realized. Researchers found that TDP43 controls a key DNA repair process, but when the protein becomes imbalanced, the repair system can spiral out of control, harming neurons and destabilizing DNA. The team also discovered that high levels of the protein are linked to increased mutation rates in cancer. The discovery places TDP43 at the center of both neurodegeneration and cancer biology.
I'm in my late 70s and work out 7 days a week
After serving in Vietnam, I discovered my love of running. Now I train daily and bike for hours in retirement.
Scientists Discover Where Drug Residues End Up Inside Crops
Scientists discovered that crops exposed to trace pharmaceuticals in recycled water mostly stash the compounds in their leaves—not the parts we usually eat.
Depression may start with an energy problem in brain cells
Researchers have discovered a surprising change in how cells produce energy in people with depression. Brain and blood cells in young adults with major depressive disorder produced more energy molecules at rest but had trouble increasing energy production when needed. Scientists believe this imbalance may contribute to symptoms such as fatigue and low motivation. The finding could help pave the way for earlier diagnosis and more personalized treatments.
Scientists Discovered Light Follows Quantum Rules. It Could Change Physics.
For more than 40 years, scientists have known that the quantum Hall effect impacts electrons in strong magnetic fields, but it turns out light also follows the fundamental phenomenon.
Where did magic mushrooms come from? Scientists just got closer to an answer
Scientists just discovered a new species of magic mushroom, Psilocybe ochraceocentrata, that appears to have shared a common ancestor with the popular Psilocybe cubensis some 1.5 million years ago.
Scientists looked beneath one of oldest trees on Earth. What they found is astounding
The researchers discovered a hidden world of life among the roots of Chile's ancient alerce trees. Here's why that's important.
Scientists may have discovered a brand-new mineral on Mars
Scientists studying Mars may have uncovered a brand-new mineral hidden in the planet’s ancient sulfate deposits. By combining laboratory experiments with orbital data, researchers identified an unusual iron sulfate—ferric hydroxysulfate—forming in layered deposits near the massive Valles Marineris canyon system. The mineral likely formed when sulfate-rich deposits left behind by ancient water were later heated by volcanic or geothermal activity, transforming their chemistry.
This 2-pound dinosaur is rewriting what scientists know about evolution
A nearly complete dinosaur skeleton discovered in Patagonia is helping scientists crack the mystery of alvarezsaurs, a bizarre group of bird-like dinosaurs. The fossil of Alnashetri cerropoliciensis reveals that these animals became tiny before developing their later specialized features, such as stubby arms and ant-eating adaptations. Weighing under two pounds, the dinosaur is one of the smallest known from South America.
Scientists stunned to find signs of ancient life in a place no one expected
While exploring ancient seabeds in Morocco, scientists discovered strange wrinkle-like textures in deep-water sediments that shouldn’t have been there. These structures are usually made by sunlight-loving microbial mats in shallow waters. But the rocks formed far below the reach of light, suggesting a different explanation. Evidence points to chemosynthetic microbes—organisms powered by chemical reactions—creating the mats in the dark depths of an ancient ocean.
Engineers make magnets behave like graphene
Engineers have discovered an unexpected link between two very different realms of physics: the behavior of electrons in graphene and magnetic waves in specially engineered materials. By designing a thin magnetic film with a hexagonal pattern of holes—similar to graphene’s structure—the researchers showed that magnetic “spin waves” can follow the same mathematical rules as graphene’s famously unusual electrons. The surprising overlap reveals a deeper connection between electronic and magnetic systems and gives scientists a powerful new way to study complex magnetic materials.
Scientists tracked faint signals from the stars — and may have turned up hundreds of undiscovered planets
A new study shows that stars with low magnetic activity are likely to support exoplanetary systems, making the hunt for these celestial objects less random.
A perfectly balanced atom just broke one of nuclear physics’ biggest rules
Physicists have discovered a surprising new “Island of Inversion” in a place no one expected: among nuclei where the number of protons equals the number of neutrons. For decades, these strange regions—where atomic nuclei abandon their usual orderly structure and become strongly deformed—were thought to exist only in highly neutron-rich isotopes far from stability. But experiments on molybdenum isotopes revealed that molybdenum-84 behaves dramatically differently from its close neighbor molybdenum-86, even though they differ by just two neutrons.
Scientists discover protein that triggers diabetic blindness
A newly identified protein may hold the key to preventing diabetic blindness. Researchers discovered that LRG1 triggers the earliest damage in diabetic retinopathy by constricting tiny retinal blood vessels and reducing oxygen supply. In mice, shutting down this protein stopped the damage before it could take hold. The finding could pave the way for treatments that protect vision before symptoms ever begin.
Antarctica has a strange gravity hole and scientists finally know why
Gravity may seem constant, but it actually varies across the planet—and one of the strangest places is Antarctica, where gravity is slightly weaker than expected. Scientists have traced this “gravity hole” to slow, deep movements of rock inside Earth that unfolded over tens of millions of years. Using earthquake data to essentially create a CT scan of the planet’s interior, researchers reconstructed how the anomaly evolved and discovered that it strengthened between about 50 and 30 million years ago.
'Cikai Korran came here and saw': Visitors from India graffitied dozens of Egyptian tombs 2,000 years ago
Ancient inscriptions written in Indian languages have been discovered on Egyptian tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
Arc Raiders Gets Emergency Hotfix For Discord Privacy Issue
A computer engineer discovered that the game's Discord integration was logging all user behavior on the social platform
I didn't know my daughters could see my location
I refused to track my teens' phones for years. Then I discovered my daughters had been secretly tracking my location instead.
Scientists discover a hidden force that helps wire the brain
Growing neurons rely on chemical cues to find their targets, but new research shows that the brain’s physical properties help shape those signals. Scientists discovered that tissue stiffness can trigger the production of guidance molecules through a force-sensing protein called Piezo1. This protein not only detects mechanical forces but also helps maintain the structure of brain tissue. The discovery reveals a powerful link between the brain’s physical environment and how its wiring is built.
'Truly extraordinary': Mega-laser shooting at us from halfway across the universe is the brightest 'cosmic beacon' we've ever seen
Astronomers have discovered the brightest and most distant "megamaser" to date. The cosmic energy beam is shooting toward Earth from 8 billion light-years away and was spotted thanks to a weird space-time trick first predicted by Einstein.
Mysterious 'little red dots' discovered by James Webb telescope may be the first stars in the universe on the verge of collapse
A new study suggests that "little red dots" spied by the James Webb Space Telescope could be the universe's short-lived first generation of gigantic stars, challenging an existing theory.
Microbes That 'Disarm' Peanut Allergy Proteins Discovered in Mouth And Gut
Hidden allies.
Scientists Accidentally Discovered a Brand-New Species of Living Fossil
“Living fossil” is often misused, but chitons really haven’t changed much in about 300 million years.
Teeth smaller than a fingertip reveal the first primate ancestor
Tiny, tooth-sized fossils have just reshaped the story of our deepest ancestry. Paleontologists have discovered the southernmost remains ever found of Purgatorius—the earliest-known relative of all primates, including humans—in Colorado’s Denver Basin. Previously thought to be confined to Montana and parts of Canada, this shrew-sized, tree-dwelling mammal now appears to have spread southward soon after the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs.
Scientists Discovered an Ancient Egyptian Tool 2,000 Years Ahead of Its Time
The copper and leather device represents the first evidence of mechanical tools from Egypt’s pre-Pharaonic history.
Scientists Found 6,000-Year-Old Human Remains. No Other People Share Their DNA.
An analysis of bones from ancient people has discovered DNA that does not directly connect them to any other ancient or modern population.
Frostbitten lizard found in Rhode Island is healing
The tegu named Frankie was discovered by a man in Providence while shoveling his driveway.
Heli-Skiing in California Seemed Like a Pipe Dream. Then These Two Guys Showed Up.
Two ski industry mavericks believe they’ve discovered the secret of operating a heli-skiing business in the Golden State, where red tape, finicky snowfall, and plenty of danger have torpedoed past operations
Scientists discover microbe that breaks a fundamental rule of the genetic code
Scientists at UC Berkeley have discovered a microbe that bends one of biology’s most sacred rules. Instead of treating a specific three-letter DNA code as a clear “stop” signal, this methane-producing archaeon sometimes reads it as a green light—adding an unusual amino acid and continuing to build the protein. The result is a kind of genetic coin flip: two different proteins can emerge from the same code, influenced partly by environmental conditions.
Science history: Carbon-14 is discovered, opening a window into past civilizations
Martin Kamen and Samuel Ruben's discovery of the radioactive isotope carbon-14 in 1940 helped usher in a new era of dating artifacts from past civilizations.
Apollo rocks reveal the Moon had brief bursts of super-strong magnetism
Scientists at the University of Oxford have finally settled a decades-long mystery about the Moon’s magnetic field — and it turns out both sides were right. By reanalyzing Apollo mission rocks, they discovered that the Moon did occasionally generate an incredibly powerful magnetic field, even stronger than Earth’s — but only for fleeting bursts lasting thousands of years or less. Most of the time, the Moon’s magnetic field was weak.
Possible bullet holes mysteriously appear on American Airlines plane after flight from Colombia
American Airlines jet discovered with possible bullet holes after Miami landing from Colombia. Aircraft grounded for investigation following inspection.
Scientists finally solve the mystery of the horse whinny
Horses have a vocal trick no one fully understood until now. Scientists have discovered that when a horse whinnies, it produces two completely different sounds at the same time. One is a deep tone created by vibrating the vocal folds, similar to how humans sing. The other is a high-pitched whistle generated inside the larynx, something never before confirmed in a large mammal. This rare ability, known as biphonation, likely helps horses send multiple emotional signals in a single call.
2,800-year-old mass grave of women and children discovered in Serbia reveals 'brutal, deliberate and efficient' violence
An analysis of a mass grave found in northern Serbia is revealing new information about violence in Early Iron Age Europe.
Richard E. Grant discovered his best friend had betrayed him after 29 years of friendship
Why Richard E. Grant immediately cut off a friendship of 29 years, leaving him 'absolutely devastated.'
A giant blade-crested spinosaurus, the “hell heron,” discovered in the Sahara
Deep in the heart of the Sahara, scientists have uncovered Spinosaurus mirabilis — a spectacular new predator crowned with a massive, scimitar-shaped crest that may once have blazed with color under the desert sun. Discovered in remote inland river deposits in Niger, the fossil rewrites what we thought we knew about spinosaur dinosaurs, suggesting they weren’t fully aquatic hunters but powerful waders stalking fish in forested waterways hundreds of miles from the sea.
Colorado Springs man discovers business using his home address without permission
A Colorado Springs man is sharing his story after he discovered someone registered a business to his home address without his permission.
Scientists discover why high altitude protects against diabetes
Living at high altitude appears to protect against diabetes, and scientists have finally discovered the reason. When oxygen levels drop, red blood cells switch into a new metabolic mode and absorb large amounts of glucose from the blood. This helps the body cope with thin air while also reducing blood sugar levels. A drug that recreates this effect reversed diabetes in mice, hinting at a powerful new treatment strategy.
Skull of 'dinosaur from Hell' discovered with sword jutting from its...
"This find was so sudden and amazing, it was really emotional for our team."
Scientists Discovered the Ancient, Unassuming Creature That Invented Salads
The 300 million-year-old Tyrannoroter heberti had an extra set of conical-shaped teeth, indicating it likely ate plants. It’s one of the earliest species to do so.
Health Rounds: Link between low oxygen and reduced blood sugar could yield new diabetes treatments
Diabetes is less common among people living at high altitudes, where oxygen levels are low, than at sea level, and researchers who have discovered why that happens say the reason may lead to new treatments.
New 'scimitar-crested' Spinosaurus species discovered in the central Sahara
A paper published in Science describes the discovery of Spinosaurus mirabilis, a new spinosaurid species found in Niger. A 20-person team led by Paul Sereno, Ph.D., Professor of Organismal Biology and ...
An ‘astonishingly’ large new dinosaur species has been discovered in the Sahara | BBC Science Focus Magazine
This school-bus-sized predator was so unusual that scientists didn't recognise it at first
Health Influencer’s Husband Lost 50 Lbs. in Under 4 Months. When They Discovered the Cause, They Had to Leave Home (Exclusive)
Hannah Holt, 25, and her husband, Chase, 26, lived in a house infested with toxic black mold for several months before finally realizing what was happening. The health influencer experienced respiratory issues and brain fog while her spouse suffered through extreme gastrointestinal symptoms.
New sodium ion battery stores twice the energy and desalinates seawater
A surprising breakthrough could help sodium-ion batteries rival lithium—and even turn seawater into drinking water. Scientists discovered that keeping water inside a key battery material, instead of removing it as traditionally done, dramatically boosts performance. The “wet” version stores nearly twice as much charge, charges faster, and remains stable for hundreds of cycles, placing it among the top-performing sodium battery materials ever reported.
125 million-year-old dinosaur with never before seen hollow spikes discovered in China
A 125-million-year-old dinosaur just rewrote what we thought we knew about prehistoric life. Scientists in China have uncovered an exceptionally preserved juvenile iguanodontian with fossilized skin so detailed that individual cells are still visible. Even more astonishing, the plant-eating dinosaur was covered in hollow, porcupine-like spikes—structures never before documented in any dinosaur.
What scientists have just discovered is worse than expected: coastal cities are on borrowed time! - Futura-Sciences
With each new report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change attempts to outline what lies ahead for people living by the sea. Now, fresh research published in Earth’s Future adds another layer to the picture by offering probabilistic forecasts rather than a single estimate. The rise in sea levels is...
Scientists Discovered Silkworms Have a Genetic Secret for Living Longer. You Have It, Too.
Larvae of the silk moth tend to live longer lives if they have higher levels of an enzyme known as NAD+.
Indigenous mental health leader in California dies in apparent murder-suicide
A 59-year-old Indigenous woman, a well-known mental health advocate in Northern California’s Humboldt County, was discovered dead in an apparent murder-suicide earlier this…
One in three people carry this brain parasite but the body has a kill switch
A parasite that may already be hiding in your brain has a shocking survival trick: it can infect the very immune cells sent to destroy it. Yet most people never get sick, and new research from UVA Health reveals why. Scientists discovered that when Toxoplasma gondii invades CD8+ T cells — key defenders of the immune system — those cells can trigger a self-destruct mechanism powered by an enzyme called caspase-8. By sacrificing themselves, the infected cells also wipe out the parasite inside them.
Microplastics have reached Antarctica’s only native insect
Even Antarctica’s toughest native insect can’t escape the reach of plastic pollution. Scientists have discovered that Belgica antarctica — a tiny, rice-sized midge and the southernmost insect on Earth — is already ingesting microplastics in the wild. While lab tests showed the hardy larvae can survive short-term exposure without obvious harm, those exposed to higher plastic levels had reduced fat reserves, hinting at hidden energy costs.
A Cosmic “Barcode” Has Indeed Been Detected Around Black Holes - Futura-Sciences
It is hard to believe, but it has already been ten years since the first gravitational wave source was discovered. Named GW150914, for gravitational wave and the date of its observation, September 14, 2015, the signal reached Earth on that day and opened a new era in astronomy. GW150914 marked...
Scientists Just Discovered a Fish That Sees in a Way No Other Animal Can
Researchers have identified a third type of visual cell in deep-sea fish larvae, shaking up 150 years of vision science.
DNA Mutations Discovered in The Children of Chernobyl Workers
A tragedy spanning generations.
This breakthrough could finally unlock male birth control
Scientists at Michigan State University have uncovered the molecular “switch” that powers sperm for their final, high-speed dash toward an egg. By tracking how sperm use glucose as fuel, the team discovered how dormant cells suddenly flip into overdrive, burning energy in a carefully controlled, multi-step process. A key enzyme, aldolase, helps convert sugar into the burst of power needed for fertilization, while other enzymes act like traffic controllers directing the flow of fuel.
Scientists discover pets are helping an invasive flatworm spread
A new study shows that dogs and cats may be helping an invasive flatworm spread. Researchers analyzing over a decade of reports discovered the worm attached to pet fur. Its sticky mucus and ability to reproduce alone make it highly adaptable. Pets could be giving this slow-moving invader a major boost.
Rocky planet discovered in outer orbit challenges planet formation theory
Astronomers have uncovered a distant planetary system that flips a long-standing rule of planet formation on its head. Around the small red dwarf star LHS 1903, scientists expected to find rocky planets close in and gas giants farther out — the same pattern seen in our own Solar System and hundreds of others. And at first, that’s exactly what they saw. But new observations revealed a surprise: the outermost planet appears to be rocky, not gaseous.
Is there a new comet? See latest discovery
French scientists discovered comet C/2026 A1 Jan. 13, currently approaching the sun. Here's what to know.
Scientists Discovered An Organism That Can Become Two Different Life Forms
Knowing which genes are responsible for the transformations could help with developing antifungal treatments, and may have other pharmaceutical and industrial applications.
Brain stimulating test makes people 'less selfish'
Scientists have discovered how to make people less selfish - slightly and temporarily - by stimulating two areas of the brain.
Scientists have discovered one of elephants’ most sensitive secrets
Researchers have studied rat and mouse whiskers, but these key organs for elephants have been largely overlooked.
Radio signal discovered at the center of our galaxy could put Einstein's relativity to the test
Scientists hope to probe the nature of general relativity through a possible pulsar found in the center of the Milky Way, near a supermassive black hole.
Analysis: What the Trump team claimed vs. what the Epstein files show
A newly discovered document in the Jeffrey Epstein files undermines one of President Donald Trump’s central claims about the matter — specifically, his supposed lack of knowledge of Epstein’s misconduct.
How to bake the perfect cookie, according to science
Science has discovered the exact temperature that makes cookies golden brown on the outside and moist on the inside.
Scientists may have discovered a pulsar at the Milky Way’s heart—a result that could reveal new physics
If the pulsar is confirmed, it could enable more precise measurements of the space-time around the galaxy’s central supermassive black hole
Science has just discovered “oases” of clams and tube worms at a depth of 9,533 meters, where sunlight does not exist and yet life thrives in abundance
Scientists uncover thriving clam and tube worm ecosystems nearly 10,000 meters deep, revealing how life survives without sunlight.
Scientists Discovered How to Defy the Laws of Gravity—And Now They Can Compress Space and Time
China’s hypergravity machine is the first of its kind, seeing futures that would otherwise stay invisible.
Scientists were wrong for decades about DNA knots
Scientists have discovered that DNA behaves in a surprising way when squeezed through tiny nanopores, overturning a long-held assumption in genetics research. What researchers once thought were knots causing messy electrical signals turn out to be something else entirely: twisted coils called plectonemes, formed as flowing ions inside the pore spin the DNA like a phone cord. These twists can linger and grow as DNA moves through, leaving clear electrical fingerprints.
Face of a 'vampire' revealed: Science rebuilds likeness of man decapitated after death to stop him coming back
Discovered in a fortress in eastern Croatia, the body had been exhumed, beheaded and reburied face down.
New type of magnetism discovered in 2D materials
In collaboration with international partners, researchers at the University of Stuttgart have experimentally demonstrated a previously unknown form of magnetism in atomically thin material layers. The ...
This weird deep-sea creature was named by thousands of people online
A newly discovered deep-sea creature has become an unlikely Internet star. After appearing in a popular YouTube video, a rare chiton found nearly three miles beneath the ocean surface sparked a global naming effort, drawing more than 8,000 suggestions from people around the world. Scientists ultimately chose the name Ferreiraella populi, meaning “of the people,” honoring the public that helped bring it into the scientific record.
This tiny molecular trick makes spider silk almost unbreakable
Scientists have cracked a key mystery behind spider silk’s legendary strength and flexibility. They discovered that tiny molecular interactions act like natural glue, holding silk proteins together as they transform from liquid into incredibly tough fibers. This same process helps create silk that’s stronger than steel by weight and tougher than Kevlar.
Scientists discover 'levitating' time crystals that you can hold in your hand
Time crystals, a collection of particles that "tick"—or move back and forth in repeating cycles—were first theorized and then discovered about a decade ago. While scientists have yet to create commercial ...
“Déjà vu”: what scientists have discovered is even stranger! - Futura-Sciences
Human memory still holds many mysteries. While déjà vu is a relatively well known experience, its lesser known counterpart, jamais vu, remains largely unfamiliar to the general public. Yet this intriguing cognitive phenomenon could teach us a great deal about how our brain works. A recent study, published in September...
Why colorectal cancer breaks the immune system’s rules
Colorectal cancer has long baffled scientists because, unlike most tumors, patients often do better when their cancers are packed with immune-suppressing regulatory T cells. New research finally explains why. Scientists discovered that these T cells aren’t all the same: one subtype actually helps keep tumors in check, while another shields cancer from immune attack. The balance between these “good” and “bad” cells can determine whether a tumor grows or shrinks.
Scientists found a hidden fat switch and turned it off
Researchers have discovered a previously unknown enzyme that plays a crucial role in fat production. By blocking it, they stopped weight gain, reduced liver damage, and lowered harmful cholesterol levels in animal studies. The finding opens the door to a new kind of medication that could tackle obesity, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease all at once.
Scientists Played Bach to Sleeping Newborns and Discovered They Can Track Rhythm Just 48 Hours After Birth
Newborns arrive ready to predict the beat, but melody is a skill learned later.
Scientists discover hidden deep-Earth structures shaping the magnetic field
Deep inside Earth, two massive hot rock structures have been quietly shaping the planet’s magnetic field for millions of years. Using ancient magnetic records and advanced simulations, scientists discovered that these formations influence the movement of liquid iron in Earth’s core. Some parts of the magnetic field remained stable over vast stretches of time, while others changed dramatically.
'Nitrogen fixing' trees could help tropical forests bounce back, research suggests
On the narrow isthmus of Panama, scientists discovered adding nitrogen to the soil doubled tree growth, providing new insights into forest restoration.
The Colorado River's largest tributary flows 'uphill' for over 100 miles — and geologists may finally have an explanation for it
Millions of years ago, the Green River carved a path through the Uinta Mountains instead of flowing around the formation. Now, researchers have discovered how this could have happened.