Workplace equality laws spark surprising gains for women in the boardroom, research finds
Amid global rollbacks of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives—from the United States to parts of Europe—a new study has found that US state-level protections for LGBTQIA+ employees are not only helping to curb workplace discrimination, but are also driving greater gender diversity in corporate boardrooms. ⌘ Read more

Squid study sparks interdisciplinary insight into the physics of growth
Often, physics can be used to make sense of the natural world, whether it’s understanding gravitational effects on ocean tides or using powerful physics tools, like microscopes, to examine the inner workings of the cell. But increasingly, scientists are looking at biological systems to spark new insights in physics. By studying squid skin, researchers have identified the first biological instance of a physical pheno … ⌘ Read more

Online game proven to reduce partisan animosity
Algorithmically-driven social media has split red and blue America into separate information environments. But a new online tool, developed at Harvard, can bring citizens back together. ⌘ Read more

Two plant species ‘invent’ the same chemically complex and medically interesting substance
Plants produce an enormous abundance of natural products. Many natural plant products are ancestry-specific and occur only in certain plant families, sometimes only in a single species. Interestingly, however, the same substances can sometimes be found in distantly related species. ⌘ Read more

Unveiling under-the-barrier electron dynamics in strong field tunneling
Tunneling is a peculiar quantum phenomenon with no classical counterpart. It plays an essential role for strong field phenomena in atoms and molecules interacting with intense lasers. Processes such as high-order harmonic generation are driven by electron dynamics following tunnel ionization. ⌘ Read more

The world’s natural history collections are ready to aid in pandemic preparedness
Across the world, natural history museums hold about 3 billion specimens of plants and animals in collections—and these collections may also contain information needed to prevent, prepare for, and respond to potential future pandemics. ⌘ Read more

Algae can clean sewage without electricity or chemicals; we put it to the test in South Africa
Across Africa, many rural communities face a growing sanitation crisis. Wastewater treatment systems, where they exist, are often old, overloaded, or broken. In some towns, untreated sewage flows directly into rivers, contaminating water sources and harming both ecosystems and public health. ⌘ Read more

Fish with legs and sea slug thieves: Researcher reveals lessons from unusual organisms
During a tour of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, Corey Allard noticed something strange: fish using six leg-like appendages to “walk” around the bottom of their tank. ⌘ Read more

Experimenting with generative AI to kibbitz and futz towards more inclusive futures
What does it mean to think, act and work as a Jewish professor when human freedoms are under siege and authoritarian power gains ground? And how can we draw on our Jewish identities to navigate the sweeping encroachment of new technologies like AI? ⌘ Read more

Massive plume of ash, gas spews from Italy’s Mount Etna
A huge plume of ash, gas and rock spewed forth Monday from Italy’s Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano, but authorities said there was no current danger to the population. ⌘ Read more

Rewiring corporate accounting in Vietnam
Enterprise resource planning systems could transform management accounting for publicly listed firms, according to research published in the International Journal of Economics and Business Research. The focus of the work is on Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and offers both practical insights for business leaders and a broader perspective on digital transformation that could apply to other emerging markets. ⌘ Read more

PFAS could be replaced with safe graphene oxide solution
Northwestern University researchers have developed a new water- and oil-resistant material that could become a safe, viable replacement for harmful plastics and toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food packaging. ⌘ Read more

Trump wants $1 billion for private-sector-led Mars exploration
U.S. President Donald Trump wants to tap the private sector to pave the way for human missions to Mars in a proposal that closely aligns with the goals of Elon Musk. ⌘ Read more

In a hotter future, what comes after coral reefs die?
The fate of coral reefs has been written with a degree of certainty rare in climate science: at 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming, most are expected to die. ⌘ Read more

Oceans feel the heat from human climate pollution
Oceans have absorbed the vast majority of the warming caused by burning fossil fuels and shielded societies from the full impact of greenhouse gas emissions. ⌘ Read more

Earth’s seasonal rhythms are changing, putting species and ecosystems at risk
Seasonality shapes much of life on Earth. Most species, including humans, have synchronized their own rhythms with those of the Earth’s seasons. ⌘ Read more

Many police forces have found ICE agreements undermine public safety
During his first few months in office, President Donald Trump has been establishing a framework for deporting undocumented immigrants en masse. It’s something he has previously vowed will be “the largest deportation operation in the history of our country.” ⌘ Read more

Most of Australia’s conservation efforts ignore climate risks—here are 3 fixes
Imagine replanting various native species only to have them die because the area is too hot or too dry. Or reconnecting woodland habitat only to lose large tracts to bushfire. ⌘ Read more

Sudden hailstorm lashes Egypt’s Alexandria
An unseasonal rainstorm battered the Egyptian city of Alexandria on Saturday, flooding roads and damaging seafront businesses in the latest bout of erratic weather to hit the region. ⌘ Read more

Trump says withdrawing Musk ally as nominee to head NASA
US President Donald Trump said Saturday he was withdrawing his nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon Musk, to lead space agency NASA. ⌘ Read more

Vienna calling: Strauss’s ‘Blue Danube’ waltzes into outer space
Austrian composer Johann Strauss II’s “The Blue Danube” has, for many people, been synonymous with space travel since it was used in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 sci‑fi classic “2001: A Space Odyssey”. ⌘ Read more

Elon Musk promises more risky launches after sixth Starship failure
What goes up must come down, and earlier this week yet another of SpaceX’s Starships, the biggest and most powerful type of rocket ever built, came back down to Earth in spectacular fashion. In the sky above the Indian Ocean, it exploded. ⌘ Read more

A new type of X-point radiator that prevents tokamaks from overheating
Nuclear fusion reactors are highly powerful technologies that can generate energy by fusing (i.e., joining) two light atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus. These fusion reactions release large amounts of energy, which can then be converted into electrical power without emitting greenhouse gases. ⌘ Read more

Researchers created a chatbot to help teach a university law class—but the AI kept messing up
“AI tutors” have been hyped as a way to revolutionize education. ⌘ Read more

Analytical model clarifies exciton dynamics to improve OLED efficiency and lifespan
Organic light emitting diodes, or OLEDs, are a type of photoluminescence device that utilizes organic compounds to produce light. Compared to traditional LEDs, OLEDs have shown to be more efficient, can be built into super-thin and flexible materials, and have higher dynamic range in image quality. To further develop better OLEDs, researchers around the world work to understand the fundamental chemistry and … ⌘ Read more

MXene offers exceptional high-frequency EMI shielding
A research team has reported the successful synthesis of high-purity, tunable nitrogen (N)-substituted MAX precursors and the resultant MXene two-dimensional (2D) materials—a first in the world. ⌘ Read more

A cheap and easy potential solution for lowering carbon emissions in maritime shipping
Adopting new digital systems to help oceangoing container ships get in line to offload their cargo at busy ports appears to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 16–24%, according to researchers at UC Santa Barbara. Not only would this relatively simple intervention reduce emissions, but the technology to implement these measures already exists and is cheap. ⌘ Read more

Case study of flamenco fusion band suggests music can help combat ageism
What started as free tickets to see a flamenco fusion band in Spain turned into an unexpected research opportunity for a team of researchers at Penn State, who discovered a unique example of the power of music to bridge generational divides. ⌘ Read more

Amphibian road mortality drops by over 80% with wildlife underpasses, study shows
Frogs, salamanders, and other amphibians around the world face mounting threats from a devastating fungus, climate change, habitat loss—and road mortality. Among these, roads pose a uniquely immediate danger by cutting through critical migration corridors, allowing vehicles to crush millions of animals each year. ⌘ Read more

Some bosses benefit from belittling employees
Supervisors yell to boost employee performance, reinforce status as “the boss.” They don’t feel bad about it. ⌘ Read more

Researchers help college students understand why mathematics classes matter
West Virginia University researchers are changing how college mathematics is taught by evaluating and sharing a model for problem-solving that supports what students learn in other courses like business or biology. ⌘ Read more

Sharks rarely seen together peacefully co-feed: Observation could help scientists understand shark ecology better
Many sharks, particularly those that live in the open oceans, are hunters rather than scavengers. Despite this, a small portion of their diet comes from scavenging, a behavior they may engage in when the opportunity arises. ⌘ Read more

Filtered car emissions still turn toxic after sunlight exposure, study reveals
A new international study led by Helmholtz Munich and the University of Rostock reveals that emissions from modern gasoline cars—despite meeting the currently strictest European emission standards EURO 6d—can become significantly more harmful after being released into the atmosphere. The findings, published in Science Advances, challenge the assumption that filtered exhaust from EURO 6d-compliant vehicles is inherentl … ⌘ Read more

From soil to slugs to songbirds: How plastic is moving through ecosystems
For many people, “plastic pollution” calls to mind pictures of turtles and other marine life drowning in single-use plastic bottles and discarded fishing nets. My own research looks at how the same story is playing out on land. ⌘ Read more

Combinatorial screening uncovers molecules that enhance antibiotics against resistant bacteria
Researchers have created a pipeline for discovering unique combinations of molecules that increase the effectiveness of antibiotics against drug-resistant bacteria. The team, led by scientists at the Broad Institute and the Tufts University School of Medicine, used a microfluidic approach to screen more than 1 million combinations of antibiotics, small molecules, and bacteria. They ide … ⌘ Read more

DNA mapping of estuaries provides new tool for fisheries management and species recovery
From southbound cane toads to invasive weeds and fluctuating fish stocks, a novel technique called eDNA has revealed what’s in NSW waterways—and how it’s influenced by natural disasters. ⌘ Read more

Violent Pakistan storms trigger floods, landslides killing 10
At least 10 people were killed and 43 injured as strong winds and thunderstorms triggered flash floods and destroyed homes in central and northern parts of Pakistan, officials said Wednesday. ⌘ Read more

US peregrine falcons adapt well to city living as their coastal cousins struggle with bird flu
After rebounding in recent decades due to conservation efforts, the number of once-imperiled peregrine falcons in the U.S. has been dropping again in some places due to the bird flu that has decimated other avian populations in recent years. ⌘ Read more

5-year forecast sees more killer heat, fires and temperature records
Get ready for several years of even more record-breaking heat that pushes Earth to more deadly, fiery and uncomfortable extremes, two of the world’s top weather agencies forecast. ⌘ Read more

Bed bugs are most likely the first human pest, new research shows
Ever since a few enterprising bed bugs hopped off a bat and attached themselves to a Neanderthal walking out of a cave 60,000 years ago, bed bugs have enjoyed a thriving relationship with their human hosts. ⌘ Read more

Where the green streets were: Tracking global urban vegetation
There is a concerning decline in street-level greenery in cities, raising important questions about urban resilience, climate adaptation, and environmental equity. Monitoring exactly how fast trees and other greenery are being lost in the world’s rapidly changing and expanding urban areas is, however, a challenge. ⌘ Read more

Germinated flours in breadmaking: Striking a balance between nutrition and quality
A recent study explores the potential of germinated flours as functional ingredients in breadmaking, highlighting both their nutritional benefits and their technological challenges. ⌘ Read more

New method to monitor sewage pollution in rivers
Scientists at the University of Stirling have developed a new method of monitoring the presence of pathogens in rivers polluted by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). ⌘ Read more

90-day tariff break risks major shipping disruption, says report
The surprisingly announced 90-day tariff pause in the trade war between the US and China could destabilize global maritime trade more than the tariff increases imposed so far. ⌘ Read more

Molecular switches that control bud elongation uncovered
Recently, a research team has successfully elucidated the stage-specific roles of plant hormones, particularly exogenous trans-zeatin (tZ), in regulating axillary bud development in Eucommia ulmoides, a high-value economic crop. ⌘ Read more

Nordic studies show the significance of old-growth forests for biodiversity
Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland conducted a systematic review of 99 scientific publications that compared the flora or fauna of old-growth forests, managed forests and clearcut sites in boreal Europe. The reviewed studies showed large differences in the species communities inhabiting these forest types. The research is published in the journal Biological Conservation. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong’s baby pandas finally get names. Meet Jia Jia and De De
Hong Kong’s first locally born giant pandas have finally been named and introduced as Jia Jia and De De. ⌘ Read more

Few diffusers and many bottlenecks: The French labor market according to statistical physics
How long have you been doing your current job? Have you ever thought about trying a new profession? How difficult does change seem to you? The current rapid transformation of the labor market is putting many workers to the test: they struggle to keep up and move into new roles, while at the same time, companies are having difficulty finding qualified personnel. ⌘ Read more

What birds can teach us about social learning
How does a bird learn its birdsong? Tomoko Fujii and Masashi Tanaka, from Waseda University, explored what drives a zebra finch to approach and imitate other zebra finches to learn its birdsong in a new JNeurosci paper. ⌘ Read more

Dual-action peptide can target viruses while promoting tissue repair
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, global interest in antiviral therapies has increased significantly. Recently, with the growing attention to peptide-based drugs such as Wegovy, demand for effective peptide therapeutics derived from natural substances is rapidly rising. In particular, peptide metabolites—which are generated when natural proteins break down in the body—are emerging as promising candidates for multifunctional drug develo … ⌘ Read more