Government funding for AI jobs did not produce more jobs, research finds
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how companies operate, but it may not translate into more job creation, according to new research. ⌘ Read more

A new route to synthesize multiple functionalized carbon nanohoops
The field of nanomaterials is witnessing a transformative shift at the intersection of organic chemistry and molecular engineering. Among the most promising molecular structures are carbon nanohoops, of which [n]cycloparaphenylenes ([n]CPPs) are a representative example. ⌘ Read more

Learning how to destroy PFAS—down to the tiniest airborne particles
Getting rid of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) is one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time. This group of 15,000 human-made chemicals doesn’t break down naturally, leaching into soils and waterways and accumulating in the environment. ⌘ Read more

New tool will help manage one of Nevada’s most critical freshwater sources
The Nature Conservancy in Nevada (TNC in Nevada), DRI, and the University of Wisconsin—Madison (UW-Madison) have developed the Nevada GDE Water Needs Explorer Tool. This new online resource helps land and water managers understand how groundwater supports groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) and how changes in water levels can affect them. ⌘ Read more

Q&A: Uncovering the low-temperature oxygen storage and release mechanism of Mn–CeO₂ nanoparticles
The search for better oxygen carriers has long centered on one key question: how can we design metal oxides that can reversibly store and release lattice oxygen efficiently at lower temperatures? This reversible behavior underpins clean-energy technologies such as fuel conversion, CO2 capture, and chemical looping for hydrogen production, where reaction feasibility and efficiency depend directly … ⌘ Read more

Moon-based observations capture Earth’s ‘radiation fingerprint’
Earth’s radiation budget is a core process of the Earth-atmosphere system, closely linked to global climate and environmental changes. While current satellite observations have greatly advanced our understanding of Earth’s radiation budget, low-Earth orbit and geostationary satellites struggle to achieve both temporal continuity and spatial consistency. Accurately capturing the laws of Earth’s outgoing radiation is key to studying th … ⌘ Read more

Citizen science and the challenge of measuring urban sustainability
Cities are expected to track sustainability progress with data that are often incomplete, outdated, or available only at national level. New research led by IIASA in collaboration with UN-Habitat finds that citizen science could address these gaps and support nearly 70% of global sustainability indicators, yet is currently used in only 4% of cases. ⌘ Read more

Feeling unprepared for the AI boom? You’re not alone
Journalist Ira Glass, who hosts the NPR show “This American Life,” is not a computer scientist. He doesn’t work at Google, Apple or Nvidia. But he does have a great ear for useful phrases, and in 2024 he organized an entire episode around one that might resonate with anyone who feels blindsided by the pace of AI development: “Unprepared for what has already happened.” ⌘ Read more

Dealing with a difficult relationship? Here’s how psychology says you can shift the dynamic
Relationships can feel like both a blessing and the bane of your existence, a source of joy and a source of frustration or resentment. At some point, each of us is faced with a clingy child, a dramatic friend, a partner who recoils at the first hint of intimacy, a volatile parent or a controlling boss—in short, a difficult relationship. ⌘ Read more

Saltier seas in spring double the chance of extreme El Niño events, study finds
Stronger El Niño events are more likely when springtime surface waters in the western Pacific Ocean become unusually salty, a new study in Geophysical Research Letters suggests. Traditionally, scientists have focused on temperature and wind patterns to understand El Niño—periodic shifts in the tropical Pacific between warmer and cooler conditions that influence weather patterns across the globe. But researchers now show tha … ⌘ Read more

To reach net-zero, reverse current policy and protect the largest trees in the Amazon, say scientists
At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2015, countries around the world committed to striving towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of the 21st century. But achieving this goal is difficult, even for countries boasting extensive forests that could, in principle, act as important carbon sinks if deforestation were halted. ⌘ Read more

Period pain and heavy bleeding cost the Australian economy billions every year in lost productivity
While period pain and heavy menstrual bleeding are common, they’re often dealt with privately. Yet they take a profound toll on a person’s health—and finances. ⌘ Read more

Novel biosensor enables real-time tracking of iron (II) in living cells
Iron is an essential trace element in biological cells. The concentration of the element and its so-called redox state—it can exist either in a doubly ionized state as iron (II) (Fe2+) or a triply ionized state as iron (III) (Fe3+)—play a key role in metabolic processes such as cellular respiration and in microbial stress responses. ⌘ Read more

Researchers develop high-performance fluoroborate crystals for deep-ultraviolet lasers
Deep-ultraviolet (DUV, λ < 200 nm) all-solid-state lasers, essential to modern scientific research and industrial manufacturing, are widely applied in fields from material analysis to lithography. Their commercialization depends heavily on high-performance nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals, but developing such crystals is hampered by strict requirements: They must simultaneously possess large second harmo … ⌘ Read more

Cleaner air is (inadvertently) harming the Great Barrier Reef
Air pollution is now recognized as one of the greatest threats to human health, contributing to an estimated 4.2 million premature deaths in 2019, according to the World Health Organization. ⌘ Read more

Humanity’s oldest known cave art has been discovered in Sulawesi
When we think of the world’s oldest art, Europe usually comes to mind, with famous cave paintings in France and Spain often seen as evidence this was the birthplace of symbolic human culture. But new evidence from Indonesia dramatically reshapes this picture. ⌘ Read more

Radicalism, extremism, fundamentalism: International study finds numerous commonalities—and certain differences
From a social sciences perspective, people with radical, extremist, or fundamentalist attitudes are similar in some respects: In most cases, they are younger and less educated men who feel that they are not taken seriously enough. This is one of the key findings of a research team led by professor Marc Helbling, sociologist at the University of Mannheim focusing on … ⌘ Read more

Why does it feel like dangerous ocean creatures are ruining Australia’s summer?
In the same week that New South Wales experienced four shark attacks, Victorian beachgoers were warned about stinging jellyfish. ⌘ Read more

Q&A: Achieving a carbon neutral society through freshwater carbon research
CO2 that has been absorbed and accumulated in fresh water areas like lakes and reservoirs—is receiving attention for its potential contributions to achieving a carbon neutral society. Kobe University is a hub for freshwater carbon research, with Graduate School of Engineering Professor Nakayama Keisuke, an expert in aquatic and environmental engineering, at the forefront. ⌘ Read more

Astrophysicists discover largest sulfur-containing molecular compound in space
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), in collaboration with astrophysicists from the Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, have identified the largest sulfur-bearing molecule ever found in space: 2,5-cyclohexadiene-1-thione (C₆H₆S). They made this breakthrough by combining laboratory experiments with astronomical observations. The molecule resides in the molecular … ⌘ Read more

Discovery of PITTs shows platelets can switch from clotting to driving vessel inflammation
A team from Würzburg has fundamentally changed our understanding of platelet biology. The researchers demonstrate that the surface protein integrin αIIbβ3 is not only a key molecule in blood clotting, but can also act as a pro-inflammatory effector during severe disease processes. Under these conditions, αIIbβ3 switches function and becomes a structural component of a previously unknown organelle: PITT … ⌘ Read more

Arctic blast to wallop N. America—is climate change to blame?
An unusually brutal winter storm is set to pummel more than 160 million Americans from Friday, as a stretched “polar vortex” sends a devastating blast of Arctic air, bringing heavy snows and freezing rains. ⌘ Read more

NASA head Isaacman tempers Artemis praise with ideas on the program’s future
Even as NASA celebrated the rollout of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Artemis II over the weekend, NASA’s new administrator, Jared Isaacman, made sure to put an asterisk on the program’s future. ⌘ Read more