Why so many animals, including our pets, have a third eyelid—yet humans don’t
Our family dog used to have a rather noticeable extra eyelid that became especially apparent when he dozed off, usually upturned on the rug. This is the fleshy curtain seen at the corner of each eye, closest to the nose. It’s also commonly called the nictitating (literally “blinking”) membrane. ⌘ Read more

Physicists propose path to faster, more flexible robots
In a May 15 paper released in the journal Physical Review Letters, Virginia Tech physicists revealed a microscopic phenomenon that could greatly improve the performance of soft devices, such as agile flexible robots or microscopic capsules for drug delivery. ⌘ Read more

First crewed flight of Boeing Starliner postponed again
The first crewed launch of Boeing’s Starliner to the International Space Station has been delayed again due to a technical issue, NASA said Friday. ⌘ Read more

Death toll from Texas storm rises to 7
The death toll from severe weather that lashed the Texas city of Houston has risen to seven, authorities said Friday. ⌘ Read more

‘Danger behind the beauty’: More solar storms could be heading our way
Tourists normally have to pay big money and brave cold climates for a chance to see an aurora, but last weekend many people around the world simply had to look up to see these colorful displays dance across the sky. ⌘ Read more

Research: Technology is changing how companies do business
In the fast-paced world of modern business, technology plays a crucial role in shaping how companies operate. One area where this impact is particularly significant is in the organization of production chains—specifically the way goods are made and distributed. ⌘ Read more

Canada’s wildfire season begins
Wildfire season has arrived in full force in Canada, prompting evacuation orders and alerts in several towns in British Columbia and Alberta due to the danger of uncontrolled blazes. ⌘ Read more

Earth from space: New Zealand’s North Island
Captured on 7 May 2024, this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image shows part of New Zealand’s North Island. ⌘ Read more

Data from MAXI J1820+070 shows Einstein was right about how matter plunges into a black hole
A team of astrophysicists from the University of Oxford, Newcastle University and the Institute of Astronomy, all in the U.K., working with a colleague from the University of Virginia, in the U.S., has found evidence showing that Albert Einstein was correct when his theory of general relativity predicted how matter that came to close to a black hole would fall into it. ⌘ Read more

Weather eases Canadian oil sands city wildfire menace
Rain and cooler weather have halted the advance of a huge wildfire threatening the Canadian city of Fort McMurray in a major oil-producing region, officials said Thursday. ⌘ Read more

For sale: unique piece of land in strategic Arctic archipelago
The last piece of privately owned land in the strategic Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic is up for grabs, a property likely to entice China but which Norway does not intend to let go without a fight. ⌘ Read more

A devastating fire 2,200 years ago preserved a moment of life and war in Iron Age Spain, down to a single gold earring
A ruined building in the middle of the Pyrenees records a tragedy for the people who lived there—a devastating fire that burned a settlement to the ground, destroying almost everything except a hidden gold earring. Now archaeologists’ excavation of Building G, in the strategically placed Iron Age site of Tossal de Baltarga, reveals a way of life derailed by violence: potentially, a … ⌘ Read more

Airborne technology brings new hope to map shallow aquifers in Earth’s most arid deserts
Water shortages are expanding across the Earth. This is particularly acute in desert areas of the Middle East that are subject to both drought and extreme conditions such as flooding. As a result of these uncertainties, there is an increasing reliance on shallow aquifers to mitigate these shortages. However, the characteristics of these aquifers remain poorly understood due to the reliance on sporadic w … ⌘ Read more

Detecting influence campaigns on X with AI and network science
In the age of generative-AI and large language models (LLMs), massive amounts of inauthentic content can be rapidly broadcasted on social media platforms. As a result, malicious actors are becoming more sophisticated, hijacking hashtags, artificially amplifying misleading content, and mass resharing propaganda. ⌘ Read more

Leopard DNA study in South Africa traces ancestry to ice age—and will guide conservation
An ice age almost one million years ago led to a meeting between leopards from central and southern Africa that were searching for grassland. New research into the leopards’ genetics—their mitogenome—has revealed that the descendants of these two groups are the leopards found today in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province. One of the researchers, molecular ecologist Laura Tensen, has been studying the genetic struc … ⌘ Read more

Researchers discover new family of bacteria with high pharmaceutical potential
Most antibiotics used in human medicine originate from natural products derived from bacteria and other microbes. Novel microorganisms are therefore a promising source of new active compounds, also for the treatment of diseases such as cancer or viral infections. ⌘ Read more

A golden layer unlocks sharper imaging and faster scanning with X-rays
Scientists have made a breakthrough in significantly improving the sharpness of X-ray imaging and potentially boosting the speeds at which X-ray scans can be processed. This lays the groundwork for both better medical imaging and faster security clearance. ⌘ Read more

The tide is turning against a controversial term accused of covering up deaths in police custody
Updated medical guidance on “excited delirium,” the controversial term accused of covering up deaths in police custody, including that of George Floyd, is being brought forward before its scheduled date of October 2025, reports The BMJ. ⌘ Read more

New strategy suppresses unwanted deletion events to make genome editing safer and more precise
A simple and robust strategy developed by KAUST scientists could help to improve the safety and accuracy of CRISPR gene editing, a tool that is already approved for clinical use for the treatment of inherited blood disorders. ⌘ Read more

SpaceX plans to launch 90 rockets from Vandenberg Space Force Base by 2026: Could that harm the coast?
SpaceX plans to launch 90 rockets into space from a Santa Barbara County military base by 2026, tripling the number of blasts rocking the coastal community—and raising concerns from neighbors and environmental groups about the effects on marine life. ⌘ Read more

Air quality alerts are a climate change alarm
The sky over Minnesota was the subject of fascination and frustration over the weekend. Awe over solar-storm triggered northern lights turned to “Aw, not again!” over an air quality alert sparked by smoke drifting from wildfires in western Canada. ⌘ Read more

Raw sewage pumped into England’s largest lake due to fault
Raw sewage was pumped into Windermere, England’s largest and best-known lake, over a 10-hour period after a fault caused pumps to stop working, according to documents seen by the BBC and reported Wednesday. ⌘ Read more

Avian flu detected in New York City wild birds
A small number of New York City wild birds carry highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, according to a study published in the Journal of Virology,. The work highlights that the interface between animals and humans that may give rise to zoonotic infections or even pandemics is not limited to rural environments and commercial poultry operations, but extends into urban centers. ⌘ Read more

Repurposed beer yeast encapsulated in hydrogels may offer a cost-effective way to remove lead from water
Every year, beer breweries generate and discard thousands of tons of surplus yeast. Researchers from MIT and Georgia Tech have now come up with a way to repurpose that yeast to absorb lead from contaminated water. ⌘ Read more

Climate change could significantly alter distribution of jellyfish and other gelatinous zooplankton in the Arctic Ocean
Gelatinous zooplankton, including jellyfish and other diverse, nearly transparent organisms, play important roles in marine ecosystems. Climate change is expected to significantly alter their populations and distributions. New research published in Limnology and Oceanography examines their fate in the Arctic Ocean, one of the fastest warming oceans on Earth. ⌘ Read more

How do mindfulness, compassion and need fulfillment affect satisfaction in midlife married couples?
Many people practice mindfulness or self-compassion techniques in their everyday life as part of their normal self-care routine. Although many studies support the individual benefits of mindfulness and self-compassion, few have focused on romantic relationship outcomes. A new study published in Personal Relationships has examined how mindfulness, self- and other-compassion, and ne … ⌘ Read more

Investigating the poisoning effect of carbon deposition during CO₂ electroreduction
A research team has proposed new understandings of the poisoning effect of carbon deposition during carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) on the active sites of Cu electrode. The study was published in Precision Chemistry. ⌘ Read more

New optical tweezers can trap large and irregularly shaped particles
Researchers have developed new optical tweezers that can stably trap particles that are large—about 0.1 mm—and irregularly shaped. While conventional optical tweezers use highly focused laser beams to trap micro- or nano-scale rod shaped or spherical particles, the advance could expand light-based trapping to a wider range of objects such as groups of cells, bacteria and microplastics. ⌘ Read more

Scientists develop sticky pesticide to combat pest insects
Researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and Leiden University have engineered a biological barrier that protects plants from diseases and pests. It concerns a sticky substance that is sprayed on leaves, to which pests stick. ⌘ Read more

More evacuated as early wildfires sweep western Canada
One of the year’s first major wildfires in Canada closed in Monday on the British Columbia town of Fort Nelson, as thousands of people across the nation were forced to flee advancing blazes. ⌘ Read more

Machine learning and AI aid in predicting molecular selectivity of chemical reactions
There are few problems now that AI and machine learning cannot help overcome. Researchers from the Yokohama National University are using this modern advantage to resolve what conventional methods cannot. ⌘ Read more

More desalination is coming to Australia’s driest states—but super-salty outflows could trash ecosystems and fisheries
From around 1996 to 2010, Australia was gripped by the millennium drought. As water shortages bit hard, most of Australia’s capital cities built large seawater desalination plants—Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth. Remote towns have also built smaller desalination plants. ⌘ Read more

Divorce rates are falling: Are Canadians too poor to break up?
Why did Al and Peg Bundy from the sitcom Married… with Children never get divorced? After all, they were rarely happy and constantly arguing. Maybe they felt they were the best they could do for each other—a middle-aged homely shoe salesman and a stay-at-home mom with two kids. They cared for each other, but they also hated each other deeply. And neither ever cheated, despite having the opportunity. ⌘ Read more

Nature’s 3D printer: Bristle worms form bristles piece by piece
A new interdisciplinary study led by molecular biologist Florian Raible from the Max Perutz Labs at the University of Vienna provides exciting insights into the bristles of the marine annelid worm Platynereis dumerilii. Specialized cells, called chaetoblasts, control the formation of the bristles. Their mode of operation is astonishingly similar to that of a technical 3D printer. ⌘ Read more

Indonesia flood death toll rises to 41 with 17 missing
The number of people killed by flash floods and cold lava flow from a volcano in western Indonesia over the weekend has risen to 41 with 17 more missing, a local disaster agency official told AFP Monday. ⌘ Read more

What deadly Venus can tell us about life on other worlds
Even though Venus and Earth are so-called sister planets, they’re as different as heaven and hell. Earth is a natural paradise where life has persevered under its azure skies despite multiple mass extinctions. On the other hand, Venus is a blistering planet with clouds of sulfuric acid and atmospheric pressure strong enough to squash a human being. ⌘ Read more

Brazil authorities warn of more floods, landslides as new rains hit south
New rains in waterlogged southern Brazil are expected to be heaviest between Sunday and Monday, authorities have warned, bringing fresh misery to victims of flooding that has killed 136 people so far. ⌘ Read more

AI may be to blame for our failure to make contact with alien civilizations
Artificial intelligence (AI) has progressed at an astounding pace over the last few years. Some scientists are now looking towards the development of artificial superintelligence (ASI)—a form of AI that would not only surpass human intelligence but would not be bound by the learning speeds of humans. ⌘ Read more

Fresh rains pound Brazil’s flood-hit south as evacuations double
The skies opened once again Friday in southern Brazil, offering little respite for those whose homes have been swallowed by floodwaters, while the number of people forced to evacuate doubled in 24 hours. ⌘ Read more

Q&A: Researcher exposes child labor trafficking as a hidden crime after investigating 132 victims
Children trafficked for their labor often work in public view in restaurants, laundromats, agricultural fields and water parks, but little has been known about their plight. ⌘ Read more

Elephants use gestures and vocal cues when greeting each other, study reports
A team of animal behaviorists from the University of Vienna, the University of Portsmouth, Elephant CREW, Jafuta Reserve and the University of St Andrews has found that elephants use gestures and vocal cues when they greet one another. ⌘ Read more

Designer peptoids mimic nature’s helices
Nature is filled with extraordinarily precise molecular shapes that fit together like a hand in glove. Proteins, for example, can assemble into a wide variety of well-defined shapes that grant them their function. ⌘ Read more

Team compares robot-assisted language learning systems and human tutors in English conversation lessons
Advancements in large language models, robotics, and software such as text-to-speech, have made it possible to develop robots that can understand language, interact physically, and communicate verbally. These breakthroughs have opened up possibilities for robots to be used for educational purposes. However, this raises the question of whether robots are as good as human tutors. While robots offer … ⌘ Read more

Why some receiving federal benefits don’t consider themselves poor, although poverty rates have increased
For the past 25 years, my research as a cultural anthropologist has taken me into the homes and neighborhoods of people living in poverty in cities and rural communities throughout the U.S. ⌘ Read more

Research investigates the environment of globular cluster NGC 6355
Using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), Argentinian astronomers have investigated the environment of a galactic globular cluster known as NGC 6355. The study, presented in a paper published May 2 on the pre-print server arXiv, found that the cluster has several extra-tidal features. ⌘ Read more

Team develops an epigenome editing toolkit to dissect the mechanisms of gene regulation
Understanding how genes are regulated at the molecular level is a central challenge in modern biology. This complex mechanism is mainly driven by the interaction between proteins called transcription factors, DNA regulatory regions, and epigenetic modifications—chemical alterations that change chromatin structure. The set of epigenetic modifications of a cell’s genome is referred to as the epigenome. ⌘ Read more

Bleaching of coral reefs shows severe ocean circulation changes
A new paper in Oxford Open Climate Change indicates that extensive bleaching and deaths are widespread at several major coral reefs around the world. This suggests that climate change has resulted in shifting patterns in ocean circulation. Coral reefs may soon be a thing of the past. ⌘ Read more

Global warming may boost mosquito habitats, study finds
A research team at Los Alamos National Laboratory is using computer models to simulate how climate change could expand the geographical range in which mosquitoes live, which may cause an increase in mosquito-borne illness. The study was recently published in the Journal of Climate Change and Health. ⌘ Read more

Researchers target spermidine production to combat emerging drug resistance in Salmonella
Food-borne diseases like typhoid, caused by Salmonella Typhimurium, are a severe threat to public health, especially in India. The indiscriminate use of antibiotics has allowed this bacterium to become resistant, posing a major hurdle in treating infections. ⌘ Read more

NASA and JAXA XRISM spot iron fingerprints in nearby active galaxy
After starting science operations in February, Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) studied the monster black hole at the center of galaxy NGC 4151. ⌘ Read more