Evidence shows cross-regional marine plastic pollution in green sea turtles
Researchers examined the diet and plastic ingestion of green sea turtles inhabiting waters around the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, and detected plastics in 7 of the 10 individuals studied. By integrating genetic, isotopic, and plastic analyses, they estimated that the ingested plastics originated from areas beyond the turtles’ migratory range, indicating the influence of transboundary marine pollution. The paper is pub … ⌘ Read more

Organic crystals self-heal at cryogenic temperatures via zipping action
At temperatures where most molecular movement ceases, certain organic crystals begin their self-healing journey. ⌘ Read more

Radio waves enable energy-efficient AI on edge devices without heavy hardware
As drones survey forests, robots navigate warehouses and sensors monitor city streets, more of the world’s decision-making is occurring autonomously on the edge—on the small devices that gather information at the ends of much larger networks. ⌘ Read more

Loss functions and constraints improve sea surface height prediction
In order to understand currents, tides and other ocean dynamics, scientists need to accurately capture sea surface height, or a snapshot of the ocean’s surface, including peaks and valleys due to changes in wind, currents and temperature, at any given moment. In order to more accurately forecast ocean circulation and other processes, climate variability, air-sea interactions and extreme weather events, researchers need to be a … ⌘ Read more

What past global warming reveals about future rainfall
To understand how global warming could influence future climate, scientists look to the Paleogene Period that began 66 million years ago, covering a time when Earth’s atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were two to four times higher than they are today. ⌘ Read more

Ocean temperatures hit another record high in 2025
A new international analysis published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences on 9 January finds that Earth’s oceans stored more heat in 2025 than in any year since modern measurements began. ⌘ Read more

Roads can become more dangerous on hot days—especially for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists
During heat waves, everyday life tends to feel more difficult than on an average day. Travel and daily movement are no exception. ⌘ Read more

Scientists solve longstanding mystery about diseases driven by uncontrolled cell growth
For the first time, scientists have answered a longstanding question in cell biology about a partnership of proteins called the “KICSTOR–GATOR1 complex” which operates as a control system inside our cells, telling them when to grow and when to stop based on nutrient availability (especially amino acids). ⌘ Read more

Sensor lights up to reveal scopolamine, a common substance used for sexual assault
A team from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) has led the development of a new sensor capable of quickly and easily detecting scopolamine, one of the substances most commonly used in crimes of chemical submission, especially in sexual assaults. The sensor detects the presence of this drug in less than five minutes with high sensitivity. The research is published in the journal Angewandte Chemie In … ⌘ Read more

Frequent Arctic wildfires could cut snow cover by 18 days, impacting global climate and ecology
The correlation between Arctic wildfires and abnormal snow cover under global warming is of growing concern. A comprehensive quantitative assessment by researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has shown that increasingly frequent seasonal wildland fires across the Arctic in recent years have delayed snow cover formation by at least five days and could lead to a future 18-day redu … ⌘ Read more

Searching for the centromere: Diversity in pathways key for cell division
Despite the immense amount of genetic material present in each cell, around 3 billion base pairs in humans, this material needs to be accurately divided in two and allocated in equal quantities. The centromere, located in the middle of each chromosome, is known as the site where cellular equipment attaches to divide chromosomes successfully, but the specific mechanisms behind this remain unknown. ⌘ Read more

Global study reveals widespread burning of plastic for heating and cooking
A new Curtin University-led study has shed new light on the widespread number of households in developing countries burning plastic as an everyday energy source, uncovering serious international health, social equality and environmental concerns. ⌘ Read more

Combining ecological restoration with climate-resilient agriculture to tackle desertification
Desertification threatens 24% of the world’s land area spanning 126 countries and impacts 35% of the global population. Yet mainstream global efforts to tackle desertification prioritize short-term vegetation greening over addressing resource constraints and local livelihoods, creating hidden barriers to achieving the United Nations’ long-term Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ⌘ Read more

Unearthing experimental materials data buried in scientific papers using LLMs
Technologies that underpin modern society, such as smartphones and automobiles, rely on a diverse range of functional materials. Materials scientists are therefore working to develop and improve new materials, but predicting material properties is no simple task. Data science is key to transforming this field, and new tools powered by artificial intelligence are expected to accelerate the exploration, col … ⌘ Read more

You’ve heard of climate change. What is the climate debt doom loop?
Municipal bonds are a time-honored way to fund roads, schools, bridges and other public projects while paying investors interest, usually at tax-free rates. ⌘ Read more

A dead whale found on the bow of a ship in New Jersey sparks an investigation
After a dead whale was found on the bow of a container ship docked in New Jersey, authorities were working Tuesday to remove the carcass and determine the endangered animal’s cause of death. ⌘ Read more

The 5 stages of the ‘enshittification’ of academic publishing
When writer Cory Doctorow introduced the term “enshittification” in 2023, he captured a pattern many users had already noticed in their personal lives. ⌘ Read more

Cracking sleep’s evolutionary code: Neuron protection traced back to jellyfish and sea anemones
A new study from Bar-Ilan University shows that one of sleep’s core functions originated hundreds of millions of years ago in jellyfish and sea anemones, among the earliest creatures with nervous systems. By tracing this mechanism back to these ancient animals, the research demonstrates that protecting neurons from DNA damage and cellular stress is a basic, ancient function of sleep that began long b … ⌘ Read more

Ticking time bomb: Some northeastern US farmers report as many as 70 tick encounters over a 6-month period
Finding one tick on your body is scary enough—tick-borne diseases are serious—but what if you found more than 10 on yourself in just one month? That’s the plight of some farmers as the threat of ticks and tick-borne diseases grows, according to new research featuring experts at Binghamton University, State University of New York. ⌘ Read more

ALMA devours cosmic ‘hamburger,’ reveals potential for giant planet formation
Have you ever found something unexpected in your hamburger? Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) were surprised to discover the very earliest phases of giant planet formation between the dense layers of gas and dust in the “Gomez’s Hamburger” system, referred to as GoHam. This research, currently in preparation for publication, was presented at a press conference at the American Ast … ⌘ Read more

A rare whale is having an encouraging season for births. Scientists warn it might still go extinct
One of the world’s rarest whale species is having more babies this year than in some recent seasons, but experts say many more young are needed to help stave off the possibility of extinction. ⌘ Read more

LA fires: Chemicals from the smoke lingered inside homes long after the wildfires were out. Studies tracked the harm
When wildfires began racing through the Los Angeles area on Jan. 7, 2025, the scope of the disaster caught residents by surprise. Forecasters had warned about high winds and exceptionally dry conditions, but few people expected to see smoke and fires for weeks in one of America’s largest metro areas. ⌘ Read more

Ancient Antarctica reveals a ‘one–two punch’ behind ice sheet collapse
When we think of global warming, what first comes to mind is the air: crushing heat waves that are felt rather than seen, except through the haziness of humid air. But when it comes to melting ice sheets, rising ocean temperatures may play more of a role—with the worst effects experienced on the other side of the globe. ⌘ Read more

Why astronomy needs a giant in the Canary Islands
Size matters when it comes to telescopes. The bigger they are, the farther they can see. Prioritizing constructing large ones is therefore high on the priority list for many observational organizations. But doing so comes at a cost, and not just in terms of money. Finding a suitable site can be a challenge, and that has been particularly true for the effort to build a 30-meter telescope in the Northern Hemisphere. ⌘ Read more

Sediments of the Ahr river show recurring high-magnitude flood events
Recurring high-energy flood events are not the exception but the rule in the Ahr Valley in western Germany—and this occurs over periods of centuries to millennia. This is shown in a study recently published in the journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms and led by Leipzig University. Researchers from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe … ⌘ Read more

Fault-tolerant quantum computing: Novel protocol efficiently reduces resource cost
Quantum computers, systems that process information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, could soon outperform classical computers on some complex computational problems. These computers rely on qubits, units of quantum information that share states with each other via a quantum mechanical effect known as entanglement. ⌘ Read more

Rapid on-site detection of food fraud
Counterfeit or low-quality products—such as olive oil made from dyed rapeseed oil—are often difficult or impossible to identify at a glance. A mobile gas chromatography sensor system is now being developed to help detect falsely labeled products directly on site. Three Fraunhofer institutes are working together to create an affordable, easy-to-use device that enables even non-experts to perform rapid, on-the-spot assessments. ⌘ Read more

Geometry shapes life: Embryo curvature acts as instruction manual for coordinated cell division
Life begins with a single fertilized cell that gradually transforms into a multicellular organism. This process requires precise coordination; otherwise, the embryo could develop serious complications. Scientists at ISTA have now demonstrated that the zebrafish eggs, in particular their curvature, might be the instruction manual that keeps cell division on schedule and activates the appropriate genes … ⌘ Read more

Coral reef fish recovery could boost sustainable seafood servings by up to 50 percent
With a human population of 8.3 billion people worldwide and millions facing malnutrition, food security is something to think about. But imagine if the ocean could help with that. ⌘ Read more

Galactic globular cluster loses stars through tidal stripping, observations reveal
Using the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT), astronomers have observed a nearby galactic globular cluster known as NGC 6569. Results of the observational campaign, published December 22 on the arXiv preprint server, indicate that this galaxy is actively losing stars through tidal stripping. ⌘ Read more

The interstellar comet that’s spilling its secrets
When 3I/ATLAS swept past the sun in late October 2025, it became only the third confirmed visitor from interstellar space ever detected. Unlike the mysterious ‘Oumuamua, which revealed almost nothing about itself during its brief flyby in 2017, or even 2I/Borisov which appeared in 2019, this latest interstellar traveler arrived with perfect timing for detailed study. ⌘ Read more

Quantum spins team up to create stable, long-lived microwave signals
When quantum particles work together, they can produce signals far stronger than any one particle could generate alone. This collective phenomenon, called superradiance, is a powerful example of cooperation at the quantum level. Until now, superradiance was mostly known for making quantum systems lose their energy too quickly, posing challenges for quantum technologies. ⌘ Read more

Experiment nixes ‘sterile’ neutrino explanation of previous unexpected measurements
Experimental particle physicists working at the MicroBooNE experiment at Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory have found evidence against the existence of a “sterile” type of neutrino hypothesized to be responsible for previous experiments’ anomalous results, as detailed in a paper published in Nature. ⌘ Read more

Real-life experiment shows Niels Bohr was right in a theoretical debate with Einstein
Scientists in China have performed an experiment first proposed by Albert Einstein almost a century ago when he sought to disprove the quantum mechanical principle of complementarity put forth by Niels Bohr and his school of physicists. Bohr claimed there are properties of particles that cannot simultaneously be measured. The new result backs up the Copenhagen school yet again, with the potential to shed light on ot … ⌘ Read more

Regional temperature records broken across the world in 2025
Central Asia, the Sahel region and northern Europe experienced their hottest year on record in 2025, according to AFP analysis based on data from the European Copernicus program. ⌘ Read more

Eco-friendly palladium recovery technology to safeguard resource security
Palladium is widely used in various industries and everyday products, including smartphones, semiconductor manufacturing processes, and hydrogen fuel cells. It is an essential metal that acts as an excellent catalyst even in minute quantities, reducing pollutants and enhancing energy efficiency. However, palladium production is concentrated in a few countries, leading to an unstable supply. South Korea generates signi … ⌘ Read more

Image: Ball bearings as tools for studying physics in microgravity
In this Oct. 20, 2025, photo, tiny ball bearings surround a larger central bearing during the Fluid Particles experiment, conducted inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) aboard the International Space Station’s Destiny laboratory module. ⌘ Read more

Mathematicians crack cellular noise puzzle, paving path for better cancer treatment
Why does cancer sometimes recur even after successful treatment, or why do some bacteria survive despite the use of powerful antibiotics? One of the key culprits identified is “biological noise”—random fluctuations occurring inside cells. ⌘ Read more

NASA’s Chandra rings in the new year with the Champagne Cluster
Celebrate the New Year with the “Champagne Cluster,” a galaxy cluster seen in this new image from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and optical telescopes. ⌘ Read more

Nanozigzags, a new biomaterial, can enhance cancer immunotherapy efficacy by nearly 70%
Immunotherapy has emerged in recent years as a new cancer treatment that is gentler than traditional chemotherapy and causes milder side effects in patients. However, conventional dendritic cell (DC) immunotherapy shows inconsistent clinical outcomes, and the cell culture process remains complex and costly. ⌘ Read more

Encoding adaptive intelligence in molecular matter by design
For more than 50 years, scientists have sought alternatives to silicon for building molecular electronics. The vision was elegant; the reality proved far more complex. Within a device, molecules behave not as orderly textbook entities but as densely interacting systems where electrons flow, ions redistribute, interfaces evolve, and even subtle structural variations can induce strongly nonlinear responses. The promise was compelling, yet pred … ⌘ Read more

Bison return to Illinois’ Kane County after 200 years, a crucial step for conservation and Indigenous connection
From their cozy homes in suburban Burlington, children curiously watch their new neighbors through windows and brainstorm nicknames. ⌘ Read more

Suspected shark attack at California occurred in time and place where large sharks come to feed
It’s peak bulking-up season for white sharks in Monterey Bay, and over the past week, two animals previously tagged by scientists passed through the waters near Lovers Point—the same area where swimmer Erica Fox vanished after witnesses reported seeing a shark nearby, experts said. ⌘ Read more

Rethinking how we end a satellite’s mission
At the end of their lives, most satellites fall to their death. Many of the smaller ones, including most of those going up as part of the “mega-constellations” currently under construction, are intended to burn up in the atmosphere. This Design for Demise (D4D) principle has unintended consequences, according to a paper published in Acta Astronautica by Antoinette Ott and Christophe Bonnal, both of whom work for MaiaSpace, a company designing reusable launch ve … ⌘ Read more

Archaeology team uncovers lost mission site of Espiritu Santo
An archaeology team from Texas Tech University in collaboration with Texas Historical Commission archaeologists Kay Hindes, Jim Bruseth, Tiffany Osburn and Brad Jones found the lost site of Mission Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo in early December. The site is located in Jackson County, Texas, on a private ranch near the Presidio la Bahía and Fort St. Louis. ⌘ Read more

Novel model to reveal deep-sea black coral symbiotic system
A research team has achieved a significant breakthrough in understanding the adaptive strategies of the deep-sea black coral Bathypathes pseudoalternata (B. pseudoalternata) and its symbiotic microbiome. The study has been published in Cell Host & Microbe. ⌘ Read more

Progress persists for low-baseline sustainable development goals, while high-baseline goals stagnate or reverse
With only five years until the 2030 deadline for achieving the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a new international study reveals uneven progress in achieving the goals since their adoption in 2015. ⌘ Read more

Aluminum cans are a viable alternative to bottles for red muscadine wine, new study finds
One of the main reasons wine traditionally comes in bottles is to protect its quality. Glass is nonreactive, and the cork or screw cap provides an airtight seal that prevents oxygen from spoiling the liquid. In recent years, a new rival has appeared on the scene—aluminum cans. But there are concerns that the metal may interact with the wine, altering its unique flavor. ⌘ Read more

A new way to map how cells choose their fate
Researchers from Kyushu University have developed an innovative computational method, called ddHodge, that can reconstruct the complex dynamics of how cells decide their fate. ⌘ Read more