ScienceDaily: All - May 18, 2025
Today's top research news
Flamingos create water tornados to trap their prey
Flamingos have developed an amazing variety of techniques to create swirls and eddies in the water to concentrate and eat brine shrimp and other organisms, a biologist found. They stomp dance to stir organisms from the bottom and concentrate them in whorls. The organisms are then drawn upward by a head jerk that forms a vortex. Meanwhile, their beak is chattering underwater to create vortices that funnel prey into their mouths.
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Researchers find CRISPR is capable of even more than we thought
Newly discovered weapons of bacterial self-defense take different approaches to achieving the same goal: preventing a virus from spreading through the bacterial population.
Longer-lasting wearables set to transform health monitoring
A new article describes a longer-lasting, 3D-printed, adhesive-free wearable capable of providing a more comprehensive picture of a user's physiological state.
A new study reveals that heat-tolerant symbiotic algae may be essential to saving elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) -- a foundational species in Caribbean reef ecosystems -- from the devastating impacts of marine heatwaves and coral bleaching.
Study reveals healing the ozone hole helps the Southern Ocean take up carbon
New research suggests that the negative effects of the ozone hole on the carbon uptake of the Southern Ocean are reversible, but only if greenhouse gas emissions rapidly decrease. The study finds that as the ozone hole heals, its influence on the ocean carbon sink of the Southern Ocean will diminish, while the influence of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will rise.
Individual layers of synthetic materials can collaborate for greater impact
Millions of years of evolution have enabled some marine animals to grow complex protective shells composed of multiple layers that work together to dissipate physical stress. In a new study, engineers have found a way to mimic the behavior of this type of layered material, such as seashell nacre, by programming individual layers of synthetic material to work collaboratively under stress. The new material design is poised to enhance energy-absorbing systems such as wearable bandages and car bumpers with multistage responses that adapt to collision severity.
New research details how infrared thermography, high-definition imaging and neural network analysis can combine to make concrete bridge inspections more efficient. Researchers are hopeful that their findings can be leveraged by engineers through a combination of these methods to strategically pinpoint bridge conditions and better allocate repair costs.
Scientists discover key gene impacts liver energy storage, affecting metabolic disease risk
A new study reveals that a single gene plays a big role in how the liver stores energy, a process that's critical for overall health and for managing diseases like type 2 diabetes. The research focuses on the PPP1R3B gene. This gene tells the liver how to handle energy: store it as glycogen (a form of sugar) or triglycerides (a type of fat).
AI-powered app enables anemia screening using fingernail selfies
A groundbreaking new study introduces an AI-powered smartphone app that noninvasively screens for anemia using a photo of a user's fingernail. The study shows the app provides hemoglobin estimates comparable to traditional lab tests, with over 1.4 million tests conducted by 200,000+ users. An estimated 83 million Americans and more than 2 billion people globally are at high risk for anemia -- populations that stand to benefit significantly from this accessible screening tool. The app offers a low-cost, scalable solution that enhances access, especially in underserved and remote communities, while enabling real-time health monitoring and earlier intervention.
From prehistoric resident to runaway pet: First tegu fossil found in the U.S.
Originally from South America, the charismatic tegu made its way to the United States via the pet trade of the 1990s. But a recent discovery shows these reptiles are no strangers to the region -- tegus were here millions of years before their modern relatives arrived in pet carriers.
Measles virus detected in Houston wastewater before cases were reported
An innovative outbreak detection program that tracks disease-causing viruses in wastewater identified the measles virus in Houston samples collected in early January 2025, before cases were reported.
Sunlight-powered system mimics plants to power carbon capture
Current methods of capturing and releasing carbon are expensive and so energy-intensive they often require, counterproductively, the use of fossil fuels. Taking inspiration from plants, researchers have assembled a chemical process that can power carbon capture with an energy source that's abundant, clean and free: sunlight.
Submarine robot catches an underwater wave
Engineers have taught a simple submarine robot to take advantage of turbulent forces to propel itself through water.
Lower tackle height changing face of women's rugby, study says
Lowering the legal tackle height in women's rugby is proving effective in reducing head contacts between players, a new study suggests. Changes to the tackle height law in women's community rugby in Scotland is linked to reductions in head-to-head and head-to shoulder contacts, the study found. The researchers used video analysis to study the impact of the lowered tackle height law which World Rugby, the sport's governing body, introduced for community rugby in an attempt to improve safety for players.
Olympic anti-doping lab puts U.S. meat supply to the test
Scientists turned their sophisticated analytical capabilities for testing athlete samples for performance-enhancing drugs to research examining the U.S. meat supply. The study was designed to investigate concerns that residues of growth promoters used in meat production could potentially cause athletes to test positive.
CAR-T cell therapy for cancer causes 'brain fog,' study shows
Cancer treatment with a cell-based immunotherapy causes mild cognitive impairment, a Stanford Medicine team found. They also identified compounds that could treat it.
Evidence of mother-offspring attachment types in wild chimpanzees
A team of researchers has identified distinct mother-offspring attachment types in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus). Drawing parallels with human psychology, the study provides compelling evidence that wild chimpanzee infants, like human children, develop critical secure and insecure-avoidant attachment patterns to their mothers. However, unlike humans and some captive chimpanzees, wild chimpanzees did not exhibit disorganized attachment characterized by high rates of aggression. This raises new questions about how this type of attachment may be shaped by survival and modern environmental pressures.
Drug to slow Alzheimer's well tolerated outside of clinical trial setting
In a recent study, researchers found adverse events were rare and manageable among clinic patients with very mild or mild Alzheimer's disease who received lecanemab infusions.
Invasive salmon, clams and seaweed are next threats to biodiversity in Britain
Pink salmon, Purple Asian clams, marine invertebrates that form spaghetti-like colonies and a nematode worm that causes extensive deaths of trees are among the new entries in experts' watchlist of invasive non-native species that could threaten Great Britain in the next 10 years. The latest version of the watchlist again includes known problem species such as the yellow-legged (Asian) hornet, raccoon and twoleaf watermilfoil.
Addressing hearing loss may reduce isolation among the elderly
Providing hearing aids and advice on their use may preserve social connections that often wane as we age, a new study shows. Its authors say that this approach could help ease the loneliness epidemic that older Americans face.
Extended reality boccia shows positive rehabilitation effects
A team has developed Boccia XR, a rehabilitation program using extended reality technology that can be introduced even in environments with limited space.
Different anesthetics, same result: Unconsciousness by shifting brainwave phase
A new study finds that an easily measurable brain wave shift of phase may be a universal marker of unconsciousness under general anesthesia.
It's not just El Niño: New climate phenomenon impacts Hawai'i rainfall
El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is known to have a significant impact on climate across the Pacific, including Hawai'i, and adjacent continents. However, atmospheric scientists have now revealed that the Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM), another climate pattern that operates in the eastern Pacific Ocean, plays a major role in the variability of rainfall in Hawai'i.
Tapping a new toolbox, engineers buck tradition in new high-performing heat exchanger
A team engineers created a twisty high-temperature heat exchanger that outperformed a traditional straight channel design in heat transfer, power density and effectiveness and used an innovative technique to 3D print and test the metal proof of concept.
Universe decays faster than thought, but still takes a long time
The universe is decaying much faster than thought. This is shown by calculations of scientists on the so-called Hawking radiation. They calculate that the last stellar remnants take about 10^78 years (a 1 with 78 zeros) to perish. That is much shorter than the previously postulated 10^1100 years (a 1 with 1100 zeros).
Astrophysicist searches for ripples in space and time in new way
Massive ripples in the very fabric of space and time wash over Earth constantly, although you'd never notice. An astrophysicist is trying a new search for these gravitational waves.
Your fingers wrinkle in the same pattern every time you're in the water for too long
Your fingers wrinkle in the same pattern every time you're in the water for too long, according to new research.
Helping birds and floating solar energy coexist
How might floating solar energy projects impact wild birds and vice versa? A paper outlines key considerations for a growing floating solar industry.
Cell death discovery could lead to next-gen drugs for neurodegenerative conditions
Researchers have discovered how to block cells dying, in a finding that could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The team has identified a small molecule that can selectively block cell death.
The kids are hungry: Juvenile European green crabs just as damaging as adults
Scientists have found that juvenile European green crabs can do as much damage as adults to shellfish and native sea plants, calling into question current methods to eradicate the invasive crustaceans.
The how and why of the brain's division across hemispheres
Why does the brain split visual spatial perception between its hemispheres? A new review by neuroscientists examines the advantages and trade-offs, and how the brain ultimately makes vision feel seamless.