ScienceDaily: Featured - February 09, 2025
Featured research news
Alien ocean could hide signs of life from spacecraft
A new study focusing on Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, shows that the physics of alien oceans could prevent evidence of deep-sea life from reaching places where we can detect it.
An Arctic 'beyond recognition' by 2100
Based on the current pledges of countries for limiting their emissions of greenhouse gases, global temperatures are projected to reach 2.7 degrees Celsius beyond pre-industrial levels by the end of this century. A new review paper highlights how this would dramatically reshape the Arctic, the fastest-warming region of Earth.
Soft tissue from a 183 million-year-old Jurassic plesiosaur analyzed
Researchers have analyzed the soft tissue from a fossilized plesiosaur for the first time. The results show that the long-necked marine reptile had both smooth and scaly skin. This was likely so it could both swim rapidly and move along rough seabeds.
Temperamental stars are distorting our view of distant planets
'Temperamental' stars that brighten and dim over a matter of hours or days may be distorting our view of thousands of distant planets, suggests a new study.
Some species of baleen whales avoid attracting killer whales by singing too low to be heard
New research finds some baleen whale species call at such deep frequencies that they're completely undetectable by killer whales, which cannot hear sounds below 100 hertz. These also tend to be the species of baleen whales that flee in the face of attack from killer whales.
New technology lights way for accelerating coral reef restoration
Scientists have developed a novel tool designed to protect and conserve coral reefs by providing them with an abundance of feeding opportunities.
Novel 'living' biomaterial aims to advance regenerative medicine
A biomaterial that can mimic certain behaviors within biological tissues could advance regenerative medicine, disease modeling, soft robotics and more, according to researchers.
Scientists discover brain mechanism that helps us overcome fear
Researchers have unveiled the precise brain mechanisms that enable animals to overcome instinctive fears. The study in mice could have implications for developing therapeutics for fear-related disorders such as phobias, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Making an invisible electric wire: Guiding electricity with sound
Electric sparks are used for welding, powering electronics, killing germs or for igniting the fuel in some car engines. Despite their usefulness, they are hard to control in open space, they split into chaotic branches that tend to go towards the closest metallic objects. A recent study uncovers a way of transporting electricity through air by ultrasonic waves. The level of control of the electric sparks allows to guide the spark around obstacles, or to make it hit specific spots, even into non-conductive materials.
Air pollution clouds the mind and makes everyday tasks challenging
People's ability to interpret emotions or focus on performing a task is reduced by short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution, potentially making everyday activities, such as the weekly supermarket shop, more challenging.
Largest radio jet ever seen in the early universe
Astronomers have characterized the largest-ever early-Universe radio jet. Historically, such large radio jets have remained elusive in the distant Universe. With these observations, astronomers have valuable new insights into when the first jets formed in the Universe and how they impacted the evolution of galaxies.
Dusting for stars' magnetic fingerprints
Astronomers have succeeded in observing the magnetic field around a young star where planets are thought to be forming. The team was able to use dust to measure the three-dimensional structure 'fingerprint' of the magnetic field. This will help improve our understanding of planet formation.
An international team of scientists has tentatively found some of the earliest indications of alcoholic drink production in the Patos Lagoon region of Brazil. State-of-the-art analysis of pottery fragments showed traces of beverages made from vegetables, likely to have been tubers, sweetcorn, and palm.
Meteorite discovery challenges long-held theories on Earth's missing elements
Earliest inner solar system planetesimals shaped the inventory of moderately volatile elements in terrestrial planets.
Reducing sulphur in the air may inadvertently increase natural emissions of methane from wetlands such as peatlands and swamps, a new study has found. The resulting additional future release of 20-34 million tons of methane each year from natural wetlands would mean targets to reduce human-caused emissions need to be more stringent than currently set out in the Global Methane Pledge.
Scientists simulate asteroid collision effects on climate and plants
A new climate modeling study presents a new scenario of how climate and life on our planet would change in response to a potential future strike of a medium-sized (~500 m) asteroid.
One in four chance per year that rocket junk will enter busy airspace
There's a 26 per cent annual chance that space rocket junk will re-enter the atmosphere and pass through a busy flight area, according to a recent study. While the chance of debris hitting an aircraft is very low, the research highlights that the potential for uncontrolled space rocket junk to disrupt flights and create additional costs for airlines and passengers is not.
Male flies sharpened their eyesight to call the females' bluff
With bloated bellies and hairy legs, female flies try to look bigger to get food from courting mates. But male flies, in turn, have sharpened their eyesight to call their bluff. A new study suggests that this is an ongoing evolution where both sexes try to outsmart each other.
Students attending schools that ban the use of phones throughout the school day aren't necessarily experiencing better mental health and wellbeing, as the first worldwide study of its kind has found that just banning smartphones is not enough to tackle their negative impacts.
Boosting communication between the spinal nerves and the muscles using the spinal cord stimulation reverses spinal muscle atrophy (SMA) progression and could be applied to other motoneuron diseases, including ALS.
Body weight and body mass index alone are not enough to predict whether someone will develop a metabolic disease. A new atlas of cells in fat tissue could help to explain why some overweight people stay healthy, while others do not.
Researchers discover simple solution to break down forever chemicals
A researcher has discovered a new method to remove so-called 'forever chemicals' from our drinking water by heating the PFAS with granular activated carbon. The discovery represents a significant breakthrough in managing PFAS-containing solid wastes, biosolids and spent adsorbent media that are major concerns to farmers and communities.
Cretaceous fossil from Antarctica reveals earliest modern bird
Sixty-six million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous Period, an asteroid impact near the Yucat n Peninsula of Mexico triggered the extinction of all known non-bird dinosaurs. But for the early ancestors of today's waterfowl, surviving that mass extinction event was like ... water off a duck's back. Location matters, as Antarctica may have served as a refuge, protected by its distance from the turmoil taking place elsewhere on the planet. Fossil evidence suggests a temperate climate with lush vegetation, possibly serving as an incubator for the earliest members of the group that now includes ducks and geese.
Researchers discover the brain cells that tell you to stop eating
Newly discovered brain cells count each bite before sending the order to cease eating a meal.
Physicists measure a key aspect of superconductivity in 'magic-angle' graphene
Physicists measured how readily a current of electron pairs flows through 'magic-angle' graphene, a major step toward understanding how this unusual material superconducts. By determining how readily electron pairs flow through this material, scientists have taken a big step toward understanding its remarkable properties.
Paving the way to quantum supercomputers
In a milestone that brings quantum computing tangibly closer to large-scale practical use, scientists have demonstrated the first instance of distributed quantum computing. Using a photonic network interface, they successfully linked two separate quantum processors to form a single, fully connected quantum computer, paving the way to tackling computational challenges previously out of reach.
Cancer vaccine shows promise for patients with stage III and IV kidney cancer
Researchers report that all nine patients in a clinical trial being treated for stage III or IV clear cell renal cell carcinoma (a form of kidney cancer), generated a successful anti-cancer immune response after initiation of a personalized cancer vaccine.
Climate change is overhauling marine nutrient cycles
Computer models reveal how human-driven climate change will dramatically overhaul critical nutrient cycles in the ocean. Researchers report evidence that marine nutrient cycles -- essential for sustaining ocean ecosystems -- are changing in unexpected ways as the planet continues to warm.
Why do plants transport energy so efficiently and quickly?
Photosynthesis -- mainly carried out by plants -- is based on a remarkably efficient energy conversion process. To generate chemical energy, sunlight must first be captured and transported further. This happens practically loss-free and extremely quickly. A new study shows that quantum mechanical effects play a key role in this process.
Omega-3s can slow down aging process
A daily intake of one gram of omega-3s can slow down biological aging by up to four months, according to an analysis of clinical data from the international DO-HEALTH study. For the first time, epigenetic clocks were used to measure the aging process.
Quantum machine offers peek into 'dance' of cosmic bubbles
Physicists have performed a groundbreaking simulation they say sheds new light on an elusive phenomenon that could determine the ultimate fate of the Universe.
Research discovery halts childhood brain tumor before it forms
A research team has identified a critical event driving tumor growth in a type of medulloblastoma -- and a way to block it.
All in the eyes: High resolution retinal maps aid disease diagnoses
Researchers have conducted one of the largest eye studies in the world to reveal new insights into retinal thickness, highlighting its potential in the early detection of diseases like type 2 diabetes, dementia and multiple sclerosis.
Spinning neutron star gains enormous magnetic fields
An international team of scientists have modelled formation and evolution of strongest magnetic fields in the Universe.
Wobbling stars reveal hidden companions in Gaia data
Using data from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission, scientists have found a huge exoplanet and a brown dwarf. This is the first time a planet has been uniquely discovered by Gaia's ability to sense the gravitational tug or 'wobble' the planet induces on a star. Both the planet and brown dwarf are orbiting low-mass stars, a scenario thought to be extremely rare.
What's the best way to organize people to generate ideas? New research offers insight
Is it better to work in large groups? Smaller ones? With other people who are similar or different? New research offers insight into these questions -- and some of the results are not what you'd expect.
Nanomaterials are emerging as a powerful tool for coastal oil spill cleanup
Advances in nanotechnology may provide solutions to oil spill cleanups in coastal regions that are more effective, safer and work much faster than current methods, according to a new paper. The paper synthesizes, reviews and analyzes between 40 and 50 studies on the subject to provide a big-picture look of the status of nanotechnologies in coastal oil spill response. The researchers also present their own suggestions and identifying research gaps between using nanomaterials in the lab and how they can be used in real-world applications.
Half a degree further rise in global warming will triple area of Earth too hot for humans
New assessment warns area the size of the USA will become too hot during extreme heat events for even healthy young humans to maintain a safe body temperature if we hit 2 degrees Celsuis above preindustrial levels. For those aged over 60, the same 2 degree rise would see more than a third of the planet's land mass cross this critical 'overheating' threshold.
New device uses electrically assisted wind to fight fires
Researchers have developed a new portable tool that could improve how firefighters douse fires, making the process more efficient and far less risky.
Straight shot: Hubble investigates galaxy with nine rings
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured a cosmic bullseye! The gargantuan galaxy LEDA 1313424 is rippling with nine star-filled rings after an 'arrow' -- a far smaller blue dwarf galaxy -- shot through its heart. Astronomers using Hubble identified eight visible rings, more than previously detected by any telescope in any galaxy, and confirmed a ninth using data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. Previous observations of other galaxies show a maximum of two or three rings.
New research on ancient life found in Yellowstone hot springs
New work offers insight into how early life adapted from a low-oxygen atmosphere to the one that exists today.
The cost of preventing extinction of Australia's priority species
A new study has estimated it would cost $15.6 billion per year for 30 years to prevent extinction for 99 of Australia's priority species. The research highlights the urgent need for increased funding to combat threats such as habitat destruction, invasive species and climate change.
Researchers solve a fluid mechanics mystery
Seven years ago, researchers caught an unexpected phenomenon on film: A pool of red dye that somehow 'knew' how to solve a maze filled with milk. Propelled forward by a couple drops of soap, it unerringly found its way, avoiding dead ends and even making 90 degree turns in its path toward the exit.
Slow traffic, fast food: Study links road delays with unhealthy eating
Ever notice how much more tempting it is to pick up fast food for dinner after being stuck in traffic? It's not just you. New research shows that traffic delays significantly increase visits to fast food restaurants, leading to unhealthier eating for millions each year.
Life-bearing water arrived on Earth later rather than sooner
Scientist have concluded water did not arrive as early during Earth's formation as previously thought, an insight that bears directly on the question of when life originated on the planet. The finding is significant because the data reported by the study support the idea that water arrived towards the final stages of Earth's development into a planet from dust and gas, what geologists refer to as late accretion.
Don't know something? Apes can tell
To get treats, apes eagerly pointed them out to humans who didn't know where they were, a seemingly simple experiment that demonstrated for the first time that apes will communicate unknown information in the name of teamwork. The study also provides the clearest evidence to date that apes can intuit another's ignorance, an ability thought to be uniquely human.
A new approach to detecting Alzheimer's disease
Research has revealed clear evidence that changes in the orchestration of brain oxygenation dynamics and neuronal function in Alzheimer's disease contribute to the neurodegeneration. Researchers found that the median respiration rate was approximately 13 breaths per minute for the control group, and approximately 17 breaths per minute for the Alzheimer's group.
Printable molecule-selective nanoparticles enable mass production of wearable biosensors
Researchers have developed a way to print nanoparticles like ink, creating inexpensive sweat sensors that can continuously monitor multiple molecules.
More, bigger crevasses open up in Greenland ice sheet, threatening increased sea level rise
More crevasse activity could lead to positive feedback loop threatening Greenland glacier's stability.
Global internet grid could better detect earthquakes with new algorithm
Early detection of earthquakes could be vastly improved by tapping into the world's internet network with a groundbreaking new algorithm, researchers say. Fiber optic cables used for cable television, telephone systems and the global web matrix now have the potential to help measure seismic rumblings thanks to recent technological advances, but harnessing this breakthrough has proved problematic. A new paper seeks to address these challenges by adapting a simple physics-based algorithm to include fiber optic data that can then be used hand-in-hand with traditional seismometer measurements.