On Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, gray wolves are doing something unexpected: hunting sea otters.
New ‘Liquid Metal’ Composite Material Enables Recyclable, Flexible and Reconfigurable Electronics
Electronic waste is piling up around the world at a rate that far outpaces recycling efforts, partly because it’s so costly and time-consuming to recover useful materials from discarded gadgets.
Making Yeast More Efficient ‘Cell Factories’ for Producing Valuable Plant Compounds
A team of researchers led by the University of California San Diego has discovered a new way to make yeast cells more efficient “factories” for producing valuable plant compounds.
Ancient tides may have sparked humanity’s first urban civilization
New research shows that the rise of Sumer was deeply tied to the tidal and sedimentary dynamics of ancient Mesopotamia. Early communities harnessed predictable tides for irrigation, but when deltas cut off the Gulf’s tides, they faced crisis and reinvented their society. This interplay of environment and culture shaped Sumer’s...
Hidden 5-mile wide asteroid crater beneath the Atlantic revealed in stunning 3D
A massive crater hidden beneath the Atlantic seafloor has been confirmed as the result of an asteroid strike from 66 million years ago. The new 3D seismic data reveals astonishing details about the violent minutes following impact—towering tsunamis, liquefied rock, and shifting seabeds. Researchers call it a once-in-a-lifetime look at...
The math says life shouldn’t exist, but somehow it does
Life’s origin story just became even more mysterious. Using mathematics and information theory, Robert G. Endres of Imperial College London found that the spontaneous emergence of life from nonliving matter may be far more difficult than scientists once thought.
Melting ice is hiding a massive climate secret beneath Antarctica
The Southern Ocean absorbs nearly half of all ocean-stored human CO2, but its future role is uncertain. Despite models predicting a decline, researchers found that freshening surface waters are currently keeping deep CO2 trapped below. This stratification effect may be only temporary, as intensifying winds bring deep, carbon-rich water closer...
Hippos once roamed frozen Germany with mammoths
New research shows that hippos lived in central Europe tens of thousands of years longer than previously thought. Ancient DNA and radiocarbon dating confirm they survived in Germany’s Upper Rhine Graben during a milder Ice Age phase. Closely related to modern African hippos, they shared the landscape with cold-adapted giants...
Dinosaurs were thriving when the asteroid struck
Dinosaurs weren’t dying out before the asteroid hit—they were thriving in vibrant, diverse habitats across North America. Fossil evidence from New Mexico shows that distinct “bioprovinces” of dinosaurs existed until the very end. Their extinction was sudden, not gradual, and the recovery of life afterward mirrored climate-driven patterns. It’s a...
Ancient DNA reveals the deadly diseases behind Napoleon’s defeat
Researchers have uncovered microbial evidence in the remains of Napoleon’s soldiers from the 1812 Russian retreat. Genetic analysis revealed pathogens behind paratyphoid and relapsing fever, diseases likely contributing to the army’s massive losses. Using advanced DNA sequencing, the team pieced together centuries-old infection clues, connecting historical accounts with modern science....