For nearly 700 years, Indigenous hunters repeatedly used a bison kill site in central Montana—then suddenly stopped, even though bison were still abundant. Researchers uncovered evidence that recurring, decades-long droughts likely made the site less practical by reducing access to the water needed to process large numbers of animals. At...
Scientists propose a radical new theory for how life began on Earth
Researchers propose that tiny mineral nanoparticles may have been the hidden engines that transformed Earth’s early chemistry into the first building blocks of life. By acting as natural catalysts and energy processors, these “nanozymes” could help explain how lifeless matter gradually became living systems.
WSU Study Offers Realistic Look at the Future of Sustainable Aviation Fuel
The United States could feasibly produce enough sustainable aviation fuel to meet roughly two-thirds of its 2030 federal target, but getting there will require overcoming major hurdles, according to a new Washington State University-led study.
Researchers Find Human-Caused Sea Level Rise Is Behind the Most Recent Increases in Extreme Water Levels
A study supported by a Rutgers-led consortium shows climate change is reshaping coastal flood risks worldwide.
‘Cautiously Optimistic’: Canada’s Agri-Food Sector Requires Coordinated Approach to AI
Adopting artificial intelligence across the agri-food sector requires a coordinated integration, otherwise Canada risks falling behind in both productivity and market competitiveness.
Scientists mapped every neural connection in a fruit fly and found a surprise
A groundbreaking new connectome maps every neural connection in an adult fruit fly’s central nervous system, creating an unprecedented view of how the brain and body work together. The findings suggest that complex behaviors emerge from distributed local circuits rather than a single central controller, offering new clues about intelligence,...
Earth’s first animals barely evolved until sex changed everything
Earth’s earliest animals may have held evolution back because they reproduced asexually, creating low-competition communities that changed very little over time. When environmental pressures pushed them toward sexual reproduction, biodiversity exploded and evolution accelerated dramatically.
Stonehenge’s most mysterious stone traveled 700 kilometers across Britain
Scientists have uncovered new evidence that Stonehenge’s six-ton Altar Stone was deliberately transported hundreds of kilometers from Scotland by ancient people. The feat would have required extraordinary planning, teamwork, and determination, revealing a surprisingly sophisticated level of organization thousands of years ago.
An invisible forever chemical rain is falling across the planet
A surprising study suggests that chemicals introduced to protect the ozone layer may have unintentionally created a growing global pollution problem. Researchers found that refrigerants and certain anesthetic gases have generated more than 335,000 tonnes of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a highly persistent "forever chemical," that has been deposited across Earth's...
Plants Could Be Used to Grow Medicines in Space, Study Shows
Astronauts on long space missions may one day use plants to produce fresh stocks of medicines on demand, thanks to new research by engineers at the University of California San Diego.