Scientists at UC Berkeley have discovered a microbe that bends one of biology’s most sacred rules. Instead of treating a specific three-letter DNA code as a clear “stop” signal, this methane-producing archaeon sometimes reads it as a green light—adding an unusual amino acid and continuing to build the protein. The...
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Many Nations Underestimate Greenhouse Emissions From Wastewater Systems, But the Lapse is Fixable
Nations worldwide underestimate greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater systems, research from Princeton University shows. Outdated inventory methods and failure to include items like latrines and untreated sewage in national reports are main reasons.
Predicting Extreme Rainfall Through Novel Spatial Modeling
Japan is an archipelago with diverse climate zones and complex topography that is prone to heavy rain and flooding.
Warming Raises the Risk That Multiple Wildfires Strike at Once
The extreme heat, high winds, and severe dry conditions that produce towering, fast-moving flames that advance by the acre are not just becoming more common; new research shows that these factors are increasingly arising in multiple regions at the same time, creating the conditions for simultaneous wildfires around the world.
MIT study finds Earth’s first animals were likely ancient sea sponges
Scientists at MIT have found compelling chemical evidence that Earth’s earliest animals were likely ancient sea sponges. Hidden inside rocks over 541 million years old are rare molecular “fingerprints” that match compounds made by modern demosponges. After testing rocks, living sponges, and lab-made molecules, researchers confirmed the signals came from...
Stunning 3D maps reveal DNA is structured before life “switches on”
For decades, scientists believed a fertilized egg’s DNA began as a shapeless mass, only organizing itself once the embryo switched on its genes. But new research reveals that the genome is already carefully arranged in three dimensions long before that critical activation step, known as Zygotic Genome Activation. Using a...
Scientists compared dinosaurs to mammals for decades but missed this key difference
Baby dinosaurs weren’t coddled like lion cubs or elephant calves—they were more like prehistoric latchkey kids. New research suggests that young dinosaurs quickly struck out on their own, forming kid-only groups and surviving without much parental help, while their massive parents lived entirely different lives. Because juveniles and adults ate...
UH Scientists Discover 10 New Species of Hawaiian Moths
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers identified 10 new species and seven new groups (genera) of Hawaiian leaf-roller moths.
$4.6M to Restore Coral Reef in American Samoa
A new $4.6–million multi-institute collaborative project to help grow coral restoration capacity in American Samoa will begin in early 2026, leveraging more than two decades of coral heat tolerance studies to inform a restoration with resilience approach.
A.I. Weather Models Fell Short in Predicting Northeastern Blizzard
While artificial intelligence has ushered in a new era of more accurate weather forecasting, A.I. models may still struggle to predict freak storms.