Researchers taught young loggerhead turtles to associate certain magnetic fields with feeding, prompting a distinctive dance when they recognized the signal. After a magnetic pulse briefly disrupted their ability to feel magnetic forces, the turtles no longer performed the dance. This showed that hatchlings use a touch-based magnetic sense to...
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Scholars say most of what we believe about Vikings is wrong
Ideas about Vikings and Norse mythology come mostly from much later medieval sources, leaving plenty of room for reinterpretation. Over centuries, writers, politicians, and artists reshaped these stories to reflect their own worldviews, from romantic heroism to dangerous nationalist myths. Pop culture and neo-paganism continue to amplify selective versions of...
The surprising reason bees replace their queens
Worker bees stage coordinated revolts when viral infections weaken their queen and lower her pheromone output. This disruption drives many of the queen failures that beekeepers struggle with today. Field trials show that synthetic pheromone blends can prevent untimely supersedure, opening a path to more stable hive management.
AI detects a secret lion roar no one knew existed
Scientists have uncovered a surprising second type of lion roar, using AI to decode vocal signatures with remarkable precision. This breakthrough sheds new light on how lions communicate and offers a powerful new tool for conservationists racing to protect shrinking populations.
Fossils reveal a massive shark that ruled Australia in dinosaur times
Around 115 million years ago, northern Australia’s seas hosted a colossal shark that rewrites what we thought we knew about early ocean predators. New fossil discoveries show that modern-type sharks were experimenting with gigantic sizes far earlier than scientists believed, competing with the marine “monsters” of the dinosaur age.
Rapid fault healing could rewrite earthquake physics
Scientists discovered that deep earthquake faults can heal far faster than expected, sometimes within hours. Slow slip events in Cascadia reveal repeated fault movements that only make sense if the fault quickly regains strength. Lab experiments show that mineral grains can weld together under intense heat and pressure, acting like...
The mystery of volcanoes that don’t explode finally has an answer
Scientists have uncovered a long-missing piece of the volcanic puzzle: rising magma doesn’t just form explosive gas bubbles when pressure drops—it can do so simply by being sheared and “kneaded” inside a volcano’s conduit. These shear forces can trigger early bubble growth, create escape channels for gas, and sometimes turn...
Monsoon Storms Will Bring Heavier Rains but Become Weaker
Climate change will make monsoon storms in South Asia wetter and weaker, with more storms pushing further inland across India.
Quantum Calculations Expose Hidden Chemistry of Ice
The new theoretical research by UChicago PME and ICTP researchers has implications for melting permafrost and climate change.
Oral Arginine Reduces Amyloid Buildup in Alzheimer’s Models
Alzheimer's disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is one of the leading causes of dementia worldwide, and currently has no definitive cure.