Study provides new forecasts of remote islands’ vulnerability to sea level rise
In the summer of 2022, 20 islands in the Maldives were flooded when a distant swell event in the Indian Ocean coincided with an extremely high tide level. ⌘ Read more

As homes get hotter, new research aims to tackle issue of indoor heat waves
With discussions at COP30 pushing for sustainable cooling and AI innovation, research by the Universities of Cambridge and Glasgow has found a new way of detecting indoor mini-heat waves and the factors influencing these. ⌘ Read more

Fossil fuel CO₂ emissions hit record high in 2025
Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels are projected to rise by 1.1% in 2025—reaching a record high, according to new research by the Global Carbon Project. ⌘ Read more

‘Switchbody’ turns enzyme activity on with antibody–antigen binding
By fusing enzyme fragments to antibodies, researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo, in Japan, developed an innovative enzyme switch called “Switchbody,” which is activated when bound to its target antigen. Switchbody is based on a trap-and-release of enzyme fragment that dynamically controls enzyme activity, offering new opportunities in diagnostics, therapeutics, and precision bioprocessing. ⌘ Read more

New enzyme network with competing peptides can make decisions based on external environment
The ability to respond to changing surroundings was once considered exclusive to complex living organisms. Then came computers, specially designed for stimulus–response tasks, which can take in signals from their environment and choose what to do next based on the instructions already written into them. ⌘ Read more

Superheated star factory discovered in early universe
The discovery of a superheated star factory that forms stars 180 times faster than our own Milky Way could help solve a long-standing puzzle about how galaxies grew so quickly in the early universe. ⌘ Read more

New larval seedbox technology could help drive coral restoration on the Great Barrier Reef
Millions of coral larvae on the Great Barrier Reef have an increased chance of replenishing degraded reefs thanks to the “larval seedbox”—a coral restoration technology developed by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, with Southern Cross University. ⌘ Read more

Aquaporin gene duplication followed by mutation in European eels restores broad solute permeability
Common ancestor eels lost the aquaporin gene encoding proteins with broad solute permeability. Researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo have now found that recent gene duplication events in the European eel (Anguilla species) have restored aquaporin proteins with broad solute permeability. ⌘ Read more

New deployable structures could help astronauts maintain muscle mass in space
From muscle atrophy to bone loss, astronauts face a number of health risks while in space. ⌘ Read more

Non-harmonic two-color femtosecond lasers achieve 1,000-fold enhancement of white-light output in water
Scientists at Japan’s Institute for Molecular Science have achieved a 1,000-fold enhancement in white-light generation inside water by using non-harmonic two-color femtosecond laser excitation. This previously unexplored approach in liquids unlocks new nonlinear optical pathways, enabling a dramatic boost in supercontinuum generation. The breakthrough lays a foundation for next-generation b … ⌘ Read more

New study shows AI enhances teacher development
Research from the Manchester Institute of Education offers vital early insights into how AI tools can be responsibly and effectively embedded into teacher training. The preliminary findings from year 1 of the three-year longitudinal pioneering research project explore the integration of generative AI in primary teacher education, centered on the use of TeachMateAI (TMAI) within the University of Manchester’s Primary PGCE program. ⌘ Read more

Cancerous tumors less common in rapidly-evolving animals, study finds
Species that evolved rapidly in body size—such as the greater kudu and bighorn sheep—have fewer cancerous tumors, but the same is not true for non-cancerous tumors, according to new research. ⌘ Read more

This new robot has a clever spin on lunar mining
Work continues on designs for robots that can help assist the first human explorers on the moon in over half a century. One of the most important aspects of that future trip will be utilizing the resources available on the moon’s surface, known as in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). This would give the explorers access to materials like water, structural metals, and propellant, but only if they can recover it from the rock and regolith that make up the moon’s surfa … ⌘ Read more

How continents peel from below to trigger oceanic volcanoes
Earth scientists have discovered how continents are slowly peeled from beneath, fueling volcanic activity in an unexpected place: the oceans. ⌘ Read more

Bacterial Rtc repair system provides new target in fight against resistant infections
The discovery of a new mechanism of resistance to common antibiotics could pave the way for improved treatments for harmful bacterial infections, a study suggests. Targeting this defense mechanism could aid efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the world’s most urgent health challenges, researchers say. ⌘ Read more

A universal law explains the chaotic motion of chromosomes
Researchers from Skoltech, the University of Potsdam, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered a fundamental physical law that governs the seemingly chaotic motion of chromosomes inside a living cell. This discovery helps solve a long-standing biological mystery of how two-meter-long DNA molecules, packed into dense chromosomes, remain mobile enough for vital processes such as turning genes on and off. ⌘ Read more

Dataset reveals the factors affecting retail and charitable food supplies after Hurricane Harvey
Texas and Louisiana withstood the worst of Hurricane Harvey, which unleashed cataclysmic rain in August of 2017 that killed over 100 people from flooding. After the flood, grocery stores and pantries struggled not only to remain open but to keep fresh food on the shelves. ⌘ Read more

Precision genetic engineering points to a future of sustainable agriculture
As Earth’s climate warms and changes, sustainable agricultural practices are critical for feeding a rapidly growing population. Can we genetically engineer crops to adapt to drought and other effects of a warming climate? ⌘ Read more

Totally-eclipsing binary UZ Draconis inspected with TESS
Astronomers from Keele University in the UK have utilized NASA’s planet-hunting TESS telescope to investigate a totally-eclipsing binary known as UZ Draconis. Results of the new observations, published October 31 on the arXiv pre-print server, put more constraints on the properties of this system. ⌘ Read more

Typhoon exposes centuries-old shipwreck off Vietnam port
Severe coastal erosion caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi exposed a centuries-old shipwreck in Vietnam, providing a narrow window to salvage what experts say could be a historically significant find. ⌘ Read more

Bezos’s Blue Origin postpones rocket launch over weather
Blue Origin, the space company owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, was forced Sunday to postpone the anticipated launch of its New Glenn rocket due to unfavorable weather conditions. ⌘ Read more

Iconic Andean monument may have been used for Indigenous accounting
Sediment analysis and drone photography of the iconic South American monument of Monte Sierpe (aka “Band of Holes”) support a new interpretation of this mysterious landscape feature as part of an Indigenous system of accounting and exchange. ⌘ Read more

Why hurricanes rarely kill in Cuba
Hours before Hurricane Melissa roared toward Cuba’s second-largest city, Santiago de Cuba, the island’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, announced that 735,000 people had been evacuated—1 of every 15 Cubans. The storm had already smashed into Jamaica, the most powerful to ever strike the island, causing landslides, power failures and deaths. ⌘ Read more

Philippines evacuates hundreds of thousands as super typhoon nears
Nearly a million people have been evacuated and floodwaters were rising in the Philippines on Sunday before Typhoon Fung-wong’s expected late-night landfall on the east coast. ⌘ Read more

What if your Tamagotchi was alive and glowing? This toy prototype is full of bacteria
Children and bacteria—normally they’re a parental nightmare, a cocktail of late-night pediatrician calls and ruined weekends. ⌘ Read more

Bacteria use sugar-fueled currents and molecular gearboxes to move without flagella
New studies from Arizona State University reveal surprising ways bacteria can move without their flagella—the slender, whip-like propellers that usually drive them forward. ⌘ Read more

Spins influence solid oxygen’s crystal structure under extreme magnetic fields, study finds
Placing materials under extremely strong magnetic fields can give rise to unusual and fascinating physical phenomena or behavior. Specifically, studies show that under magnetic fields above 100 tesla (T), spins (i.e., intrinsic magnetic orientations of electrons) and atoms start forming new arrangements, promoting new phases of matter or stretching a crystal lattice. ⌘ Read more

Nanoparticles that enhance mRNA delivery could reduce vaccine dosage and costs
A new delivery particle developed at MIT could make mRNA vaccines more effective and potentially lower the cost per vaccine dose. ⌘ Read more

Defunct Pennsylvania oil and gas wells may leak methane and metals into water
In the dense forests of northwestern Pennsylvania, hundreds of thousands of retired oil and gas wells—some dating back to the mid-1800s, long before modern construction standards—dot the landscape, according to geochemists in Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences who recently led a study in the region. Left uncapped and exposed to air and erosion, they break down, leaching harmful chemicals into the atmospher … ⌘ Read more

Cracks in Antarctic ‘Doomsday Glacier’ ice shelf trigger accelerated destabilization
Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica—often called the “Doomsday Glacier”—is one of the fastest-changing ice–ocean systems on Earth, and its future remains a major uncertainty in global sea-level rise projections. One of its floating extensions, the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf (TEIS), is partially confined and anchored by a pinning point at its northern terminus. ⌘ Read more

Hurricane? Cyclone? Typhoon? Here’s the difference
Typhoon Kalmaegi has killed at least 114 people in the Philippines with even more missing and then hit Vietnam Friday. A second typhoon, Fong-Wong, is forecast to hit the Philippines around Sunday and strengthen to a major storm by that time. ⌘ Read more

The secret life of baobabs: How bats and moths keep Africa’s giant trees alive
Baobabs are sometimes called “upside-down trees,” because their branches look like roots reaching skyward. Of the eight species of baobab in the world, six are confined to Madagascar, one to northern Australia and one species, Adansonia digitata, is found across the savanna regions of continental Africa. ⌘ Read more

Revealing how cells adhere to the surface of plastic scaffolds
Short ultraviolet/ozone (UVO) treatment optimizes cell adhesion on plastic culture substrates by selectively enriching adhesion proteins, as reported by researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo. Their latest study explains the underlying reason why there is an optimal UVO treatment time, with the optimal surface condition arising when the ability to selectively adsorb and immobilize key adhesion proteins is maximized. This study … ⌘ Read more

Lessons from Ireland inform US debates on school choice
Across the U.S., some parents have been calling for changes in the education system, including greater transparency around curriculum decisions—a topic that has received national media attention. ⌘ Read more

SpaceX, ULA line up double launch night that would tie Space Coast record
While SpaceX has managed the lion’s share of launches this year, it’s set to be a team effort with United Launch Alliance as the two companies have lined up a pair of launches that would tie the annual record for orbital missions from the Space Coast. ⌘ Read more

Is it ok for politicians to use AI? Survey shows where the public draws the line
New survey evidence from the UK and Japan shows people are open to MPs using AI as a tool, but deeply resistant to handing over democratic decisions to machines. ⌘ Read more

Home advantage? How consumers misjudge the environmental impact of imported food
Peppers from Spain or from Germany? When consumers assess the environmental impact of food, their decision largely depends on its origin. This is shown by a new survey by researchers at the University of Göttingen. According to the survey, domestic products in supermarkets are perceived as particularly environmentally friendly. But this impression can be misleading. The results raise questions about the de … ⌘ Read more

Should we build an optical interferometer on the moon?
Earth’s atmosphere is an impediment to astronomical observations. Not only is cloudy weather a problem, but temperature fluctuations in the atmosphere mean that ground-based telescopes require sophisticated adaptive optics systems to see clearly. Radio telescopes aren’t bothered by clouds, but need to be built in ‘radio quiet’ locations to do their job best. ⌘ Read more

New modeling shows difficult future for the Great Barrier Reef under climate change
The most sophisticated modeling to date forecasts that, under the current global emissions pathway, the Great Barrier Reef could lose most of its coral by the end of the century, but curbing climate change and strategic management will help coral resilience. ⌘ Read more

Suspected debris strike delays Chinese spaceship’s return
A suspected strike by “tiny space debris” has delayed the return of the Chinese spaceship Shenzhou-20 and three astronauts, Beijing’s space agency said on Wednesday. ⌘ Read more

Trump again taps Musk ally Jared Isaacman to lead NASA
President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated billionaire entrepreneur and private astronaut Jared Isaacman to head NASA, again tapping the close associate of Elon Musk to lead the US space agency. ⌘ Read more

New Zealand plans space mission, satellite fleet: Minister
New Zealand is planning a national space mission which could see a small fleet of state-owned satellites launched into the skies over the Pacific nation, a minister told AFP on Wednesday. ⌘ Read more

‘Resilience Science Must-Knows’: Report shows how decision-makers can manage global crises
As the world approaches critical tipping points, a comprehensive global scientific report shows that resilience—the ability to live and develop with change and crises—must now be placed at the heart of global decision-making. ⌘ Read more

Voting behavior in elections strongly linked to future risk of death
Voting behavior in elections is strongly linked to the future risk of death, and is likely a stronger determinant of health than education—considered a key influence on health—suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. ⌘ Read more

Black Sea nitrous oxide conundrum: Why most N₂O produced by microbes never reaches the surface
Microorganisms in the Black Sea can produce large amounts of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). However, this gas never reaches the atmosphere because it is swiftly consumed by other microorganisms, which convert it to harmless dinitrogen gas (N2). Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology have now investigated this process and identified the key players involved. ⌘ Read more

Improved iron catalysts achieve near-zero CO₂ emissions in liquid fuel synthesis from syngas
Scientists cut down over 99% of the CO2 production during the conversion of crude oil products into fuels. ⌘ Read more

Bangladesh’s accession to the UN Water Convention has a ripple effect that could cause problems with India
When Bangladesh became the first country in South Asia to join the U.N.’s Water Convention earlier this year, it was presented as a win-win. ⌘ Read more

We’ve done the science—let’s get on with climate action
For three decades now, I have watched Earth warm—not through headlines or politics, but in my own data. Every year, the evidence has become clearer. My colleagues have measured rising CO₂ levels in Antarctic ice cores. We have seen ice caps retreat, permafrost melt, ecosystems shift, and species vanish. Every single working day of my life has been a front-row seat to a planet in rapid transformation. ⌘ Read more

How narcissism ruins teamwork, and why it matters in the workplace
Teamwork can bring out both the best and the worst in people. Working together means sharing ideas and coordinating actions. But sometimes, it can also involve swallowing pride, particularly when people with strong personalities, such as those with narcissism, take charge. ⌘ Read more

Why do some of us love AI, while others hate it? The answer is in how our brains perceive risk and trust
From ChatGPT crafting emails, to AI systems recommending TV shows and even helping diagnose disease, the presence of machine intelligence in everyday life is no longer science fiction. ⌘ Read more