Were Neanderthals capable of making art?
The ability to make art has often been considered a hallmark of our species. Over a century ago, prehistorians even had trouble believing that modern humans from the Upper Paleolithic (between 45,000 and 12,000 years ago) were capable of artistic flair. ⌘ Read more
Genome-wide analysis of gene expression in sorghum furthers efforts to improve stem biomass
Sorghum bicolor is a deep-rooted, heat- and drought-tolerant crop that thrives on marginal lands and is increasingly valued for its applications in biofuel, bioenergy, and biopolymer production. ⌘ Read more
EU in race against time to agree climate emissions target
European diplomats are scrambling to agree on a 10-year target to cut EU carbon emissions this week, with time running out ahead of the United Nations COP30 climate summit. ⌘ Read more
Eyes above the trees: LiDAR technology improves forest assessment with laser beams
Forests have been benefiting humanity since long before the health benefits of forest bathing were discovered. They are major carbon sinks that provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including timber and non-timber forest products, recreation, and climate regulation. ⌘ Read more
Cubans flee the coast as Hurricane Melissa looms
Under sheets of rain and laden with possessions, residents of southeast Cuba fled inland Tuesday—escaping the peril of the coast before Hurricane Melissa’s arrival. ⌘ Read more
Melissa is a beast among a string of monster Atlantic storms. Scientists explain
Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica with record-tying 185 mph winds Tuesday, was a beast that stood out as extreme even in a record number of monster storms spawned over the last decade in a superheated Atlantic Ocean. ⌘ Read more
Researchers develop highly fluorescent helical quinolizinium salts via rhodium-catalyzed synthesis
A research team has successfully synthesized a new class of helical quinolizinium salts exhibiting exceptionally strong fluorescence in the orange-to-red light region (606–682 nm). ⌘ Read more
XMPP Interop Testing: Putting NTA 7532 to the Test (Literally)
You might have seen the XMPP Standards Foundation’s open letter to NEN about NTA 7532, the Dutch effort to standardise secure healthcare chat. It’s a good read, and, as it happens, right up our street.
If you’re building a chat system that has to actually talk to someone else’s chat system (and keep doctors happy while doing it), you’ll kno … ⌘ Read more
Plantation forests are key for koalas’ survival: Researchers say urgent rethink on logging is needed
A new study has shown areas of state forest in Northern New South Wales, currently zoned as hardwood eucalypt plantation and slated for logging in 2025–2026, are in fact vital koala habitat. ⌘ Read more
Unlocking cell identity: RNA sequestration in P-bodies directs cell fate transitions
A new study published in Nature Biotechnology shows that stem cell differentiation is linked to cellular structures called P-bodies, providing a potential means of controlling cell identity. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Colorado Boulder and collaborating institutions studied P-bodies in various developmental stages across multiple vertebrate species and found that selective RNA seques … ⌘ Read more
Geoscientist’s innovative approach aims to safeguard irrigation canals
Irrigation canal maintenance in western Nebraska is taking a giant step forward thanks to an innovative, non-invasive method by Husker geoscientist Mohamed Khalil to check canal integrity. His sophisticated time-lapse analysis pinpoints canal seepage and structural settlement far more accurately and efficiently than traditional approaches—using a technology that can have wide-ranging uses statewide for agriculture, … ⌘ Read more
Cul-de-sac effect: Why Mediterranean regions are becoming more prone to extreme floods in a changing climate
In May 2023, Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region experienced devastating, if not unprecedented, floods that caused widespread damage to infrastructure, homes, businesses, and farmland. Seventeen people lost their lives, and the disaster caused an estimated €8.5 billion in damages. The persistent rainfall and resulting landslides and flooding displaced tens of thousands of residents, leaving a deep ma … ⌘ Read more
Now in 3D, maps begin to bring exoplanets into focus
Astronomers have generated the first three-dimensional map of a planet orbiting another star, revealing an atmosphere with distinct temperature zones—one so scorching that it breaks down water vapor, a team co-led by a Cornell expert reports in new research. ⌘ Read more
Sinking Indian megacities pose ‘alarming’ building damage risks
Sinking land is quietly destabilizing urban infrastructure in India’s largest cities, putting thousands of buildings and millions of people at risk, according to Virginia Tech scientists. ⌘ Read more
China’s Zhuque-3 reusable rocket passes key milestone
The Chinese company LandSpace continues to develop the Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3), a two-stage reusable launch vehicle inspired by SpaceX’s Starship and Super Heavy. They achieved their first milestone in January 2024 with a vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL) using their VTVL-1 test vehicle at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) in northern China. By September, the company conducted a second VTVL test where the prototype hovered for over 200 … ⌘ Read more
The fate of Marineland’s belugas exposes the ethical cracks in Canadian animal law
Most people think countries like Canada have strong animal protection laws, but it doesn’t. A case in point is the unfolding tragedy-in-the-making at Marineland. ⌘ Read more
Iguanas on Clarion Island, Mexico, found to predate human presence in the Americas
An international team of biologists, including those at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, have discovered that the spiny-tailed iguanas on Clarion Island (Mexico), previously thought to be introduced by humans, have likely been there since before humans colonized the Americas. ⌘ Read more
Racial disparities persist in victim compensation for homicide survivors
Families of Black homicide victims are more likely to file victim compensation claims but face disproportionately high denial rates, according to a Rutgers Health study. ⌘ Read more
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@movq It's way more expensive and time-consuming in the end. If only somebody had warned us!!1
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Young stars ejecting plasma could offer clues into the sun’s past
The sun is frequently ejecting huge masses of plasma, called coronal mass ejections (CMEs), into space. They often occur together with sudden brightenings called flares, and sometimes extend far enough to disturb Earth’s magnetosphere, generating space weather phenomena including auroras or geomagnetic storms, and even damaging power grids on occasion. ⌘ Read more
Earliest long-snouted fossil crocodile from Egypt reveals the African origins of seagoing crocs
In the Egyptian Western Desert, where red sandstones and green shales rise above the arid plains of Kharga Oasis, paleontologists have uncovered a fossil that fundamentally reshapes our understanding of crocodile evolution. ⌘ Read more
White oak genome reveals genetic markers for climate adaptability and pest resistance
White oak (Quercus alba) is important economically, ecologically, and culturally. However, the species currently faces a significant challenge: a low rate of seedling recruitment, the process by which seeds successfully germinate and grow into new trees. ⌘ Read more
Dark matter could color our view of the universe
Dark matter has two central properties: it has mass like regular matter, and unlike regular matter, it reacts weakly or not at all with light. Neutrinos satisfy these two criteria, but neutrinos move through space at nearly the speed of light, making them a form of hot dark matter. The observations we have suggest that dark matter is cold. ⌘ Read more
Why US activists are wearing inflatable frog costumes at protests against Trump
Three frogs, a shark, a unicorn and a Tyrannosaurus rex dance in front of a line of heavily armored police in riot gear. ⌘ Read more