Who goes to the ballet? Education and social connections matter more than income, study finds
Why do some people regularly attend the opera, visit art galleries, or go to classical music concerts—while others rarely, if ever, do? ⌘ Read more
Exploring how dark matter alters electron-capture supernovae and the birth of neutron stars
Electron-capture supernovae (ECSNe) are stellar explosions that occur in stars with initial masses around 8–10 times that of the sun. These stars develop oxygen-neon-magnesium cores, which become unstable when electrons are captured by neon and magnesium nuclei. ⌘ Read more
Artificial insemination raises hopes for world’s rarest big cat
The world-first insemination of an Amur leopard in France has lifted hopes of animal lovers for the survival of Earth’s rarest big cat. ⌘ Read more
How spacefaring nations could avoid conflict on the moon
In the 1960s, Frank Sinatra’s song “Fly Me to the Moon” became closely associated with the Apollo missions. The optimistic track was recorded in 1964, when US success against the Soviet Union in the moon race was not assured. ⌘ Read more
China’s rising meat demand drives Brazilian soybean farming and resource use
Behind a steak served in China, there is often a soybean cultivation in Brazil. A new study, published in Nature Food, presents a snapshot of an increasingly interconnected and fragile food system. ⌘ Read more
Rethinking polygamy—research upends conventional thinking about the advantages of monogamous marriage
In July 2025, Uganda’s courts swiftly dismissed a petition challenging the legality of polygamy, citing the protection of religious and cultural freedom. For most social scientists and policymakers who have long declared polygamy a “harmful cultural practice,” the decision was a frustrating but predictable setback in efforts to build healthier and more equal societies. ⌘ Read more
Seismic anisotropy offers insight into viscous BLOBs at base of Earth’s mantle
In some parts of Earth’s interior, seismic waves travel at different speeds depending on the direction in which they are moving through the layers of rock in Earth’s interior. This property is known as seismic anisotropy, and it can offer important information about how the silicate rock of the mantle—particularly at the mantle’s lowermost depths—deforms. In contrast, areas through which seismic waves travel at the … ⌘ Read more
Offline interactions predict voting patterns better than online networks, finds study
According to a new study, offline social networks, revealed by co-location data, predict U.S. voting patterns more accurately than online social connections or residential sorting. Michele Tizzoni and colleagues analyzed large-scale data on co-location patterns from Meta’s Data for Good program, which collates anonymized data collected from people who enabled location services on the Facebook smartphone a … ⌘ Read more
Study finds Airbnb safety reviews can turn off some but the increased transparency can mitigate that
A new peer-reviewed study in the journal Marketing Science sheds light on how online safety-related reviews from Airbnb guests influence booking decisions and how the platform itself balances consumer welfare against its own financial incentives. ⌘ Read more
Gunboat diplomacy: How classic naval coercion has evolved into hybrid warfare on the water
Over the summer, the United States deployed warships to the Caribbean—ostensibly to menace drug traffickers but also as a none-too-subtle warning to Venezuela. Earlier in the year, a U.S. Navy destroyer bobbed along waters close to Iran for similar reasons. And in the Taiwan Straits and Pacific, China and the U.S. frequently show off their respective maritime military might. ⌘ Read more
Why is Halloween starting so much earlier each year? A business professor explains
Halloween is a fun, scary time for children and adults alike—but why does the holiday seem to start so much earlier every year? Decades ago, when I was young, Halloween was a much smaller affair, and people didn’t start preparing until mid-October. Today, in my neighborhood near where I grew up in Massachusetts, Halloween decorations start appearing in the middle of summer. ⌘ Read more
A seed bank in England marks 25 years of preserving the world’s plant diversity
Deep underground beneath the Sussex countryside in southern England, millions of seeds are kept frozen in a vault built to withstand fire, flooding, and any other disaster. ⌘ Read more
How a human ‘jumping gene’ targets structured DNA to reshape the genome
Long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) is the only active, self-copying genetic element in the human genome—comprising about 17% of the genome. It is commonly called a “jumping gene” or “retrotransposon” because it can “retrotranspose” (move) from one genomic location to another. ⌘ Read more
Distant galaxy A1689-zD1 found to have unusually low dust-to-gas ratio
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA), an international team of astronomers has carried out comprehensive multiwavelength observations of a distant massive galaxy known as A1689-zD1. ⌘ Read more
Hybrid metasurface modulates light at low voltages for energy-efficient optics
Metasurfaces are two-dimensional (2D), nanoengineered surfaces that interact strongly with electromagnetic waves and can control light with remarkable precision. These ultra-thin layers can be used to develop a wide range of advanced technologies, including optical photonic, sensing and communication systems. ⌘ Read more
Invisible poison: Airborne mercury from gold mining is contaminating African food crops, study warns
In a recent study published in the journal Biogeosciences, scientists have confirmed that mercury pollution from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is contaminating food crops not through the soil, as previously believed, but directly from the air. Driven by the surging price of gold, which has increased by more than tenfold since 2000, the rapid expansion of unregulated mining in thes … ⌘ Read more
Marriage is hard, but it’s even harder when you immigrate together
Canadian immigration policy has long emphasized family reunification. In fact, most of Canada’s 200,000 yearly newcomers migrate as a couple or a family unit. ⌘ Read more
Uber will offer gig work like AI data labeling to drivers while not on the road
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Does individual climate action distract from the big picture? New research has answers
New research suggests that trying to change people’s climate habits won’t hurt support for big picture solutions. ⌘ Read more
Study highlights supply and demand gaps in after-school programs
After-school programs are in high demand among families, but mismatches in cost, location and program type can prevent students from accessing the opportunities they need most, according to a new USC study. ⌘ Read more
IO Wait Times, Utilization, and System Reliability ⌘ Read more
How a genetic split helped plants conquer polluted soils
Phytochelatin synthases (PCSs) produce phytochelatins—tiny, cysteine-rich peptides that bind and neutralize toxic metal ions such as cadmium and arsenic. These molecules act as the plant’s natural detox system, sequestering harmful elements into vacuoles to prevent cellular damage. ⌘ Read more
Researchers’ autonomous system makes it easier to transport cargo on the moon
Autonomy algorithms developed by researchers at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) could one day make cargo transport on the moon safer and more efficient for astronauts. ⌘ Read more
Chinese Nobel Prize-winning physicist Chen Ning Yang dies at 103
Chinese Nobel Prize-winning physicist Chen Ning Yang, one of the most influential scientists in modern physics, died in Beijing on Saturday. He was 103. ⌘ Read more
Hello World ⌘ Read more