Ancient ferns may have helped keep Triassic Europe burning by rapidly regrowing after fires and supplying fresh fuel for the next blaze. Around 201 million years ago, Earth was rocked by the end-Triassic mass extinction. The crisis has been linked to enormous volcanic activity associated with the breakup of Pangea. Those eruptions released huge quantities [...]

Scientists have uncovered two surprising forces that help guide how the human brain forms before birth. Before birth, the human brain is shaped in large part by an unusual class of stem cells known as radial glia. These cells help determine which brain cells are produced, when they appear, and how the cerebral cortex, the [...]

Researchers have identified a new plant species in western Thailand whose unusual appearance inspired the dramatic name Thismia daemona, or the “devil flower.” A nearly black flower with horn-like projections and flashes of reddish orange has been discovered beneath leaf litter in a mountain forest in western Thailand. The plant cannot photosynthesize, spends most of [...]

Researchers used a specially designed cavity to strengthen quantum vacuum fluctuations and enhance superconductivity in a thin material. Empty space is not truly empty. Even a vacuum contains restless quantum fluctuations, and researchers have now shown for the first time that these normally subtle effects can be engineered to strengthen superconductivity. The work, led by [...]

Scientists have traced a decades-old gamma-ray mystery to hidden magnetic transitions inside atomic nuclei. For decades, nuclear physicists have faced a puzzling question: why do some atomic nuclei release far more low-energy gamma rays than expected? A new study led by the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), with contributions from scientists at Lawrence Livermore [...]

Researchers have directly observed the optical Magnus effect for the first time, revealing a tiny shift in laser interactions that could affect the precise control of qubits in quantum computers. Anyone who has watched a spinning soccer ball curve around a defensive wall has seen what happens when spin changes an object’s path through the [...]

A new study reveals how aging changes the immune system in complex ways and identifies potential targets for healthier aging. Why does immunity weaken with age, and does that decline happen the same way throughout the body? Researchers at USC approached that question by looking across the body rather than focusing on a single organ. [...]

Exposure to light at night may be linked to potentially harmful changes in the heart’s structure and performance, according to a study involving more than 11,000 people. The findings were published in the European Heart Journal on September 9. The research was led by Professor Lu Qi of Tulane University, New Orleans, USA. He said: [...]

Alzheimer’s may begin to unravel the brain when a small group of neurons switches on a receptor it was never meant to use, triggering damage that spreads from synapses to memories. Alzheimer’s disease is often defined by amyloid plaques and tau tangles, but those hallmarks are part of a much wider breakdown. Neurons become overactive, [...]

Scientists have turned ordinary sunlight into a source of quantum entanglement, opening a surprising path toward more energy-efficient quantum technology. Quantum technologies often depend on powerful lasers that consume significant amounts of energy. As these systems grow larger and more widespread, their energy requirements could become an increasingly important concern. Now, researchers have demonstrated that [...]

A giant 10-sided wave is emerging around Saturn’s south pole, giving scientists a rare chance to watch a planetary weather pattern take shape. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has detected a huge, evolving atmospheric wave with 10 sides wrapped around Saturn’s south pole. It is the first time scientists have seen a large, regular-sided jet pattern [...]

The Moon may have emerged largely intact within hours of the colossal impact that shaped its birth. Earth has an unusually large moon for a planet of its size and position in the solar system, yet scientists still do not fully understand how that companion came to exist. Now, researchers from the Southwest Research Institute [...]

Scientists found compounds in a Brazilian tree that hit SARS-CoV-2 on multiple fronts, revealing a promising new lead in the search for COVID-19 treatments. Researchers have found that galloylquinic acids extracted from the leaves of Copaifera lucens Dwyer, a tree native to Brazil and found mainly in the Atlantic Forest, can act against SARS-CoV-2 in [...]

A popular heart scan may be unnecessary for many patients but valuable for those whose risk is difficult to judge. Coronary artery calcium scanning has become an increasingly accessible way to refine estimates of heart attack and stroke risk. Yet a Northwestern Medicine study involving more than 6,000 adults suggests the quick, relatively inexpensive test [...]

Most weight lost with GLP-1 obesity drugs came from fat, while relative muscle mass was largely preserved. GLP-1 obesity drugs can lead to substantial weight loss, but an important question is what the body is actually losing. New research presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO2026) suggests that 80-85% of weight lost during treatment [...]

A hidden atomic structure formed on nickel oxide could enable powerful methane catalysts that use 10 times less nickel. Producing syngas efficiently from methane could become easier with a better understanding of what actually drives the reaction at the atomic level. Partial oxidation of methane (POM) is considered a promising industrial method for making syngas, [...]

A material once thought to be nonmagnetic may reveal a hidden magnetic side when made just a few atomic layers thick. A newly proposed class of magnetism known as altermagnetism could open new possibilities for making computer memory smaller and more efficient. Now, researchers have found evidence that ruthenium dioxide, a quantum material long debated [...]

A new invention could significantly improve electron microscopy by integrating a small quantum computer directly into the microscope. For delicate samples such as individual proteins, electron microscopy faces a fundamental tradeoff. Producing a clearer image generally requires sending more electrons through the specimen, but increasing the dose also raises the risk of damaging the very [...]

Charged raindrops may damage paint with tiny electrical discharges that act like microscopic lightning. Weather gradually wears down painted and coated surfaces, something anyone who has had to repaint a fence has probably seen firsthand. The same problem affects far larger structures as well. Landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge [...]

Prehistoric builders in Britain went to extraordinary lengths to create one of the country’s most striking ancient monuments. New research shows they intentionally transported enormous stones weighing more than 25 tonnes for at least 18 kilometers (11 miles) before raising them as the famous Devil’s Arrows, Britain’s tallest surviving prehistoric stone row. A study led [...]