Pathology reports on more than 50 killer whales stranded over nearly a decade in the northeast Pacific and Hawaii show that orcas face a variety of mortal threats -- many stemming from human interactions.

The tiny Stingray Nebula unexpectedly appeared in the 1980s is by far the youngest planetary nebula in our sky. But a team of astronomers recently analyzed a more recent image of the nebula, taken in 2016 by Hubble, and found that it has faded significantly and changed shape over the course of just 20 years. If dimming continues at current rates, in 20 or 30 years the Stingray Nebula will be...

Designing a thermal protection system to keep astronauts and cargo safe requires an understanding at the molecular level of the complicated physics going on in the gas that flows around the vehicle. Recent research added new knowledge about the physical phenomena that occur as atoms vibrate, rotate, and collide in this extreme environment.

Leaf microbiomes of sugar maple trees vary across the species' range, changing in accordance with the types of trees in the surrounding 'neighborhood.'

A new study demonstrates that exposing children to a small, regular dose of an allergen (in this case, peanuts) in a real-world setting (outside of a clinical trial) is effective in reducing the risk of allergic reactions.

Bombarding a crystal with neutrons reveals a quantum quirk that frustrates heat transfer.

Researchers have developed the first technology capable of sending digital information, such as a photo or password, by touching a surface with your finger.

Chemists find a second level of fluorescence in single-walled carbon nanotubes. The phenomenon may be useful in solar energy and optoelectronic applications.

Black and Hispanic populations are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, according to a systematic review published this week. The disparities were likely related to minority populations being at higher risk of exposure to the coronavirus as opposed to underlying health conditions or other factors, according to the review.

Biologists found single-celled organisms living in sediments 1180 meters beneath the ocean at temperatures of 120 degrees Celsius.

It's widely assumed within the evolutionary biology field that weak selection provides an advantage to an organism's ability to evolve. But new research may offer the first experimental proof that strong selection pressure enhances an organism's evolvability, by boosting robustness.

Restoration of vision in blind people through a brain implant is on the verge of becoming reality. Recent discoveries show that newly developed high-resolution implants in the visual cortex make it possible to recognize artificially induced shapes and percepts.

Scientists have discovered a chemical that kills coho salmon in urban streams before the fish can spawn.

Decarbonizing US electricity production will require both construction of renewable energy sources and retirement of power plants now operated by fossil fuels. A generator-level model suggests that most fossil fuel power plants could complete normal lifespans and still close by 2035 because so many facilities are nearing the end of their operational lives.

A collaborative study on a plant intracellular immune receptor not only shows how an important resistance protein is activated during pathogen infection but also reveals some common operational principles with immunity proteins from humans.

A new study suggests that even low doses of glucocorticoid may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Heralding the end of a decade-long quest, in a promising new class of extremely thin, two-dimensional semiconductors, scientists have for the first time directly visualized and measured elusive particles, called dark excitons, that cannot be seen by light. The powerful technique, described in Science, could revolutionize research into two-dimensional semiconductors and excitons, with profound...

Physicists have observed sound waves moving through a 'perfect' fluid. The results should help scientists study the viscosity in neutron stars, the plasma of the early universe, and other strongly interacting fluids.

Primates process visual information similar to pixels in a digital camera, using small computing units located in their visual cortex. Scientists of the University of Geneva have investigated whether these computational units scale across the large differences in size between primates. The gray mouse lemur is one of the smallest of them and his visual processing units reveals that all primates,...

New research has found that Chicago neighborhoods with barriers to social distancing, including limited access to broadband internet and low rates of health insurance, had more COVID-19 deaths in spring 2020.

Humans are vulnerable to rapid damage in a wide range of tissues when oxygen levels drop due to the effects on the lungs and cardiovascular system of infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. A new article explores how the diving physiology of marine mammals can help us understand the effects of COVID-19.

'Super-spreader' events and extensive person-to-person contact propelled an outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in a small village in Argentina from 2018-2019, according to new research. An international scientific team reports the genetic, clinical, and epidemiologic features of the outbreak caused by the Andes virus, a member of the hantavirus family. Their analysis could aid in managing...

A new article describes for the first time how minerals come together at the molecular level to form bones and other hard tissues, like teeth and enamel.

Immunobiologists have created a five-module chimeric antigen receptor T cell that is showing early potential to fight Type 1 diabetes.