Older adults who consistently get up early and remain active throughout the day are happier and perform better on cognitive tests than those with irregular activity patterns, according to a new study.

Neuroscientists have revealed the precise connections between sensory neurons inside the retina and the superior colliculus, a structure in the midbrain. Neuropixels probes are a relatively recent development, representing the next generation of electrodes. Densely packed with recording points, Neuropixels probes are used to record the activity of nerve cells, and have facilitated these recent...

Determining what killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous Period has long been the topic of debate, as scientists set out to determine what caused the five mass extinction events that reshaped life on planet Earth in a geological instant. Some scientists argue that comets or asteroids that crashed into Earth were the most likely agents of mass destruction, while...

A new study suggests leaves in forest canopies are not able to cool themselves below the surrounding air temperature, likely meaning trees' ability to avoid damaging temperature increases, and to pull carbon from the atmosphere, will be compromised in a warmer, drier climate.

Scientists solve the mystery of how Zika virus takes over key immune system cells. New findings shed light on how to stop the virus from spreading.

A new analysis suggests that international cooperation and competition are the main drivers of public investment in energy innovation. However, this funding remains insufficient to help meet climate goals.

While increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere encourage plant growth, they also reduce the nutritional value of plants, which can have a larger impact on nutrition and food safety worldwide. Researchers have discovered a new way plants are adapting to the changing climate -- information that can be used to help plants grow strong while also maintaining their nutritional value.

In the new study, researchers performed a high-level analysis of membrane filtration systems to evaluate cost, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with desalination and wastewater treatment. The researchers found that municipal wastewater facilities could spend 43% more on antifouling membranes for wastewater treatment and up to three times more on antifouling membranes for...

Researchers defined the structure of a substrate-bound iron 2-oxoglutarate (Fe/2OG) enzyme to explore whether these enzymes could be used to create a wide array of molecules. They saw that Fe/2OG enzymes likely utilize cations -- highly reactive species -- to drive desaturation during catalysis. The work could lead to the use of Fe/2OG enzymes in making a wide array of valuable molecules.

Investigators have designed a study that simulated night work and then tested the effects of daytime and nighttime eating versus daytime eating only. The team found that, among participants in the daytime and nighttime eating group, depression-like mood levels increased by 26 percent and anxiety-like mood levels by 16 percent. Participants in the daytime-only eating group did not experience this...

Strange diamonds from an ancient dwarf planet in our solar system may have formed shortly after the dwarf planet collided with a large asteroid about 4.5 billion years ago, according to scientists. The research team says they have confirmed the existence of lonsdaleite, a rare hexagonal form of diamond, in ureilite meteorites from the mantle of the dwarf planet.

Analysis reveals how restoring relatively narrow forest buffers could substantially improve regional water quality and carbon storage in Costa Rica and elsewhere. Such changes could have outsized benefits for vulnerable populations that rely on rivers for their water supply.

To combat the hazards of ice, a mechanical engineer has developed a sprayable ice-shedding material that is 100 times stronger than any others. It's been tested by Boeing under erosive rain conditions at 385 miles per hour and outperformed current state-of-the-art aerospace coating technologies.

Scientists have identified two distinct types of obesity with physiological and molecular differences that may have lifelong consequences for health, disease and response to medication. The findings offer a more nuanced understanding of obesity than current definitions and may one day inform more precise ways to diagnose and treat obesity and associated metabolic disorders.

Research finds signs of psychopathology persist into mid-adolescence in kids exposed to cannabis in the womb.

The HSD3B1 gene could hold clues for predicting and treating endometrial cancer, according to a novel finding. Researchers found a certain HSD3B1 genotype was more common in women with type 2 endometrial cancer. Those patients show lower survival rates than those diagnosed with type 1 endometrial cancer, likely driven by the fact that type 2 patient cells are less hormone-dependent.

An ultrathin invention could make future computing, sensing and encryption technologies remarkably smaller and more powerful by helping scientists control a strange but useful phenomenon of quantum mechanics, according to new research.

The levels of long-term blood sugar, HbA1c, can be used to accurately determine the risk of a person with type 1 diabetes developing eye- and kidney complications. A study has shown that this level should be lower than 53 mmol/mol (7%). The study has followed individuals for more than 30 years after the onset of type 1 diabetes.

Residents of southern Sydney, Australia have been in a long-term battle over garbage -- humans want to throw it out, and cockatoos want to eat it. The sulphur-crested cockatoos that call the area home have a knack for getting into garbage bins, and people have been using inventive devices to keep them out.

Researchers have made two important discoveries about the mechanism by which bladder cancer cells foil attacks from the immune system. The research could lead to a new therapeutic option for patients with these types of tumors.

Researchers have shown that a hormone secreted into the blood during endurance, or aerobic, exercise reduces levels of a protein linked to Parkinson's disease and halts movement problems in mice.

10,000 steps a day is the 'sweet spot' for lowered risk of disease and death, but how fast you walk could be just as important according to new research.

Microglia acts as the first line of defense in the central nervous system, constantly scanning for pathogens and abnormalities. Scientists have now demonstrated that microglial genes associated with the synapse -- structures that allow neurons to pass signals to one another -- undergo changes in response to the brain processing traumatic memories.

Students are popular test subjects for many studies in behavioral sciences. However, using only students does not reveal the full picture about people in general. In fact, many of the students' decisions in those experiments differ from those of other population groups. These are the findings of a new, extensive study consisting of 36 experiments which was conducted by a team of behavioral...