In October 2020, a highly magnetic neutron star called SGR 1935+2154 abruptly began spinning more slowly. Astrophysicist now show the magnetar's rotational slowdown could have been caused by a volcano-like rupture near its magnetic pole.

A new hybrid catalyst converts carbon dioxide into ethylene in one pot.

The dairy industry strives to preserve the quality and safety of milk products while maintaining the freshest possible taste for consumers. To date, the industry has largely focused on packaging milk in light-blocking containers to preserve freshness, but little has been understood about how the packaging itself influences milk flavor. However, a new study confirms that packaging affects taste --...

Scientists develop a newer, more accurate method for calculating methane emissions from offshore oil and gas production that suggests the United Kingdom severely underestimates its greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers conclude that as much as five times more methane is being leaked from oil and gas production than reported.

In the global push for practical quantum networks and quantum computers, an international team of researchers has demonstrated a leap in preserving the quantum coherence of quantum dot spin qubits.

New research has established a blood-based test that could be used to predict the risk of Alzheimer's disease up to 3.5 years before clinical diagnosis.

A giant diffuse tail of stars has been discovered emanating from a large, faint dwarf galaxy. The presence of a tail indicates that the galaxy has experienced recent interaction with another galaxy. This is an important clue for understanding how so called 'ultra-diffuse' galaxies are formed.

A new species of microalgae was found in water from a home aquarium. While analyzing DNA samples taken from the algae, researchers discovered Medakamo hakoo, whose DNA sequence didn't match any on record. This new species is the smallest known freshwater green algae, with inherent qualities which enable it to be cultured stably at high density, meaning it could be effectively used to produce...

Researchers are a step closer to unravelling the mystery of brain activity to better understand the outcomes of deep brain stimulation (DBS).

A 'back-projection' technique reveals new details of the volcanic eruption in Tonga that literally shook the world.

Researchers have created a tool to predict the effects of different diets on both cancerous cells and healthy cells in mice. Their work could help disentangle the subtle metabolic changes associated with different types of nutrients, and improve our understanding of the link between diet and disease.

Perovskite semiconductors promise highly efficient and low-cost solar cells. However, the semi-organic material is very sensitive to temperature differences, which can quickly lead to fatigue damage in normal outdoor use. Adding a dipolar polymer compound to the precursor perovskite solution helps to counteract this. The solar cells produced in this way achieve efficiencies of well above 24 %,...

Periodontitis, a gum disease, can lead to a litany of dental issues from bad breath to bleeding and lost teeth. Now, researchers have found that it could be connected to even more severe problems elsewhere in the body -- the heart. In a new study, the research team found a significant correlation between periodontitis and atrial fibrosis in a sample of 76 patients with cardiac disease.

Findings in animal models show that a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved antibiotic regimen for multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) may not work for TB meningitis.

Scientists are working to understand the cause and how the events of the LPME unfolded by focusing on mercury from Siberian volcanoes that ended up in sediments in Australia and South Africa.

The vital role of oxytocin -- the 'love hormone' -- for social attachments is being called into question. More than forty years of pharmacological and behavioral research has pointed to oxytocin receptor signaling as an essential pathway for the development of social behaviors in prairie voles, humans, and other species, but a genetic study shows that voles can form enduring attachments with mates...

By analyzing meteorites, researchers have uncovered the likely far-flung origin of Earth's volatile chemicals, some of which form the building blocks of life.

The speed of environmental change is very challenging for wild organisms. When exposed to a new environment individual plants and animals can potentially adjust their biology to better cope with new pressures they are exposed to -- this is known as phenotypic plasticity. New research shows that early plasticity can influence the ability to subsequently evolve genetic adaptations to conquer new...

Researchers have solved a puzzle that could help switchgrass realize its full potential as a low-cost, sustainable biofuel crop and curb our dependence on fossil fuels.