Chemists and physicists shed light on a crucial aspect of friction: how things begin to slide. Using fluorescence microscopy and dedicated fluorescent molecules, they are able to pinpoint how and when the friction at the contact between two objects is overcome and sliding starts to occur. They report on the details of this important transition from static to dynamic friction.

Up to 1 in 5 women in the postpartum period will experience a mental health disorder like postpartum depression or generalized anxiety disorder. How an organization handles a mother's return to work can have a significant impact on her mental health, according to new research.

Altering streamflow can endanger the ecosystems that rely on it, but researchers have lacked data on how human infrastructure has impacted streamflow in the U.S. Now, a study has mapped streamflow alterations across the continental U.S., providing a wealth of data for determining societal impacts on ecosystems.

Expensive ongoing treatment for cancer and diabetes are the best-known drivers of the medical debt that contributes to two-thirds of personal bankruptcies, but a new study indicates other chronic conditions contribute significantly, too.

Biologists have unveiled foundational new insights into the evolutionary steps these algae took to make their novel brown pigments, which are called fucoxanthin.

Astronomical observations from ground-based telescopes are sensitive to local atmospheric conditions. Anthropogenic climate change will negatively affect some of these conditions at observation sites around the globe.

When you're cooking or cleaning inside your home, what chemicals are you breathing, and are they potentially harmful? Chemists have given us a solid start on the answer. A large, collaborative research experiment recently attempted to map the airborne chemistry of a typical home. Researchers performed typical home activities like cooking and cleaning and used sophisticated instrumentation to...

Quantum researchers have demonstrated a method for encoding vastly more information into a single photon, opening the door to even faster and more powerful quantum communication tools.

Shallow reefs and the creatures that inhabit them are changing due to rising ocean temperatures, but these impacts have been obscured by a lack of comprehensive local data. A team of researchers has been tracking changes in the country's reefs for over a decade, and they now describe how they used fine-scale data to illustrate how warming waters impact tropical and temperate reef fish communities...

Researchers have modified a gene editing tool to serve as a highly sensitive diagnostic test for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The move to electric vehicles will result in large costs for generating, transmitting, and storing more power. Shifting current EV charging from home to work and night to day could cut costs and help the grid, according to a new study.

Researchers investigated how the process of human body decomposition affected microbial life of the surrounding soil microbiome. One factor that may play an important role is body mass index (BMI), they report.

A comprehensive analysis of federal data shows people who have had COVID-19 are at an elevated risk of developing neurological conditions within the first year after infection. Movement disorders, memory problems, strokes and seizures are among the complications.

Engineers have developed microscopic robots, called microrobots, that can swim around in the lungs, deliver medication and be used to clear up life-threatening cases of bacterial pneumonia. In mice, the microrobots safely eliminated pneumonia-causing bacteria in the lungs and resulted in 100% survival. By contrast, untreated mice all died within three days after infection.

Using the wrong mathematical formula to assess heartbeat rhythms may lead oncologists to inappropriately stop life-saving chemotherapy, according to a new study. Standardizing the mathematical formulas for measuring heartbeat rhythms with electrocardiograms, and avoiding one commonly used formula, could reduce this unintended outcome, the researchers reported.

A common, spontaneous mutation in blood stem cells, which has been linked to higher risks of blood cancer and cardiovascular disease, may promote these diseases by altering the stem cells' programming of gene activity and the mix of blood cells they produce, according to a new study.

In a new study, researchers applied a large-scale model linking surface water to groundwater, which can be used for estimating water resources at a high spatial resolution.

At the beginning of the year, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the Middle East ranks among the regions with the worst air quality. There is a common misconception that desert dust is the most significant cause of air pollution from particulate matter in this region, but a new study has shown that more than 90 percent of the particulate matter that is detrimental to health...

Scientists took 4D ultrasound scans of 100 pregnant women to see how their unborn babies responded to flavors from foods eaten by their mothers. The research team scanned some mothers to see fetal facial reactions to the kale and carrot flavors.

Though it is disappearing, California's official state grass has the ability to live for 100 years or more. New research demonstrates that sheep and cattle can help it achieve that longevity.

Researchers have shed new light on the formation of increasingly precious rare earth elements (REEs) by creating synthetic rocks and testing their responses to varying environmental conditions. REEs are used in electronic devices and green energy technologies, from smartphones to e-cars. The findings, have implications for recycling REEs from electronic waste, designing materials with advanced...

On an island 30 miles off the coast of San Francisco, a hoard of invasive house mice are packing an ecological wallop far larger than what their small statures would suggest.

Researchers have deciphered a crucial signaling mechanism that enables trypanosomes to reach the salivary glands of the flies.

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers have spotted signs of a 'hot spot' orbiting Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the centre of our galaxy. The finding helps us better understand the enigmatic and dynamic environment of our supermassive black hole.