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Heat-related deaths – on the rise from climate change – are generally thought to threaten older adults the most. But a study of Mexican data challenges that view, finding that over the past 20 years, people under 35 have accounted for a disproportionately high number of deaths. The study, published in Science Advances, finds that […]

Researchers at the University of New South Wales have made progress in developing their proton battery, which they believe will be cheaper than lithium-ion and safer for the environment. The research, led by PhD candidate Sicheng Wu and Professor Chuan Zhao from the School of Chemistry, focuses on developing materials capable of effectively storing protons […]

Ever had your plans thrown off by something happening 2 hours earlier than you thought it would? Confused 12- and 24-hour clocks, perhaps? When it happened to a team of astronomers, they discovered a new planet. The exoplanet – some 2,556 light-years away from Earth – was spotted because another planet in the same star […]

Scientists have created temporary tattoos that can be sprayed onto the scalp as a non-intrusive method to measure brain activity. A study published in Cell Biomaterials has shown how liquid ink printed onto a patient’s scalp could monitor high-quality brain activity. The invention, known as EEG e-tattoos, may also have the potential to improve devices […]

Palaeontologists – including a citizen scientist – have uncovered fossil evidence for a community of meat-eating dinosaurs in southeast England dating to 135 million years ago. The discovery marks the first time tyrannosaurs have been found in rocks of this age and location. In addition to Tyrannosaurus rex relatives, the University of Southampton researchers identified […]

NASA’s crewed missions to the Moon have been delayed another year, with the next Artemis mission now due for 2026 – and the first landing aimed at 2027. The Artemis II mission – the first to put humans into lunar orbit since 1972 – was supposed to launch in September 2025, but will now be […]

During the First World War, British and US ships were painted in high contrast “dazzle” patterns, which were believed to confuse submariners aiming torpedoes at them by distorting the perception of the vessel’s heading . But new research suggests the strategy may have only provided protection for fast moving, distant ships. It appears this week […]

Scientists confounded by the rapid onset of extreme temperatures last year believe they have identified a previously unidentified driver. One expert says the problem suggests the planet may exceed the 1.5°C Paris Agreement target sooner than forecast. In 2023 the global average temperature soared to almost 1.5°C above the preindustrial level, setting several new records. […]

The possibility that there might be a large, unknown planet lurking in the outer Solar System far beyond Pluto has long been a staple of science fiction. But for the past decade, astronomers have been finding it increasingly likely that something big – often called Planet X – might actually be out there. And a […]

CHICAGO, USA—Given the chance, a substantial number of women will opt for artificial intelligence (AI) enhanced mammograms, even if they have to pay for them on their own, a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America finds. And the use of AI appears to be worth the extra […]

Middle school students working alongside a team of biomedical researchers have discovered a never-before-seen compound from an unlikely source – goose poo. The researchers who analysed the substance, which has been named orfamide N, found it inhibited the growth of human melanoma and ovarian cancer cells in culture tests. They believe further studies might reveal other […]

An unusual imaging technique and curiosity piqued by worms has revealed new insights into the nanoscale structure of mammalian brain cells, specifically the arm-like axons that pass signals between neurons.  “Axons are the cables that connect our brain tissue, enabling learning, memory and other functions,” says senior author Shigeki Watanabe of John Hopkins University. These […]

Does your heart soar when you’re happy? If you were living in ancient Mesopotamia, you might assign such joyful flights to the liver. Researchers have analysed Mesopotamian texts to see how they described emotions inhabiting different parts of the body. The study, published in iScience, draws on Neo-Assyrian cuneiform texts dating from 934-612 BCE. The […]

We all know about the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. But there have been other impacts in (slightly) more recent times, with subtler effects. The Earth was struck by 2 huge asteroids 35 million years ago – but it managed to shrug off the impacts, according to a new study. […]

How did humans get such big brains – the answer might lie in the gut. A recent study from Northwestern University in the US is the first to show that gut microbes from different animals can shape their biology and evolution. The brain requires an exorbitant amount of energy to function, especially for large-brained mammals […]

Surprisingly small amounts of daily high-intensity exercise, such as climbing stairs rather taking the elevator, lugging groceries to the car, or chasing after grandchildren, may substantially cut the risk of cardiovascular disease in people who do not otherwise get much exercise, scientists say. In a study published today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, […]

Lake Enigma – a permanently frozen lake, deep in the northern foothills of Antarctica’s Victoria Land – was thought to be solid ice from top to bottom. But, according to a new study, the lake’s icy surface rests on liquid water – and that water is filled with bizarre microbial life. The study is published […]

Scientists from Japan have developed new materials and methods to increase the efficiency and safety of a proof-of-concept green hydrogen reactor. The 100m2 reactor operated successfully outdoors, outside of laboratory conditions, for three years. Nevertheless, the authors conclude that many challenges remain to be solved before the technology can be a viable component of the […]

“I’m increasingly realising that nobody likes an ecological tax man,” says Dr Alexander Braczkowski. “Nobody likes to hear bad results.” Braczkowski, a conservation biologist at Griffith University, has been involved in a thorough audit of large carnivores in Uganda – and while the result isn’t uniformly bad, he says there is a lot that’s troubling. […]