Science, engineering, and discovery — the research and breakthroughs that matter.

More water does not necessarily produce more alfalfa seed. A five-year trial near Keith, South Australia, found that strategically delaying irrigation until plants showed early signs of leaf drop generally increased seed yield and consistently delivered the highest gross margin.

A major new analysis challenges recent claims that the universe's expansion is slowing, finding that the evidence for cosmic acceleration remains strong. The findings preserve the leading role of dark energy, while leaving scientists with the enduring mystery of what this strange

Researchers have discovered that Western Australia’s iron-rich rocks can naturally generate hydrogen and that the process may be boosted to produce much larger amounts. If it can be scaled up, the vast formations beneath the Pilbara could become a major new source of low-emission

Earlier swathing opens a new pathway for subterranean clover seed harvest and more — today's student signal.

Subterranean clover's ability to bury its seed supports pasture persistence but makes commercial seed harvesting difficult. The industry relies on aging Horwood-Bagshaw (HB) suction harvesters, which collect seed from fully dry crops after repeated tillage and raking.

SpaceX has pulled off its biggest salvage operation yet, recovering its most recently launched Starship from the Indian Ocean.

The evolutionary histories of Earth and Mercury differ fundamentally. The smallest planet, closest to the sun, likely began cooling early on, much like a setting pudding: As early as about 1 billion years after its formation, Mercury's volcanic activity came to a halt, and a soli

Female humpback whales off the coast of Brazil now have their pick of mates, who slap the water with their tails and jostle for attention—a scene that would have been unthinkable a few decades ago.

The catastrophic flood in Nepal and Tibet is a devastating reminder that disasters rarely occur in isolation.

Electrons, particles that carry a negative electric charge, typically move through materials. At low densities and temperatures, however, the electrical repulsion between them can overpower their tendency to move, prompting them to arrange themselves into ordered patterns known a

Today is Wear it Purple Day—when students and staff at high schools and universities are invited to wear purple clothing to recognize and celebrate gender- and sexuality-diverse (GSD) young people. Workplaces are also encouraged to take part.

Why scientists asked 1,000 people to bury their underwear and more — today's student signal.

Some of the strangest weather in the solar system doesn't happen on Earth or even in Jupiter's Great Red Spot—it happens in the interiors of ice giants like Neptune and Uranus. Specifically, scientists have long believed that, at certain pressures and temperatures, it literally r

More water does not necessarily produce more alfalfa seed. A five-year trial near Keith, South Australia, found that strategically delaying irrigation until plants showed early signs of leaf drop generally increased seed yield and consistently delivered the highest gross margin.

Tuberculosis bacteria released into the air from infected individuals dry out to form infectious particles that are second only to measles in contagiousness. Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have discovered specific mechanisms that enable the bacteria not only to survive dryi

The physical, cognitive and emotional loads of running a household should be recognized when examining the health of a couple's relationship, new research has found. A University of Queensland study examined the "tri-load" of household labor—physical (traditional chores such as w

What kind of society would you rather live in: an equal one where everyone is just about getting by? Or an unequal one where most people are doing substantially better, but a small group consistently falls behind? Now imagine having to choose that society before you were even bor

Welding plastic is a critically important part of everyday engineering—especially for preventing leaks in underground water and gas pipes. For decades, engineers have understood that a properly welded joint in polyethylene pipe can be just as strong as the pipe itself, if not str

In 1899, scientists began tracking avian migration by placing a small ring with an identifier around birds' ankles. Researchers then had to recapture the birds elsewhere, leaving the journey between those points a mystery. Today, GPS tags allow researchers to see every stage of b

Single-use paper cups used for takeout coffee and other beverages release millions of microplastic particles when exposed to hot liquid, University of Queensland researchers have found.

Children in the postmedieval Dutch workforce worked so hard that their spines became worn and deformed, with some children affected before they even had a chance to lose their baby teeth, a new study published in the International Journal of Paleopathology finds.

Dogs and humans may have more in common when it comes to aging than scientists realized. Researchers with the Dog Aging Project found that patterns of small molecules in dogs’ blood were linked to longer or shorter lifespans in remarkably similar ways to those seen in people. The

Researchers have discovered a way to turn notoriously difficult-to-recycle PVC plastic into a key ingredient used in high-performance lubricants such as engine oil. The technique could give mountains of plastic waste a valuable second life while making lubricant production more s

There have been multiple high-profile alleged incidents of sexual violence against women and girls in news headlines this month. Some involve teenage boys.