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

Light is traditionally described by properties such as wavelength, amplitude, phase and polarization. Advances in optics have shown that light can also be shaped into complex spatial patterns known as structured light, enabling new ways to carry information and interact with matt

New cases of New World screwworm have recently surfaced in the United States, highlighting the critical need to track its paths to determine where future infestations may occur. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are emp

This starry view of the nearby star-forming region IC 348 is one of the largest images released to date from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Using Webb, astronomers searched IC 348 for brown dwarfs, which are less massive than the smallest stars. The researchers discovered bro

Inside each human cell, about 2 meters (6.6 feet) of genomic DNA must be accurately copied and equally transmitted to two daughter cells during cell division. To achieve this, the copied DNA is condensed into thick, short structures called mitotic chromosomes. However, how chroma

African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) travel incredibly long distances to search for a mate and new places to breed. They typically embark on these mammoth treks as young adults and often face numerous hazards along the way. These include busy highways, expanding human settlements an

Global consumption of fertilizer has doubled since 1980, but some regions that have historically overused fertilizer, including China and parts of Europe, have taken steps to reduce use. Those are some of the findings of a new global dataset from the University of Minnesota's Ins

New research co-led by the University of Bedfordshire and the University of Lancashire has highlighted the need for more consistent child-centered and safeguarding-led approaches across policing, with children and young people's experiences varying depending on where they live, w

College students are facing one of the most precarious labor markets in years. A recent New York Federal Reserve study pointed to a sharp increase in unemployment among recent college graduates compared with other workers, with explanations ranging from artificial intelligence jo

HyperBird, a cutting-edge imaging platform for observing microscopic traits in plants, can detect grape diseases—such as powdery and downy mildews, which cost vineyard owners billions in annual losses globally—days before physical symptoms become visible. The advancement could al

A mathematical shape famous for covering a surface without ever repeating has revealed an unexpected ability to twist light into unusual chiral patterns. The discovery could lead to new ways of controlling light, polarization, and advanced optical devices.

In early July 2026, Stanford postdoctoral researcher Alex Honeyman and graduate student Mark Leone attached a box the size of a briefcase to a fire truck in Colorado that was about to be dispatched to a wildfire 300 miles (480 kilometers) away.

In an era marked by social, economic, environmental, technological and political tensions, academic institutions can help societies navigate complex health challenges and generate sound, evidence-based solutions. But the steady decline in public trust in science—and simultaneous

The United States has confirmed for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space, a remarkable revelation after previous warnings about countries such as Russia possibly weaponizing a global frontier long agreed in treaties to be used for only peaceful purposes.

Brigid Lynch was working along a wooded creek in a mountainous part of the San Francisco Bay Area when something that didn't look like the rocks she'd been studying caught her eye. It turned out to be the fossilized tooth of a Pacific mastodon.

Scientists from Trinity College Dublin have developed a way to unravel changing weather patterns on distant worlds. Using this approach, they discovered that the weather on a well-studied brown dwarf, SIMP 0136, previously linked to northern lights-like phenomena, is largely shap

A new national study reveals the widespread reach of violence across the United States, finding that more than half of U.S. adults have experienced physical violence and nearly half have experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes. The U.S. National Study on Violence Experienc

Two-thirds of a century after Jane Goodall observed "David Greybeard" break off a twig to fashion a fishing rod for termites, researchers following in her footsteps have found that adult chimpanzees in Senegal literally hand youngsters the tools for learning.

According to research by the IfM Bonn, strengthening research collaboration between universities and businesses requires regional technology transfer networks in which technology transfer offices at universities and research institutions, as well as chambers of commerce and indus

Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa adopt agricultural inputs, including fertilizer, at low rates, contributing to low agricultural productivity. Previous research has shown that insufficient information and distrust in the quality of products for sale in local markets are

Neurons in humans and other mammals express many exceptionally long genes, ranging from more than 100 kbp to more than 2 Mbp, that are important for forming synapses and neural circuits. In general, genetic information is read from DNA into RNA. This process is called transcripti

Light is traditionally described by properties such as wavelength, amplitude, phase and polarization. Advances in optics have shown that light can also be shaped into complex spatial patterns known as structured light, enabling new ways to carry information and interact with matt

The way a product is labeled can change how consumers think about it. "No added sugar" or "99% fat-free" can make food sound healthier than it really is.

This year, greyhound racing in Britain turns 100 years old. The first race took place on July 24, 1926, in Manchester, where six dogs chased a mechanical hare around a track.

Heat stress is a leading cause of weather-related deaths and can be especially dangerous in cities, where phenomena like urban heat islands drive temperatures higher than in surrounding rural areas. Now, a new dataset developed by the U.S. National Science Foundation National Cen