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

Using satellite data, researchers at TUM have identified an unprecedented loss of aboveground biomass in Europe's forests since 2018. Unlike previous studies that focused solely on changes in tree cover, this study provides the first Europe–wide assessment of changes in forest bi

One-fourth of people who undergo an extraordinary experience report immediate discomfort, but more than half say the experience caused positive long-term effects, according to a study published Aug. 5, 2026, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Ronald Fischer of Instituto D'Or

You might think of rockets as powerful vehicles that blast astronaut crews and robotic missions into space. But what if they could be used to send cargo from one side of Earth to the other in a fraction of the time it would take a plane? The company SpaceX recently announced a pr

New research from Rutgers University–Newark psychologist Kent Harber reveals a strong connection between conspiracy theories, antisemitic attitudes and hostility toward Israel.

Living among large predatory carnivores could actually make you safer. A study published in the journal Current Biology found that pumas—wild cats also known as mountain lions, cougars or panthers—change deer behavior, leading to fewer collisions with cars on roadways. In areas w

The effects of climate change extend far beyond rising temperatures. As forests and other vegetation respond to a warming world, they also change the amount of biogenic emissions released into the atmosphere, influencing the formation of ozone (O3) and fine particulate pollution.

An exceptionally preserved snake fossil from Brazil reveals that early snakes were far more diverse than scientists once thought. Detailed brain reconstructions show that Tametara mirim was adapted for burrowing, while another ancient snake was suited to life above ground. Other

In the late 1990s, Malaysia created a new way for corporations to raise money by issuing bonds that comply with Islamic law, which prohibits the payment or collection of interest.

Social influence can help tackle climate change and more — today's student signal.

The power of social influence could be key to changing attitudes and behaviors around climate change, according to a new study by researchers at the Center for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST). The team examined the role of social influence in accelerating climate

People who experience greater hardship throughout their lives may become more susceptible to conspiracy theories when those experiences lead them to see the world as fundamentally unfair, according to new research.

University of Queensland research has shown microbes could give Australian-grown chocolate an edge in the global market. Working with growers in Far North Queensland, scientists found the cocoa fermentation process may have a bigger influence on the flavor of chocolate than the c

With annual production of around 1 million metric tons (1.1 million tons), formic acid is one of the most important basic chemicals and is used, among other things, as an additive in the animal feed industry. It is also increasingly attracting attention as an H2 carrier. To date,

Black holes are fascinating regions in space where gravity is so strong that nothing, even light, can escape them. The largest known black holes, called supermassive black holes, contain millions to billions of times the mass of the sun and are typically located at the centers of

A 19th-century real estate agent created the world's first version of Rightmove more than 160 years before the birth of online property previews.

Chiral phonons are groups of atoms that move in a circular direction when excited by an energy source, such as heat. As the phonons move through a material, they propagate that circular motion, or angular momentum, through the material. The angular momentum serves as the source o

Using satellite data, researchers at TUM have identified an unprecedented loss of aboveground biomass in Europe's forests since 2018. Unlike previous studies that focused solely on changes in tree cover, this study provides the first Europe–wide assessment of changes in forest bi

The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is widely distributed across Eurasia and has also colonized the Japanese archipelago, where two subspecies are recognized: the Japanese wild boar (JWB, Sus scrofa leucomystax) and the Ryukyu wild boar (RWB, Sus scrofa riukiuanus). Before this study, who

Astronomers have speculated about the mysterious "little red dots" seen through the James Webb Space Telescope's images of the early universe: They could be galaxies, black holes, quasi-stars, starbursts ... or something else entirely.

Using observations from multiple powerful telescopes, a team of astronomers studied a red quasar nicknamed "the Hatchling" at redshift 3.7. They may have identified one of the clearest examples yet of a quasar caught in transition between a heavily obscured and fully exposed phas

Zoos offer people the opportunity to experience animals and engage with the natural world. Alongside recreation, they also play important roles in species conservation and scientific research. Education is another core mission of modern zoos, with many programs designed to foster

Neanderthals were generally more strongly built than most people living today. Their bones show signs of large muscles, and they had characteristic features such as prominent brow ridges and relatively short tooth roots.

How and where did the first forms of life arise? These are the main questions driving research at the Institute of Molecular Evolution at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU). In a new publication in Science Advances, an international team led by Düsseldorf biologists uncov

Inspired by naturally occurring mats and balls of seaweed, researchers have created highly porous, superadhesive meshes capable of capturing both large and small microplastic particles—a longstanding challenge in the field. The mesh can clean microplastics from both saltwater and