Did nature or nurture shape the Milky Way"s most common planets?
A Carnegie-led survey of exoplanet candidates identified by NASA's Transiting Exoplanets Satellite Survey (TESS) is laying the groundwork to help astronomers understand how the Milky Way's most common planets formed and evolved, and determine why ou.....»»
First visualization of valence electrons reveals fundamental nature of chemical bonding
The distribution of outermost shell electrons, known as valence electrons, of organic molecules was experimentally observed for the first time by a team led by Nagoya University in Japan. As the interactions between atoms are governed by the valence.....»»
What the unique shape of the human heart tells us about our evolution
Mammals, from the mighty blue whale to the tiny shrew, inhabit nearly every corner of our planet. Their remarkable adaptability to different environments has long fascinated scientists, with each species developing unique traits to survive and thrive.....»»
Physics meets machine learning for better cyclone predictions
Time is of the essence in tropical cyclone prediction: The more warning time a community has, the better prepared its members will be when a storm makes landfall. Currently, the path and nature of tropical cyclones can be predicted up to only five da.....»»
MeerKAT observations detect a mysterious faint radio ring
An international team of astronomers reports a serendipitous discovery of a new radio ring toward the Galactic center. The newfound object is relatively faint and its true nature is yet unknown. The finding was reported in a research paper forthcomin.....»»
Newly discovered, free-living eukaryote is the first known to have lost its mitochondria
An international team of geneticists and molecular biologists has discovered the first-known, free-living eukaryote to have lost its mitochondria. In their study, published in Nature Communications, the group found the eukaryote while investigating t.....»»
How a former BMW exec"s advice helped shape an ADAS specialist"s focus
Provizio CEO Barry Lunn was told early on that cost was king in the automotive sector, which inspired him to try to make advanced driver assistance systems affordable for every vehicle......»»
Researchers teach artificial intelligence about frustration in protein folding
Scientists have found a new way to predict how proteins change their shape when they function, which is important for understanding how they work in living systems. While recent artificial intelligence (AI) technology has made it possible to predict.....»»
We know parents shape children"s reading—but so can aunts, uncles and grandparents, by sharing beloved books
More than 80% of Australians with children encourage them to read. Children whose parents enjoy reading are 20% more likely to enjoy it too......»»
The evolution of the Trappist-1 planetary system
Planets are bodies that orbit a star and have sufficient gravitational mass that they form themselves into roughly spherical shapes that, in turn, exert gravitational force on smaller objects around them, such as asteroids and moons......»»
Humans can work with nature to solve big environmental problems—but there"s no quick fix, researchers say
"Nature-based solutions" are gaining momentum in environmental policy, including in Australia. They involve working with nature to protect, restore or manage ecosystems in a way that benefits both people and the environment......»»
How Russian gender-based disinformation could influence the 2024 US presidential election
Most people have a general understanding of disinformation—false information that is intentionally created to cause harm. Disinformation becomes "gendered" when deliberately false information draws on common understandings of issues like masculinit.....»»
"Masters of shape-shifting": How darkling beetles conquered the world
Large-scale genomic analysis of darkling beetles, a hyper-diverse insect group of more than 30,000 species worldwide, rolls back the curtain on a 150-million-year evolutionary tale of one of Earth's most ecologically important yet inconspicuous creat.....»»
"Amazon" algae shed light on what happens to populations when females switch to asexual reproduction
Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen and Kobe University discovered populations of female brown algae that reproduce from unfertilized gametes and thrive without males. In a study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, they use.....»»
Earth-like exoplanets might be in short supply for the Habitable Worlds Observatory
How common are Earth-like exoplanets—also called exo-Earths—and which exoplanetary systems should we target to find them?.....»»
GuidePoint Security releases Phishing as a Service
GuidePoint Security has launched a new Phishing as a Service (PhaaS) offering. Phishing remains one of the most common entry points for threat actors – according to CISA, over 90% of successful cyberattacks start with a phishing email. However, man.....»»
Exoplanets may contain more water than previously thought
We know that the Earth has an iron core surrounded by a mantle of silicate bedrock and water (oceans) on its surface. Science has used this simple planet model until today for investigating exoplanets—planets that orbit another star outside our sol.....»»
Climate Change’s Latest Deadly Threat: Lightning Strikes
In rural India, stormy weather, a lack of knowledge, and scant protections are combining to kill thousands every year, with climate change likely to raise the threat as lightning becomes more common......»»
Project Helianthus—a solar-sail-driven geomagnetic storm tracker
Solar storms captured the imagination of much of the American public earlier this year when auroras were visible well south of their typical northern areas. As the sun ramps into another solar cycle, those storms will become more and more common, and.....»»
Australia"s nature is in deep crisis. These three easy steps could give new environmental laws teeth
The Albanese government's environmental reforms are likely to feature prominently on federal parliament's agenda this week. A Senate inquiry into the long-awaited reforms is due to deliver its findings on Monday. Meanwhile, the Coalition is reportedl.....»»
Survey of nature"s superhero, eelgrass, kicks off California bridge project
Two researchers in an inflatable boat glided out onto Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad, California, August 15, looking for eelgrass, an underwater plant that provides a nursery for fish, crabs, shrimp and other sealife......»»