Regulatory gene influences shape recognition in medaka fish, scientists discover
Medaka fish that lack functional Hmgn2 genes are unable to distinguish between simple shapes, revealing a new function for the regulatory gene......»»
New maps show high-risk zones for whale-ship collisions—vessel speed limits and rerouting can reduce the toll
Imagine you are a blue whale swimming up the California coast, as you do every spring. You are searching for krill in the Santa Barbara Channel, a zone that teems with fish, kelp forests, seagrass beds and other undersea life, but also vibrates with.....»»
The dark energy pushing our universe apart may not be what it seems, scientists say
Distant, ancient galaxies are giving scientists more hints that a mysterious force called dark energy may not be what they thought......»»
Saturday Citations: Sweaty, remarkable humans; ocean level rise projections; closeup of a star in another galaxy
Since we last spoke, researchers at the University of Birmingham have defined the precise shape of a single photon (spoiler: roundish). Economists worry that Trump's grandiose deportation plans could lead to a recession. And astronomers report that t.....»»
Caste differentiation in ants: How a specific hormone regulates the process
Scientists from the University of Copenhagen have revealed how a specific hormone regulates ant caste differentiation by phenotypic measurements of organ-level developmental changes and matching transcriptome analyses. Published in the Proceedings of.....»»
Gene regulation study reports surprising results: Extensive regions of DNA belong to multiple gene switches
Some sequences in the genome cause genes to be switched on or off. Until now, each of these gene switches, or so-called enhancers, was thought to have its own place on the DNA. Different enhancers are therefore separated from each other, even if they.....»»
"e-Drive": New gene drive reverses insecticide resistance in pests... then disappears
Insecticides have been used for centuries to counteract widespread pest damage to valuable food crops. Eventually, over time, beetles, moths, flies and other insects develop genetic mutations that render the insecticide chemicals ineffective......»»
Earliest fish-trapping facility in Central America discovered in Maya lowlands
An archaeologist from the University of New Hampshire and her team have collected data which indicates the presence of a large-scale pre-Columbian fish-trapping facility. Discovered in the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary (CTWS), the largest inland we.....»»
Ancient fish-trapping network supported the rise of Maya civilization
The Maya were landscape engineers on a grand scale, even when it came to fishing. On the eve of the rise of the Maya civilization, people living in what’s now Belize turned a wh.....»»
Niagara fireball event leads to discovery of tiniest known asteroid
In an international study led by Western University and Lowell Observatory, scientists describe a pioneering, integrative approach for studying near-Earth asteroids based largely on a November 2022 fireball event that dropped meteorites in the Niagar.....»»
Scientists develop method "tetraplex digital PCR assay" for detecting DNA of invasive snakes in Florida
Scientists at the University of Florida have developed a pioneering tool to bolster Florida's defenses against invasive species: a DNA-based environmental monitoring test that can pinpoint where they've been, aiding eradication efforts......»»
tRNAs help some mRNAs get lost in translation
Scientists have discovered that tRNAs can determine how long mRNAs exist in a cell, causing some messages to be stabilized and translated into more protein, while directing others to be degraded and limiting how much protein can be made. They publis.....»»
Scientists construct first complete energy spectrum of solar high-energy protons in Martian space
Scientists have constructed the first complete proton energy spectrum observed during an eruptive solar event in Martian space, deepening our understanding of the radiation environment around Mars......»»
Veil of fiery gas revealed around the disk of Milky Way
Scientists may have finally hit upon the possible mysterious sources that have pumped heat and kept alive the fiery hot gas that has recently been detected surrounding the Milky Way but has so far remained unexplained......»»
Mysteries of the universe explored by professor, students in Italian underground lab
In an underground lab in a mountainous region of Italy that contains the coldest temperatures known to exist in the universe, teams of international scientists are to trying to solve one of the biggest mysteries in particle physics......»»
Parasaurolophus pipes: Modeling the dinosaur"s crest to study its sound
Fossils might give a good image of what dinosaurs looked like, but they can also teach scientists what they sounded like. The Parasaurolophus is a duck-billed dinosaur with a unique crest that lived 70 million to 80 million years ago. It stood around.....»»
Scientists develop novel high-fidelity quantum computing gate
Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Toshiba have succeeded in building a quantum computer gate based on a double-transmon coupler (DTC), which had been proposed theoretically as a device that could significantly enhance the fi.....»»
"Doomsday fish" washed ashore in California, but what does that mean?
If one oarfish landing on a beach is a sign of a disaster to come, how bad will it be if three wash up in quick succession?.....»»
"Genetic time machine" reveals complex chimpanzee cultures
In recent decades, scientists have clearly demonstrated that chimpanzees, like humans, pass on complex cultures such as tool use from generation to generation. But human culture has become vastly more sophisticated, from the Stone Age to the Space Ag.....»»
Historically bad year for dolphin strandings on Cape Cod has scientists looking for answers
An unprecedentedly bad year for beached dolphins on Cape Cod might have to do with warming waters changing the availability of the animals' food, said scientists hoping to curb the strandings......»»
AI tool can engineer "better, faster, stronger" proteins
Nature is adept at designing proteins. Scientists are even better. But artificial intelligence holds the promise of improving proteins many times over. Medical applications for such "designer proteins" range from creating more precise antibodies for.....»»