Smallest arm bone in the human fossil record sheds light on the dawn of Homo floresiensis
A paper appearing today in Nature Communications reports the discovery of extremely rare early human fossils from the Indonesian island of Flores, including an astonishingly small adult limb bone......»»
Structural analysis reveals how human eyelashes promote water drainage
Throughout human evolution, body and facial hair have notably diminished, yet eyelashes have remained a distinguishing feature. The physiological or functional purpose of eyelashes—traditionally thought to be for catching dust or filtering air—ha.....»»
Discovery of enzyme pathway may lead to lifesaving leishmaniasis treatments
A breakthrough in understanding how a single-cell parasite makes ergosterol (its version of cholesterol) could lead to more effective drugs for human leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease that afflicts about 1 million people and kills about 30,000 peopl.....»»
Inequality weakens local governance and public satisfaction, study finds
Local governments in developing countries are crucial for providing public services that promote human development and address challenges like extreme weather, unemployment and crumbling infrastructure. Yet, they often face difficulties in implementi.....»»
New electron microscopy technique reveals complex spin structures at femtosecond timescales
Plasmons are collective oscillations of electrons in a solid and are important for a wide range of applications, such as sensing, catalysis, and light harvesting. Plasmonic waves that travel along the surface of a metal, called surface plasmon polari.....»»
Advancing light control: New opportunities for metasurfaces in optoelectronics
A global review of advancements in integrating metasurfaces—thin planar arrays of nanostructures—into optoelectronic devices highlights their potential to transform technologies such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, optical modulators, an.....»»
Mitigating animal-vehicle collisions with field sensors, AI and ecological modeling
Collisions between animals and vehicles are a threat to conservation efforts and human safety, and have a massive cost for transport infrastructure managers and users......»»
Biosensors mimic human olfactory system to discriminate between very similar odors
The human olfactory system discriminates between thousands of odors by interacting specifically with olfactory receptors on sensory neurons. Each receptor can detect several odorants at different intensities, and the same odorant can activate more th.....»»
Shedding light on snow"s crucial role in Earth"s climate system
EU researchers are braving extreme Arctic conditions to shed light on snow's crucial role in Earth's climate system......»»
First results from 2021 rocket launch shed light on aurora"s birth
Results from a 2021 experiment led by a University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist have begun to reveal the particle-level processes that create the type of auroras that dance rapidly across the sky......»»
The technosphere: A hidden long-term carbon sink in everyday items
We know a lot about how much fossil-derived carbon is emitted to the atmosphere but less about how much is stored in human-made products......»»
28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple release date set for 2026
28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple, the second film in the 28 Years Later trilogy, now has a 2026 release date......»»
Compact on-chip polarimeter measures light polarization with high accuracy
Reliably measuring the polarization state of light is crucial for various technological applications, ranging from optical communication to biomedical imaging. Yet conventional polarimeters are made of bulky components, which makes them difficult to.....»»
How to solve the Three Eyed Gate puzzle in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Even Indy doesn't like light puzzles in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The three eyed gate puzzle is mandatory, though, so we will help you solve it......»»
The New Glenn rocket’s seven powerful engines may light up as soon as today
"Maybe, maybe, maybe today, maybe soon. I think it's very soon." In a widely anticipated test, Blue Origin may ignite the seven main engines on its New Glenn rocket as soon as Thu.....»»
Newly identified mysterious fossil seed reveals Ice Age climate patterns
La Brea Tar Pits scientists have identified a previously unknown juniper species as Juniperus scopulorum, commonly known as the Rocky Mountain Juniper. The successful identification, along with the first-ever radiocarbon dating of these fossil plants.....»»
Extended chart of life shows ancient species may have evolved slower and lasted longer
If all the world's a stage and all the species merely players, then their exits and entrances can be found in the rock record. Fossilized skeletons and shells clearly show how evolution and extinction unfolded over the past half a billion years, but.....»»
Prototype sunscreen uses TiO₂ nanoparticles to cool skin while blocking UV rays
Wearing sunscreen is important to protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation but doesn't cool people off. However, a new formula, described in Nano Letters, protects against both UV light and heat from the sun using radiative cooling......»»
Scientists recreate molecular timers to control nanomachine activation rates
Living organisms monitor time—and react to it—in many different ways, from detecting light and sound in microseconds to responding physiologically in pre-programmed ways, via their daily sleep cycle, monthly menstrual cycle, or to changes in the.....»»
7 good things humanity did to combat climate change in 2024
Advocating for climate change action can sometimes feel like pushing a huge boulder up a hill. News headlines are filled with breaking climate records, while governments, including Australia's, are still approving new fossil fuel developments. Advert.....»»
Optical spring enables programmable defect mode in new mechanical crystal
Mechanical crystals, also known as phononic crystals, are materials that can control the propagation of vibrations or sound waves, just like photonic crystals control the flow of light. The introduction of defects in these crystals (i.e., intentional.....»»