Trying to persuade people to abandon deeply held views often backfires, leaving groups entrenched and unable to move forward. A new study by researchers at the University of Bath in the UK proposes a strategy that is both surprising and more effective: encourage neutrality. [...]
Living cells are fundamentally nonequilibrium systems, meaning they constantly spend energy through seemingly one-way, irreversible processes, such as transcribing DNA into RNA, to keep life going. But how that irreversibility appears in the dynamics of individual genes has been difficult to measure. [...]
Burnout is at an all-time high, with some studies saying two-thirds of employees now cite job burnout as a major challenge. Overwork and chronic stress do not just drain energy, they can erode health, contributing to a wide range of psychological and physical problems, including depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease and even increased stroke risk. Shaina Siber offers solutions rooted in science in her new book, "Using ACT and CFT for Burnout Recovery: The Beyond Burnout Blueprint," with strategies to help people in high pressure situations break the cycle of exhaustion. [...]
"Ultimately, the bond of all companionship, whether in marriage or friendship, is conversation," wrote Oscar Wilde. [...]
Techniques developed to study the distant past—from dating ancient artifacts to reconstructing climate records in ice cores—are now being repurposed to help us better understand the lives of modern sea turtles. Using radiocarbon methods from archaeology, researchers show that sea turtle shell plates are biological time capsules that record signs of major environmental disturbances in the ocean. [...]
Soil is often perceived simply as "dirt," but in reality, it is a dynamic, living system that acts as Earth's natural sponge. Unfortunately, common agricultural practices—including deep plowing and the use of heavy machinery—can severely disrupt this natural system, according to a new study led by Dr. Shi Qibin from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with international partners. [...]
In Science of The Total Environment, researchers demonstrate the broad distribution of particulate thiols in the western North Pacific and show that their main source is marine phytoplankton. The analysis indicates that differences in thiol concentrations between ocean areas are significantly influenced by water mass properties, phytoplankton composition, and environmental stress. [...]
Palm oil plantations, for one, are increasingly struggling with the sector's declining attractiveness, which has hardly changed since the colonial era. [...]
An international research team from Bielefeld University and the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) has uncovered a previously unknown regulatory mechanism in human cells. For the first time, they demonstrate how a key molecular switch regulates the cell's "recycling centers." The findings, published in Nature Communications, provide important insights into the understanding of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. [...]
Across Europe, many banks alongside motorways are planted with grass to stabilize soil and keep roadside landscapes tidy. [...]
A new study reveals all five fundamental nucleobases—the molecular "letters" of life—have been detected in samples from the asteroid Ryugu. [...]
A study of 1.4 million real workplace interactions with artificial intelligence reveals teachable differences between routine and sophisticated AI use that offer organizations a concrete road map for identifying and scaling high-impact AI capability. The joint study by KPMG LLP—the U.S. audit, tax, and advisory firm—and the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin identifies distinct, observable patterns in how high‑impact users frame problems, guide AI reasoning, and apply AI across complex tasks that KPMG is applying internally and in its work for clients. The study is published in Harvard Business Review. [...]
In a study published in Archaeological Research in Asia, Dr. Haichao Li and a team of researchers analyzed the earliest Bronze Age meteoritic iron artifact from southwestern China, the largest found to date in the country. Recovered from the famous Sanxingdui site, it provides crucial insights into the region's metallurgical practices and fills a critical gap in the area's metallurgical record. [...]
As human-caused climate change continues to raise temperatures across the globe, understanding how birds regulate their temperature is vital for their conservation. But how much heat birds emit—an invisible spectrum of radiation known as mid-infrared—has never been studied, until now. [...]
When you reach for a "palm-oil-free" label at the supermarket, you likely feel you're doing your part to save orangutans and protect biodiversity. However, the reality behind that label is more complex than it appears. [...]
Rising temperatures in a Southcentral Alaska river have led to a hungrier population of invasive northern pike, a trend that could imperil native salmon and other fish species. A University of Alaska Fairbanks-led research team analyzed the stomach contents of northern pike caught by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Deshka River during the summers of 2021 and 2022. The team compared the contents to samples from pike collected a decade earlier. [...]
Many current wireless communication, imaging and sensing technologies rely on components that convert oscillating electric and magnetic fields (i.e., electromagnetic waves) into electrical signals. Some of the most used components are so-called p-n diodes, semiconducting devices that combine two types of materials with distinct electrical properties. [...]
For over three decades, satellites orbiting Earth have measured the height of the ocean surface with remarkable precision. These measurements are crucial because changes in ocean height are one of the clearest indicators of how our planet is responding to climate change. Rising ocean surfaces signal warming temperatures, melting ice, and shifting ocean currents. [...]
Solutions for a sustainable future can sometimes be found in centuries-old traditions. Indonesia's Blue Economy Roadmap is about driving economic growth through the sustainable use of ocean resources, while protecting marine ecosystems for the future. One promising way to achieve this goal is to integrate regional fishing practices based on Indigenous knowledge. [...]
Rudeness, whether real or perceived, can deeply affect cooperation, trust, and workplace culture. But judgments of what we consider rude aren't confined to specific disrespectful words or phrases—they are shaped by the listener's emotional processing, attention to non-verbal cues, and underlying moral stance. [...]
Studying endangered animal species without disturbing them and disrupting their natural habitat could be highly advantageous, as it would contribute to their protection and prevent unnecessary stress. Conventional methods for studying endangered species and their DNA, however, entail capturing animals for short periods of time, examining them and collecting tissues or other biological samples. These approaches often require significant resources and can be very stressful for animals. In the case of elusive species—animals that conceal themselves well and are thus very difficult to find or observe—it is also impractical. [...]
An estimated 500 million to 1 billion people worldwide are affected by selenium deficiency, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Researchers at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), working with the University of Turin in Italy, have developed a metabolic map describing how plants take up and process selenium. This knowledge could help develop crops with higher selenium levels. [...]
Several insect species, including ants, honeybees and termites, live in highly organized societies, also known as social insect colonies. Insects living in these colonies can take on different roles, such as reproducing, maintaining the nest, gathering food or caring for other insects. [...]
Hawaii has a plastic problem. The island state faces economic and logistical challenges in recycling plastic waste, including marine debris that lingers in its ocean waters. Researchers in Hawaii are pioneering a method to recycle the islands' derelict fishing nets and residential plastic trash into asphalt roads. Early demonstrations show that these recycled materials may provide a viable end-of-life fate for the region's garbage. [...]
Many people have felt the subtle pressure to be "man enough" or "woman enough" in the eyes of others. And research has shown this pressure can have personal and social consequences. [...]
A laser-based system that can create mesh-like structures in a dish that resemble the cytoskeletons of cells has been developed by two RIKEN researchers. They demonstrated its usefulness for research by exploring how two proteins interacted with artificial cytoskeletons. The results are published in Nature Communications. [...]
A company's ability to be technologically unique is an asset, but it can also be a costly, isolating characteristic. A new study published in Strategic Management Journal provides empirical evidence of this paradox, offering documentation of technologically unique payoffs, as well as the double penalty of being a contrarian company. [...]
Social mobility opportunities for young people in coastal and rural areas are constrained by the lack of jobs available, a new study shows. Those who stay in the seaside towns where they grew up find their opportunities and choices limited and are more likely to work in routine and manual jobs. The occupations of young people growing up in rural areas inland are more varied. [...]
New research from the University of Lincoln, UK, is challenging a common assumption about the evolutionary origins of human violence, suggesting that everyday aggression does not inevitably lead to lethal conflict. The study, published in the journal Evolution Letters, finds that mild aggression and lethal violence appear to have evolved along different pathways, offering new insight into one of the most enduring debates about human nature. [...]
For centuries, unusual animal behavior before earthquakes has been reported worldwide. Livestock becoming restless, wildlife disappearing and snakes emerging from hibernation in the middle of winter. For a long time, scientists dismissed such observations as folklore. [...]