In a recent study published today in the European Geosciences Union (EGU) journal Biogeosciences, scientists have confirmed that mercury pollution from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is contaminating food crops not through the soil, as previously believed, but directly from the air. Driven by the surging price of gold, which has increased by more than tenfold since 2000, the rapid expansion of unregulated mining in these regions raises urgent questions about food security, human health, and environmental justice The…
Researchers at the University of North Carolina have created microscopic soft robots shaped like flowers that can change shape and behavior in response to their surroundings, just like living organisms do. These tiny “DNA flowers” are made from special crystals formed by combining DNA and inorganic materials. They can reversibly fold and unfold in seconds, making them among the most dynamic materials ever developed on such a small scale. Each flower’s DNA acts like a tiny computer program, telling it…
A new study from Iceland’s Surtsey island shows that birds carried most of the plants that colonised the island, challenging long-held beliefs that seed or fruit shape determines how plants spread — offering fresh insight into life’s adaptation to c When the volcanic island of Surtsey rose from the North Atlantic Ocean in 1963, it offered scientists a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe how life takes hold on a brand-new and barren land. For decades, ecologists believed that plants’ ability to…
An AWI study gives a potential explanation as to why the ocean around Antarctica is defying climate model projections and continuing to absorb CO2, despite the effects of climate change Climate models suggest that climate change could reduce the Southern Ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2). However, observational data actually shows that this ability has seen no significant decline in recent decades. In a recent study, researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute have discovered what may be causing this….
Enabled by a new high-resolution mapping technique, the findings overturn a long-held belief that the genome loses its 3D structure when cells divide CAMBRIDGE, MA — Before cells can divide, they first need to replicate all of their chromosomes, so that each of the daughter cells can receive a full set of genetic material. Until now, scientists had believed that as division occurs, the genome loses the distinctive 3D internal structure that it typically forms. Once division is complete, it…
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and the US space agency NASA have made an unexpected discovery that challenges one of the basic rules of chemistry and provides new knowledge about Saturn’s enigmatic moon Titan. In its extremely cold environment, normally incompatible substances can still be mixed. This discovery broadens our understanding of chemistry before the emergence of life. Scientists have long been interested in Saturn’s largest, orange-coloured moon as its evolution can teach us more about our…
A calculation method enabling energy benchmarking in the pulp and paper industry: Adopting a methodology that bridge the research-policy implementation gap The pulp and paper industry consumes large amounts of energy. But despite stricter EU requirements for efficiency improvements, there has been no way to measure and compare energy consumption between different companies in a fair way. In collaboration with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, now present a solution that has great potential to be used…
New technique from Binghamton University could overcome restrictions on size and functionality and prevent necrotic regions of dead cells When biomedical researchers need to test their latest ideas, they often turn to engineered human tissue that mimics the responses in our own bodies. It’s become an important intermediary step before human clinical trials. One limiting factor: The cells need blood circulation to survive, and achieving that can be difficult in three-dimensional cell structures. Without proper vascular systems — even primitive…
The finding, led by the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), represents the oldest known record in the Southern Hemisphere of quironomids – a family of non-biting insects that play a key role in freshwater ecosystems An international team of scientists led by the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC) has described a new species of fossilized insect from the Australian Jurassic period, estimated to be around 151 million years old. It represents the oldest known member in the Southern Hemisphere of the Chironomidae…
Community-managed forests in Guatemala support wildlife as well as protected areas, but subtle human impacts still shape where species roam PULLMAN, Wash. — Deep in Guatemala’s Maya rainforest, a team led by Washington State University researchers captured more than just photos of jaguars, tapirs and ocelots. They also captured a rare success story: a way for humans and wildlife to share a forest without destroying it. In a new study published in Conservation Biology, scientists from WSU and the Wildlife Conservation Society…
Viewpoint examines neuroplasticity and emotional processing mechanisms underlying psychedelic therapy potential CHANGCHUN, Jilin, CHINA, 14 October 2025 — A peer-reviewed viewpoint article published today in Psychedelics by Prof. Xiaohui Wang and colleagues examines the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances for treating stress-related psychiatric disorders through novel neurobiological mechanisms. The analysis synthesizes current evidence on how compounds like psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and MDMA could fundamentally alter treatment paradigms for depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Addressing Chronic Stress…
Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Bruce Cohen discusses revolutionary approaches and new results transforming mental health research. BELMONT, Massachusetts, USA, 14 October 2025 — In a compelling Genomic Press Interview published today in Genomic Psychiatry, Dr. Bruce M. Cohen discusses results and insights that are reshaping international approaches to understanding and treating neuropsychiatric disorders. The Robertson-Steele Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Program for Neuropsychiatric Research at McLean Hospital shares remarkable discoveries from nearly five decades of…
Using a global network of telescopes, astronomers have detected the lowest-mass dark object yet found in the universe. Finding more such objects and understanding their nature could rule out some theories about the nature of dark matter, the mystery substance that makes up about a quarter of the universe. The work is described in two papers published Oct. 9 in Nature Astronomy and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Because the object does not emit any light or other radiation, it was…
Understanding people’s attitudes to interactions with sharks could help halt the global decline of shark numbers, according to new research carried out on Ascension Island. In 2017, there were two non-fatal shark attacks at Ascension – a UK territory in the South Atlantic with a population of about 800 people. Large numbers of sharks – mostly silky and Galapagos sharks – have affected the island’s recreational fishers, who often lose tackle and hooked fish before they can be landed. The…
Researchers have created a polymer “Chinese lantern” that can snap into more than a dozen curved, three-dimensional shapes by compressing or twisting the original structure. This rapid shape-shifting behavior can be controlled remotely using a magnetic field, allowing the structure to be used for a variety of applications. The basic lantern object is made by cutting a polymer sheet into a diamond-like parallelogram shape, then cutting a row of parallel lines across the center of each sheet. This creates a…
Melting ice sheets in North America played a far greater role in driving global sea-level rise at the end of the last ice age than scientists had thought, according to a Tulane University-led study published in Nature Geoscience. The findings overturn decades of conventional wisdom about how Earth emerged from its last great freeze and could reshape how scientists view the risks of climate change in today’s warming world. Between 8,000 and 9,000 years ago, retreating North American ice sheets…
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