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NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter succeeds in historic first flight
The small rotorcraft made history, hovering above Jezero Crater, demonstrating that powered, controlled flight on another planet is possible.
Tarantula's ubiquity traced back to the Cretaceous
Tarantulas are among the most notorious spiders, due in part to their size, vibrant colors and prevalence throughout the world. But one thing most people don't know is that tarantulas are homebodies. Females and their young rarely leave their burrows and only mature males will wander to seek out a m...
COVID-19: Scientists identify human genes that fight infection
Scientists have identified a set of human genes that fight SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus that causes COVID-19. Knowing which genes help control viral infection can greatly assist researchers' understanding of factors that affect disease severity and also suggest possible therapeutic options. The g...
Hidden magma pools pose eruption risks that we can't yet detect
Volcanologists' ability to estimate eruption risks is largely reliant on knowing where pools of magma are stored, deep in the Earth's crust. But what happens if the magma can't be spotted?
A new super-Earth detected orbiting a red dwarf star
Researchers report the discovery of a super-Earth orbiting the star GJ 740, a red dwarf star situated some 36 light years from Earth.
New CRISPR technology offers unrivaled control of epigenetic inheritance
Scientists have figured out how to modify CRISPR's basic architecture to extend its reach beyond the genome and into what's known as the epigenome -- proteins and small molecules that latch onto DNA and control when and where genes are switched on or off.
Scientists generate human-monkey chimeric embryos
Researchers have injected human stem cells into primate embryos and were able to grow chimeric embryos for a significant period of time -- up to 20 days. The research, despite its ethical concerns, has the potential to provide new insights into developmental biology and evolution. It also has implic...
How many T. rexes were there? Billions: Analysis of what's known about the dinosaur leads to conclusion there were 2.5 billion over time
With fossils few and far between, paleontologists have shied away from estimating the size of extinct populations. But scientists decided to try, focusing on the North American predator T. rex. Using data from the latest fossil analyses, they concluded that some 20,000 adults likely roamed the conti...
Entanglement-based quantum network
A team of researchers reports realization of a multi-node quantum network, connecting three quantum processors. In addition, they achieved a proof-of-principle demonstration of key quantum network protocols.
Coral reefs prevent more than $5.3 billion in potential flood damage for U.S. property owners, study finds
Coral reefs provide many services to coastal communities, including critical protection from flood damage. A new study reveals how valuable coral reefs are in protecting people, structures, and economic activity in the United States from coastal flooding during storms.
Telescopes unite in unprecedented observations of famous black hole
In April 2019, scientists released the first image of a black hole in galaxy M87 using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). However, that remarkable achievement was just the beginning of the science story to be told.
Joyful screams perceived more strongly than screams of fear or anger
The human scream signals more than fear of imminent danger or entanglement in social conflicts. Screaming can also express joy or excitement. For the first time, researchers have demonstrated that non-alarming screams are even perceived and processed by the brain more efficiently than their alarming...
Elusive particle may point to undiscovered physics
The muon is a tiny particle, but it has the giant potential to upend our understanding of the subatomic world and reveal an undiscovered type of fundamental physics.
Plastic planet: Tracking pervasive microplastics across the globe
Really big systems, like ocean currents and weather, work on really big scales. And so too does your plastic waste, according to new research.
NASA's NICER finds X-ray boosts in the Crab Pulsar's radio bursts
A global science collaboration using data from NASA's Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) telescope on the International Space Station has discovered X-ray surges accompanying radio bursts from the pulsar in the Crab Nebula. The finding shows that these bursts, called giant radio puls...
More than 5,000 tons of extraterrestrial dust fall to Earth each year
Every year, our planet encounters dust from comets and asteroids. These interplanetary dust particles pass through our atmosphere and give rise to shooting stars. Some of them reach the ground in the form of micrometeorites. An international program conducted for nearly 20 has determined that 5,200....
Mars didn't dry up in one go
A research team has discovered that the Martian climate alternated between dry and wetter periods, before drying up completely about 3 billion years ago.
Corals carefully organize proteins to form rock-hard skeletons: Scientists' findings suggest corals will withstand climate change
Scientists have shown that coral structures consist of a biomineral containing a highly organized organic mix of proteins that resembles what is in our bones. Their study shows that several proteins are organized spatially -- a process that's critical to forming a rock-hard coral skeleton.
Why our brains miss opportunities to improve through subtraction: Researchers explain the human tendency to make change through addition
A new study explains why people rarely look at a situation, object or idea that needs improving -- in all kinds of contexts -- and think to remove something as a solution. Instead, we almost always add some element, whether it helps or not.
Neanderthal ancestry identifies oldest modern human genome
The fossil skull of a woman in Czechia has provided the oldest modern human genome yet reconstructed, representing a population that formed before the ancestors of present-day Europeans and Asians split apart.
From stardust to pale blue dot: Carbon's interstellar journey to Earth
We are made of stardust, the saying goes, and a pair of studies finds that may be more true than we previously thought.
Evidence of Antarctic glacier's tipping point confirmed
Researchers have confirmed for the first time that Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica could cross tipping points, leading to a rapid and irreversible retreat which would have significant consequences for global sea level.
A new state of light: Physicists observe new phase in Bose-Einstein condensate of light particles
A single 'super photon' made up of many thousands of individual light particles: About ten years ago, researchers produced such an extreme aggregate state for the first time. Researchers report a new, previously unknown phase transition in the optical Bose-Einstein condensate. This is a overdamped p...
Mice with hallucination-like behaviors reveal insight into psychotic illness: Study in mice and people offers new approach to investigating mental illnesses
A computer game that induces mice to experience hallucination-like events could be a key to understanding the neurobiological roots of psychosis, according to a new study.
How brain cells repair their DNA reveals 'hot spots' of aging and disease
Neurons lack the ability to replicate their DNA, so they're constantly working to repair damage to their genome. A new study finds that these repairs are not random, but instead focus on protecting certain genetic 'hot spots' that appear to play a critical role in neural identity and function.
Why some cancer drugs may be ineffective
A possible explanation for why many cancer drugs that kill tumor cells in mouse models won't work in human trials has been found.
African elephants' range is just 17 percent of what it could be
A study has both good news and bad news for the future of African elephants. While about 18 million square kilometers of Africa -- an area bigger than the whole of Russia -- still has suitable habitat for elephants, the actual range of African elephants has shrunk to just 17 percent of what it could...
450-million-year-old sea creatures had a leg up on breathing: First evidence of trilobites' bizarre breathing organs uncovered
A new study has found the first evidence of sophisticated breathing organs in 450-million-year-old sea creatures. Contrary to previous thought, trilobites were leg breathers, with structures resembling gills hanging off their thighs.
First X-rays from Uranus discovered
Astronomers have detected X-rays from Uranus using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This result may help scientists learn more about this enigmatic ice giant planet in our solar system.
Photosynthesis could be as old as life itself
Researchers find that the earliest bacteria had the tools to perform a crucial step in photosynthesis, changing how we think life evolved on Earth.
How humans develop larger brains than other apes
A new study is the first to identify how human brains grow much larger, with three times as many neurons, compared with chimpanzee and gorilla brains. The study identified a key molecular switch that can make ape brain organoids grow more like human organoids, and vice versa.
Older than expected: Teeth reveal the origin of the tiger shark
A team of researchers has examined the fossil record of these apex predators and found out that modern tiger sharks are older than previously thought.
Cephalopods: Older than was thought? Fossil find from Canada could rewrite the evolutionary history of invertebrate organisms
Earth scientists have discovered possibly the oldest cephalopods in Earth's history. The 522 million-year-old fossils from Newfoundland (Canada) could turn out to be the first known form of these highly evolved invertebrate organisms. In that case, the find would indicate that the cephalopods evolve...
'Zombie' genes? Research shows some genes come to life in the brain after death: Post-mortem changes may shed light on important brain studies
Researchers analyzed gene expression in fresh brain tissue and found that gene expression in some cells actually increased after death.
Penguin hemoglobin evolved to meet oxygen demands of diving: Experiments on ancient proteins reveal evolution of better oxygen capture, release
Webbed feet, flipper-like wings and unique feathers all helped penguins adapt to life underwater. But by resurrecting two ancient versions of hemoglobin, a research team has shown that the evolution of diving is also in their blood, which optimized its capture and release of oxygen to ensure that pe...
Tropical species are moving northward in U.S. as winters warm: Insects, reptiles, fish and plants migrating north as winter freezes in South become less frequent
Climate change is reducing the number of sub-freezing days over much of the American South, providing an opportunity for cold-sensitive tropical species -- mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, trees, shrubs and grasses -- to move northward, potentially displacing temperate species. Mosquitoes cou...
Giraffes: The trouble with being tall
Researchers have produced a high-quality genome from the giraffe and investigated which genes are likely to be responsible for its unique biological features.
Lightning strikes played a vital role in life's origins on Earth
Lightning strikes were just as important as meteorites in creating the perfect conditions for life to emerge on Earth, according to new research. This shows that life could develop on Earth-like planets through the same mechanism at any time if atmospheric conditions are right.
What happened to Mars's water? It is still trapped there: New data challenges the long-held theory that all of Mars's water escaped into space
Analyzing Mars's atmosphere and rock record, scientists have found that an ocean's worth of water was sequestered in the crust of Mars billions of years ago.
How hummingbirds hum: New measurement technique unravels what gives hummingbird wings their characteristic sound
Researchers observed hummingbirds using 12 high-speed cameras, 6 pressure plates and 2176 microphones. The soft and complex feathered wings generate sound in a fashion similar to how the simpler wings of insect do. These new insights could help make fans and drones quieter.
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