Science News

A new study reveals that sleep not only consolidates existing memories but also primes the brain for future learning. Researchers tracked neuronal activity in mice and discovered 'engram-to-be cells' that synchronize dur...

Early humans had almost no hope of surviving severe burns, so evolution may have prioritised the selection of genes that heal mild ones, which could be affecting modern medicine

The US government's proposal for a vast health database to study autism could improve our understanding of the condition - but there is a risk it could do more harm than good

Chinese engineers have rescued two satellites that were stuck in the wrong orbit using a novel 'gravitational slingshot' method.

A new analysis of over 90,000 participants shows that personality traits influence how people engage in volunteering and charitable giving. Researchers found that extraverts are more likely to volunteer, while agreeable ...

Researchers at Rice University have developed a new machine learning (ML) algorithm that excels at interpreting the "light signatures" (optical spectra) of molecules, materials and disease biomarkers, potentially enablin...

Researchers have developed a noninvasive brain-spine interface that detects movement intentions and cues spinal cord stimulation to aid rehabilitation. Using EEG caps, they trained a decoder to recognize when volunteers ...

The National Science Foundation's Dark Energy Camera reveals a stunning glimpse into the 'dark nebula' known as the Circinus West molecular cloud, a region of space that's so dense with gas that light can't escape it.

A new study reveals that dopamine release along a specific brain circuit helps extinguish fear by activating reward-related neurons in the amygdala. Researchers showed that dopamine from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) ...

An atomic clock research team from the National Time Service Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has proposed and implemented a compact optical clock based on quantum interference enhanced absorption spectroscopy, ...

It would be difficult to understand the inner workings of a complex machine without ever opening it up, but this is the challenge scientists face when exploring quantum systems. Traditional methods of looking into these ...

Uturuncu, a dormant volcano in Bolivia, appeared to be getting ready to erupt following earthquakes and "sombrero" shaped deformation -- scientists have now worked out what's going on beneath the surface.

He Qinglin's group at the Center for Quantum Materials Science, School of Physics, has reported the first observation of non-reciprocal Coulomb drag in Chern insulators. This breakthrough opens new pathways for exploring...

Clocks on Earth are ticking a bit more regularly thanks to NIST-F4, a new atomic clock at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) campus in Boulder, Colorado.

A squishy, layered material that dramatically transforms under pressure could someday help computers store more data with less energy.

Neutrinos have always been hard to explain - and now the detection of one so energetic it shouldn't exist may help illuminate the strangest corners of the cosmos

Researchers, students and science-lovers across the world now have access to the design of the globally significant SABRE South dark matter experiment in the lead up to its installation in the Stawell Underground Physics...

New research spotlights the habenula, a tiny but powerful brain region, as a key player in addiction, motivation, and emotional regulation. Studies show that the habenula's circuitry influences how the brain processes re...

Many atomic nuclei have a magnetic field similar to that of Earth. However, directly at the surface of a heavy nucleus such as lead or bismuth, it is trillions of times stronger than Earth's field and more comparable to ...

A new study has created the first normative charts of brain functional development from birth to six years old, highlighting how brain network growth tracks with cognitive milestones. Using MRI scans from over 1,000 chil...

A new study highlights a potential role for immune system dysfunction in the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found that neuroinflammation, trained innate immune memory, and cellular reprogrammin...

A crocodile DNA study has revealed two previously unknown Crocodylus species in the Caribbean. The crocodiles live on Cozumel and Banco Chinchorro, where they're threatened by human activities.