Science News

Electrons play many roles in solid materials. When they are weakly bound and able to travel--i.e., mobile--they can enable electrical conduction. When they are bound, or "heavy," they can act as insulators. However, in c...

European researchers are developing quantum computers using light and glass, in a collaboration that promises breakthroughs in computing power, battery technology and scientific discovery.

A new twin study reveals that how much an infant cries is strongly influenced by genetics, leaving parents with limited control over this behavior. Researchers found that at two months, genetics accounted for around 50% ...

Parkinson's disease often starts on one side of the body, and new research shows this asymmetry influences how non-motor symptoms progress. Patients whose symptoms begin on the right side tend to experience greater cogni...

Roughly 4,000-year-old bones from Chile contain genetic evidence of leprosy, suggesting that a rare form of the bacteria that causes the disease may have been circulating in the Americas and long before the Europeans arr...

New research reveals that the developmental timing of fluoxetine (Prozac) treatment profoundly influences long-term mood and brain function. In a rodent model, early postnatal treatment in males led to persistent anxiety...

The loss of snow cover in temperate forests is set to slow their growth and reduce their ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere, an overlooked consequence of climate change

A new meta-analysis links childhood emotional abuse and neglect to reduced trust in one's bodily signals, highlighting the long-term mental health risks. Researchers analyzed 17 studies with 3,705 participants, finding t...

A new study reveals that astrocytes, star-shaped brain cells in the striatum, are key players in how obesity alters brain function and metabolism. Researchers showed that manipulating astrocyte activity in obese mice imp...

A cache of Triassic fossils in Arizona has revealed Eotephradactylus mcintireae, or "ash-winged dawn goddess," the oldest pterosaur ever discovered in North America.

Researchers from the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw and the University of British Columbia have described how a so-called lone spinon--an exotic quantum excitation that is a single unpaired spin--can aris...

Our bodies process food differently depending on the time of day, and eating later has been linked to poorer metabolic health. A study of twins found that those who consumed most of their daily calories earlier had bette...

New research shows that retinal neurons can rewire to preserve vision in retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disease causing blindness. Using mouse models, scientists found that rod bipolar cells adapt by forming functional ...

We've rounded up the best camera deals from Sony, Nikon, Canon and more -- save $$$'s on your next mirrorless or DSLR camera.

A new study shows that positive emotions can enhance memory, even for meaningless information. Researchers recorded brain activity as participants viewed neutral squiggles paired with positive, neutral, or negative emoti...

Are you an arach-nerd or just tangled? Take our spider quiz to find out!

Suddenly feeling old? Evidence now suggests that rather than a long, steady decline, we dramatically age around three specific times in our lives. Might it be possible to stay younger for longer?

Individual defects in superconducting quantum circuits have been imaged for the first time, thanks to research by scientists at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in collaboration with Chalmers University of Technolo...

Around seven asteroids or comets are thought to hit Saturn ever year, but we have never spotted one in the act. Now, it seems one astronomer may have caught the moment of impact and the hunt is on for other images to ver...

"What is the hard evidence, beyond anecdote and suspicion, that unconscious bias impacts on women's careers? Increasing numbers of studies show, in many different guises, just how potent such bias can be."

If you've been biding your time to invest in the world's most beloved telescope, the Celestron NexStar 8SE is now under $1,500 just in time for Prime Day.

Differences in the gravitational pull between the Earth and the Moon will make July 9, July 22 and August 5 unusually short.