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A major 24-year study involving more than 8,200 adults suggests that excess body weight may accelerate brain aging, leading to faster declines in memory, concentration, and decision-making skills. The connection was particularly strong among people over 65, raising concerns about the long-term effects of obesity on brain health.
ScienceDaily AllRead article →A new review involving researchers at Umeå University has revealed the critical role that plant roots play in shaping how Arctic tundra ecosystems respond to climate change. The paper, recently published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, highlights how processes occurring beneath the soil surface could help scientists better understand how one of the fastest-changing ecosystems on Earth will influence the…
Phys.org ResearchRead article →Liverworts reproduce through a life cycle involving two distinct stages. First, sperm fertilize eggs in the presence of water, producing embryos that develop into spore-producing structures called sporophytes. These structures then produce spores that can disperse and grow into new liverwort plants.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →Researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the HI-STEM Stem Cell Institute have discovered a group of particularly long-lived blood stem cells in mice. These cells remain in a dormant state for an exceptionally long time while retaining their ability to generate new blood cells.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →To what extent does bottom trawling impact the seafloor of the Baltic Sea—and how quickly does it recover? Two new studies from the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) show that the marks on the seafloor provide a much clearer picture of the actual impact than vessel position data alone.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →The world is a far louder and more distracting place than when humans first evolved. But there's increasing evidence that experiencing nature can help restore attention lost to modern distractions, known as "directed attention fatigue."
Phys.org ResearchRead article →Hydrothermal vents lie in perpetual darkness in the depths of the ocean, yet the cells of the vent mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus, which lives 1,700 meters (5,600 feet) below the surface, follow a 24-hour rhythm in the laboratory.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →Nearly 200 countries recently came together in Armenia for the 2026 United Nations Biodiversity Conference to review progress toward halting and reversing biodiversity loss. Many of these governments will soon convene again in Turkey to discuss efforts to tackle climate change at COP31.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →A new study from Tel Aviv University reveals how plants, despite having neither a brain nor a nervous system, integrate light coming from multiple directions to determine where to grow. The researchers show how this process emerges from local sensing across the stem, without the need for centralized information processing.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →Most flounders sampled in Lake Pulmanki in northern Finland had spent their entire lives in freshwater. The study provides the first evidence of the species living entirely in freshwater. The work is published in Evolution.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →A research team wanted to better understand how the forces between particles inside a material change. They discovered that by confining one-dimensional classical spin chains inside a mirror box cavity with light, they could force these magnetic particles to organize and undergo a phase transition.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →When you think about making computer chips better, you probably think about transistors. My colleagues and I focused on a less visible part of the problem: the components that deliver power to those transistors. A chip needs more than electricity. It needs electricity supplied at the right voltage, with fluctuations kept under control.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →Little is known about the long-term effects of deep-sea mining on the organic matter that supports life on the seafloor. However, as interest in mining the deep sea for rare metals grows, there is concern that disturbing the seabed could affect the ecosystems of the deep ocean.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →Scientists studying the neurology of tame foxes identified changes in a part of the brain that has previously been associated with aggression, according to a new paper that compared the brains of domesticated, aggressive and wild foxes.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →What does a healthy river look like? For most of us, an obvious answer would involve two aspects: water flowing through a channel and green vegetation along its banks. However, in reality, a river's health depends on several factors, such as how much water flows through it, how water moves through the landscape, how that flow changes with the seasons, how sediment moves downstream, how often it spills into its…
Phys.org ResearchRead article →Human intelligence is still a bit of an enigma. Researchers have some ideas about why advanced intelligence evolved in humans, but they have not come to a conclusive answer. One prominent idea is that intelligence serves a social function. In their new study, a group of researchers led by Jonathan Egeland reports additional evidence supporting this idea.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →While ammonia (NH₃) is best known for its role in fertilizer production, it is attracting attention as a carbon-free hydrogen carrier, potentially offering a practical way to store and transport clean fuel. Despite this promise, NH₃ synthesis still depends on high-temperature, high-pressure processes that are difficult to scale up sustainably.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →A new study led by Dr. Shikma Zaarur of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in collaboration with Dr. Ran Erel of the Agricultural Research Organization–Volcani Institute, reveals that agricultural soils may contain a substantial unaccounted-for reservoir of potassium, an essential nutrient for plant growth, that is largely overlooked by conventional soil testing methods.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →If your home isn't in a federally designated flood zone, flooding might seem like someone else's problem. No one requires you to buy flood insurance, and the map suggests you're in the clear. But reality may be very different.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →The totality of bacteria, viruses and fungi that exist in and on a multicellular organism forms its natural microbiome. The interactions between the body and these microorganisms significantly influence the host organism's functions and health. Among other things, researchers have shown that the microbiome plays an important role in defense against pathogens.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →For roughly five centuries from about 1300, Europe experienced periods of unusually cold weather and extreme conditions collectively known as the Little Ice Age. Transylvania, a historical region in modern-day Romania, was also affected, but information about just how severe things were had been scattered in old town records, church logs, travelogs and administrative and monastic diaries.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →A study co-led by a University of California, Riverside, biomedical scientist has identified new targets for coronavirus antiviral drugs, including treatments that may be less vulnerable to the rapid evolution of these viruses.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →More than just a precious gemstone for jewelry, diamond has properties that make it attractive for several next-generation, high-performance technologies. Its high thermal conductivity can help move heat away from semiconductor devices, while its wide bandgap is promising for high-power electronics. Moreover, its transparency in the visible light range makes diamond useful for demanding optical applications.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →Ruthenium (Ru) is a valuable metal used in catalysts to speed up chemical reactions in many industrial processes. It can help improve efficiency and reduce the energy needed for chemical production. However, because it is rare and expensive, scientists are looking for ways to make better use of it.
Phys.org ResearchRead article →