Optics & Photonics Oct 22, 2026

Ultrafast light pulses track molecular motion with three-femtosecond resolution

Researchers have observed a molecule in the first instants after it has absorbed light and tracked the coordinated motion of electrons and nuclei with a temporal resolution of three femtoseconds. This is the result achieved ...

Cell & Microbiology Oct 21, 2026

Scientists reveal how deadly Andes hantavirus attaches to human cells

Earlier this year, an outbreak of Andes hantavirus on a cruise ship, which killed three passengers and sickened 13, highlighted the lack of approved vaccines or treatments for the virus. In a study published in Nature, scientists ...

Political science Oct 23, 2026

AI agents can form political camps—and changing their conversation partners does little to soften their views

Give AI agents political positions, ask them to defend their views and persuade one another, and let them decide which contacts to keep. This recent experiment, published in Nature Communications, found that over repeated ...

Ecology Oct 20, 2026

Marine life dramatically declined in Gulf of Mexico in years after BP oil spill, study finds

In a deep, dark part of the Gulf of Mexico, the number of marine animals plummeted by about 60% in the years following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion, a new study found.

Archaeology Oct 20, 2026

Mystery skeleton found in Roman sarcophagus at Westminster Abbey may finally have an identity

The identity of a mysterious skeleton found in a Roman sarcophagus in the grounds of Westminster Abbey more than 150 years ago appears closer to being solved.

Plants & Animals Oct 22, 2026

Drought shifts more plant root cells into newly discovered environmental response mode

Scientists have discovered a hidden layer of identity in plant root cells: an "environmental mode" that switches on in some cells and becomes more common when water is scarce. The study, led by Dr. Marina Oliva and professor ...

Biochemistry Oct 21, 2026

AI designs functional enzyme components that could help expand drug discovery

New active ingredients for drugs to treat infections, cancer or other serious diseases are often based on substances originally discovered in microorganisms, plants or other living organisms. Producing or improving such active ...

Social Sciences Oct 22, 2026

The same novel can spark very different inner worlds in readers

Every storybook opens a window for our imagination to be freed from the reality of the world around us and escape into the fictional world. While the author's words act as a guide, everyone experiences fiction in their own ...

Evolution Oct 20, 2026

Caribbean islands were once the center of diversity for barn owls

Legend has it that a giant elfin, owl-like creature called the chickcharney haunts the islands of the Bahamas. Those who encounter this cryptid on cordial terms are said to be blessed with good luck. Those who disrespect ...

Archaeology Oct 19, 2026

AI reads centuries-old handwriting to reveal Britain's vast historic shipping trade

Historians have created a first-of-its-kind online interactive map, using data from hundreds of thousands of pages of centuries-old port records to chart Britain's growth into a dominant global trading nation.

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