Recent reporting, background, and summaries from the science desk.
A recent study reveals humanity is dangerously overshooting Earth's sustainable capacity, threatening global food security, climate stability, and human well-being. To avert this growing crisis, researchers emphasize the urgent need to slow population growth and drastically change consumption patterns.
Scientists have developed a groundbreaking porous glass, a metal-organic framework (MOF) material, capable of efficiently trapping gases like CO2 and hydrogen by ingeniously adapting traditional glassmaking techniques. This innovative material, made easier to process and shape with common additives, holds immense potential to revolutionize clean energy, gas storage, and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Scientists have unveiled PerturbFate, a groundbreaking technology designed to pinpoint crucial "control hubs" within cells where diverse disease-causing genetic mutations, including those linked to cancer and Alzheimer's, converge. This innovative approach promises to revolutionize medicine by targeting these shared cellular vulnerabilities, offering a new path to treat conditions beyond individual faulty genes.
Scientists may have detected the first hint of elusive dark matter within gravitational waves from merging black holes, using a new model to identify subtle distortions. This groundbreaking discovery, based on a specific signal in real LIGO data, could revolutionize the search for the universe's invisible majority.
Scientists have uncovered over 1,700 previously unknown "dark" proteins, dubbed "peptideins," in human cells, revealing that fundamental building blocks can be produced from atypical genome regions and significantly expanding our understanding of genetic function. This groundbreaking discovery, including one peptidein linked to cancer survival, opens exciting new avenues for developing disease therapies.
Artemis II astronauts have shattered spaceflight records, traveling an unprecedented 252,756 miles from Earth—the farthest humans have ever journeyed from our home planet. This historic mission also yielded a compelling candidate for the longest-distance image of humans ever taken, a blurry photo of the crewed Orion capsule captured from 213,000 miles away by an Earth-based telescope.
In a significant development, the CBI has arrested Pune biology lecturer Manisha Gurunath Mandhare in connection with the 2026 NEET-UG paper leak case. Mandhare, an NTA-appointed expert and alleged "mastermind," was reportedly involved in the examination process, raising serious concerns about the integrity of India's national medical entrance exam.
New research reveals vitamin B2 surprisingly helps cancer cells escape a crucial death process called ferroptosis by supporting a protective cellular shield. Scientists successfully broke down this shield using a B2-like compound in lab tests, leading to the death of cancer cells and offering a potential new therapeutic avenue.
A new study reveals that global warming is critically depleting oxygen in rivers worldwide, threatening aquatic life and potentially creating "dead zones." Researchers, using satellite data and AI across 21,000 rivers since 1985, found an average 2.1% oxygen drop primarily due to rising water temperatures.
Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery, finding compelling evidence that dinosaur fossils can still contain traces of their original proteins, directly challenging the long-held belief that fossilization completely destroys all organic material. This revolutionary finding promises to transform the study of ancient life, offering unprecedented insights into dinosaur biology and their evolutionary paths.
Japanese researchers have unearthed compelling evidence of a powerful solar storm around 1200 CE, identified through ancient tree rings and historical accounts of vivid red auroras. This 800-year-old "red sky" event reveals a highly active Sun with unusually short solar cycles, offering crucial insights for safeguarding future Moon missions from similar radiation.
Columbia University researchers have finally solved the perplexing climate mystery of why Earth's upper atmosphere is cooling while its surface heats up. They discovered that at higher altitudes, carbon dioxide behaves differently, radiating heat directly into space and accelerating cooling in the stratosphere.