New research with pythons and lizards identifies a gene that results in white blotches, or piebald coloration, in reptiles. Much of what we know about skin coloration and patterning in vertebrates generally, including in snakes, is based on lab mice.

Astronomers have discovered a galactic table for two—a pair of unusually close black holes that are feeding together after their respective galaxies collided. The finding could have a profound impact on our understanding of later-stage galaxy mergers

Tigers in Nepal were two to three times more likely to cross highways during COVID-19 lockdowns than before it, a new study shows. The researchers used the nationwide lockdown as a natural experiment to test the responses of two GPS-collared tigers t

Some of the most popular items in the baby food aisle share a concerning ingredient: They likely contain toxic metals. What’s more, the US doesn’t have the kind of strict regulations for commercially produced baby foods that parents might expect, acc

A new study comparing data from Heron Reef and the Middle East’s Gulf of Aqaba has disproved the long-held theory that coral reefs only have the capacity to emit CO2. The first-of-its-kind discovery is the result of an international study that found

People in highly walkable neighborhoods are more likely to engage in adequate physical activity, walk near their home, and have a lower body mass index, according to a new study. Three out of four adults do not meet the recommended levels of physical

The standard understanding of oxytocin, colloquially known as the “love hormone,” may be all wrong. Researchers report surprising results from a study that turns a dogma concerning the biology of friendliness, romantic attachment, and parental probit

A new technique uses liquid metal to create an elastic material that is impervious to both gases and liquids. Applications for the material include flexible batteries and other packaging for high-value technologies that require protection from gases.

Researchers have long wondered if the IRS uses its audit powers equitably. New findings show that it does not. Black taxpayers receive IRS audit notices at least 2.9 times (and perhaps as much as 4.7 times) more often than non-Black taxpayers, accord

A new study identifies a link between sleep problems and suicidal thoughts, as well as behaviors that may help reduce suicide risk in young adults. In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported suicide was the second leading cause

Humans are less forgiving of robots after they make multiple mistakes—and the trust is difficult to get back, according to a new study. Similar to human coworkers, robots can make mistakes that violate a human’s trust in them. When mistakes happen, h

Too much or too little noise in the office can harm our well-being, research finds. The ideal amount is about 50 decibels, comparable to moderate rain or birdsong. “Everybody knows that loud noise is stressful, and, in fact, extremely loud noise is h

Microbes are “active engineers” in Earth’s rock-to-life cycle, research shows. The name “critical zone” may give off 1980s action thriller vibes, but it’s the term scientists use to refer to the area of Earth’s land surface responsible for sustaining

The Manis bone projectile point is the oldest weapon made of bone ever found in the Americas, say researchers. The team studied bone fragments embedded in a mastodon rib bone that Carl Gustafson discovered during an excavation at the Manis site in Wa

A 319-million-year-old fossilized fish skull holds the oldest example of a well-preserved vertebrate brain. Scientists pulled the skull from a coal mine in England more than a century ago. The brain and its cranial nerves are roughly an inch long and

A new wearable sensor is so cheap and simple to produce it can be hand-drawn with a pencil onto paper treated with sodium chloride. The sensor could clear the way for wearable, self-powered monitors to predict major health concerns like cardiac arres

Popular TikTok videos that highlight ways to obtain a medication abortion are typically informative and useful, a study finds. The researchers evaluated the 100 most-viewed TikTok videos tagged #abortionpill, #medicalabortion, and #medicationabortion

The ozone layer is slowly restoring itself and is expected to be on par with 1980 levels by 2066, according to a United Nations assessment of the goals set forth in the Montreal Protocol released this month. Ozone is a naturally occurring gas compris

New research digs into how sound waves trigger immune responses to cancer in mice. By breaking down the cell wall “cloak,” the treatment exposes cancer cell markers that had previously been hidden from the body’s defenses, the researchers report. The

Under more severe climate warming scenarios, the inventory of trees used for timber in the continental United States could decline by as much as 23% by 2100. The largest inventory losses would occur in two of the leading timber regions in the US, whi

The majority of stock photos related to health topics show light-skinned people in a fairly narrow age range, research finds. This makes it more difficult—and expensive—for organizations to create health education materials aimed at reaching other gr

A range of commonly prescribed antidepressants can increase bacteria’s resistance to antibiotic medications, a new study finds. The researchers focused on prescription drugs used to treat depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and other psychologic

A new book chronicles the rise and fall of the Klaxon automobile horn, one of the first great electrical consumer technologies of the 20th century. The book, Danger Sound Klaxon! The Horn That Changed History (University of Virginia Press, 2023) shar

A combination of silver nanoparticles and antibiotics may offer a way to fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a new study shows. Researchers hope to turn the discovery into viable treatment for some types of antibiotic-resistant infections th

We know whether or not we like a song after listening to it for only a few seconds, a new study shows. The findings, which offer new insights into cognitive processing, reveal music perception of parts of an artist’s work are representative of the wh

Higher temperatures cause a pathogenic fungus known as Cryptococcus deneoformans to turn its adaptive responses into overdrive, research finds. This increases its number of genetic changes, some of which might presumably lead to higher heat resistanc

In the run-up to the United States Supreme Court issuing a ruling on affirmative action, an expert explains the practice’s role in higher education. The Supreme Court heard arguments in the fall over the use of affirmative action in admissions at Har

New research uncovers a source of inaccuracy in custom satisfaction surveys. Customer satisfaction surveys blip into our daily lives after dental appointments, haircuts, and calls with IT. For businesses, these short questionnaires are intended to pr

A new tool for noninvasive imaging can help illuminate hard-to-access structures and processes in the brain. The small-molecule dye, or fluorophore, is the first of its kind that can cross the blood-brain barrier. What’s more, it allowed the research

Toward the end of her life, the Austrian-born Jewish scientist Rudolphina Menzel acknowledged a horrifying reality: the dog-training techniques she pioneered had been used by the Nazis to commit atrocities. “I suffered a lot knowing that my students