How long does a quantum jump take?
Quantum jumps are usually regarded to be instantaneous. However, new measurement methods are so precise that it has now become possible to observe such...
Where you live might influence how you measure up against your peers
Social psychologists uncover important mechanisms of social comparison, showing that it depends on specific, universal social settings and situations.
Moderate warming could melt East Antarctic Ice Sheet
Parts of the world's largest ice sheet would melt if Antarctic warming of just 2°C is sustained for millennia, according to international research. Scientists...
Origami inspires highly efficient solar steam generator
Water covers most of the globe, yet many regions still suffer from a lack of clean drinking water. If scientists could efficiently and sustainably...
Viruses under the microscope
Human herpesviruses such as HHV-6 can remain dormant in cells for many years without being noticed. When reactivated, they can cause serious clinical conditions....
The walking dead: Fossils on the move can distort patterns of mass extinctions
Using the fossil record to accurately estimate the timing and pace of past mass extinctions is no easy task, and a new study highlights...
World speed record for polymer simulations shattered by over a hundred-fold
By analogy to linear polymers, which reptate with a random walk embedded in a 3D network, we show that star polymers relax by a...
Dietary fiber reduces brain inflammation during aging
As mammals age, immune cells in the brain known as microglia become chronically inflamed. In this state, they produce chemicals known to impair cognitive...
How skin begins: New research could improve skin grafts, and more
Researchers have discovered a key mechanism by which skin begins to develop in embryos.
Gut microbes’ role in mammals’ evolution starts to become clearer
Scientists have made a key advance toward understanding which of the trillions of gut microbes may play important roles in how humans and other...
