Beavers bring biodiversity to wetlands, study shows

A total of 380 different species were detected across the two wetland types, with 105 species being restricted to beaver wetlands and 65 to those without beavers, the rest being shared.

Giant virus DNA may help polar algae survive harsh environments

In the game of survival, you can’t always go it alone. Tiny algae living in the harsh conditions of the world’s polar oceans appear to be better able to withstand the cold, high salinity, and extreme UV radiation, thanks in part to giant virus DNA in their genome.

Quantum experiment shows events may have no fixed order

The basic principle of cause and effect underpins everything that happens in the classical world: for an event to occur, it must be triggered by another event in its past. Yet in the quantum world, physicists have long suspected that these rules may not always apply.

Harvesting heat and electricity from the sun, when you need it

Solar energy is abundant and frustratingly ill-timed. A sunbeam can become either electricity (useful for running modern life) or heat (useful for keeping spaces warm). But conventional solar hardware is single-minded: Photovoltaic panels generate electricity whether it is wanted or not; solar-thermal collectors make heat even on days when buildings are too warm.

Unusual signal may prove existence of primordial black holes

Believed to have formed within the first fraction of a second after the Big Bang, primordial black holes are purely theoretical. But if confirmed, these hypothetical cosmic phenomena, which could range from asteroid-sized to massive, could explain a lot, including the nature of dark matter.

Combining algae and oyster shells for biodiesel born in the bayou

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel and offers a sustainable and potentially carbon-neutral alternative to petroleum products. Yet production costs remain a hurdle to its widespread use. Now, researchers have developed an inexpensive way to make biodiesel from materials found along the banks of their Louisiana bayou.

JWST reveals most distant red galaxy yet at redshift 11.45

High-redshift galaxies (with redshifts above 10.0) identified by JWST, therefore when the universe was only a few hundred million years old, are predominantly characterized by extremely blue rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) slopes. However, recent observations have revealed the existence of a small population of high-redshift red galaxies.

Webb and Hubble telescopes combine forces for a new view of Saturn

The telescopes’ different sensors allow scientists to peek at several layers of the planet’s atmosphere.

Dogs became man’s best friend far earlier than thought, scientists find

The jawbone had been tucked away in a museum drawer for decades as it was thought to have been an unremarkable specimen. But the young researcher came across an obscure research paper published ten years earlier that raised the possibility it might have belonged to a dog.

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Musketeer d’Artagnan’s remains believed found under Dutch church

Although d’Artagnan was modelled on a historical figure, the three musketeers were fictional characters who may have been inspired by three members of an elite corps who provided protection for the king and took part in military action.

Drought spurs rise in antibiotic-resistant soil microbes

A new study indicates that drought increases the abundances of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms in soils, which directly correlates with an increase in antibiotic-resistant infections in hospitals. In other words, regions experiencing high aridity—hotter, drier regions—also experience higher levels of antibiotic-resistant infections.

Agricultural soils exposed to controversial weedkiller may be unexpected breeding ground for hospital ‘superbugs’

Each year, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is responsible for an estimated 1.1 to 1.4 million deaths worldwide. Now, scientists have found evidence that the spread of AMR isn’t always driven by bacteria evolving to resist the antibiotics themselves: rather, certain weedkillers can have the same effect.

== yjc
The AI Economy Is “Propped Up by a Ponzi Scheme,” Says Director of The AI Doc

The AI Doc is framed around his growing concern that AI will create an uninhabitable future for his unborn son. He sets out to educate himself and assuage (at least some of) his fears.

== yjc, some great photos
In pictures: Hunting lynx snatches top prize in photo competition

The other 24 nominated images for this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year Nuveen People’s Choice Award, which you can see below, received a record-breaking 85,917 votes from wildlife photography and nature fans worldwide.

== have not made any effort to confirm any of this
China Is Mass-Producing Hypersonic Missiles For $99,000

Military analysts admit that this development radically changes the logic of warfare, with massive cost/benefit advantages now on the side of offense.

Vivid dreaming makes sleep feel deeper, researchers discover

Why is it that sometimes we sleep eight hours and don’t feel rested, while other times we feel like we had a great night’s sleep after only five hours? Research has shown that our feeling of deep sleep is related to a shift from high- to low-frequency brain waves, which is thought to drive unconsciousness.

Wildflower folk remedy shows modern potential for tackling antibiotic resistance

Scientists have proven that a wildflower steeped in folklore for its medicinal powers has genuine healing qualities—and the potential to help combat antibiotic resistance. Tormentil, a yellow wildflower found in heath and boglands in the UK, Ireland and across Europe, can inhibit the growth of one of the world’s most deadly pathogens.

One-step coating keeps fabrics superhydrophobic after tens of thousands of abrasion cycles

Developing robust water-repellent textiles is critical for outdoor, protective, and industrial applications. However, achieving long-lasting water repellency under mechanical stress has been a major challenge.

Bird-like robots promise greater flexibility and control than drones

A bird banking in a crosswind doesn’t rely on spinning blades. Its wings flex, twist and respond instantly to its environment.

Quantum computers could have a fundamental limit after all

Since these states can encode multiple possibilities at the same time, the overall system appears to become exponentially more powerful with each added qubit—at least according to our current understanding of quantum mechanics.

How soil microbes may control the future of our planet

The soil beneath our feet is a huge carbon bank storing up to approximately three times more carbon than the entire atmosphere. That makes it a significant player in the future of our climate.

What did Earth look like 750 million years ago?

This site simulates what Earth looked like hundreds of millions of years ago.

Novel approach allows studying the DNA of otters without disturbing them

Studying endangered animal species without disturbing them and disrupting their natural habitat could be highly advantageous, as it would contribute to their protection and prevent unnecessary stress. Conventional methods for studying endangered species and their DNA, however, entail capturing animals for short periods of time, examining them and collecting tissues or other biological samples.

What ‘Project Hail Mary’ gets right—and wrong—about astrophysics

Although aliens, sun-draining microorganisms and galaxy-spanning spaceflight are all a part of the story of a scientist sent on a suicide mission to save Earth, the film and its source material are not afraid to delve into the kind of astrophysics that would make most people’s heads spin.

Curators Examined the Book of the Dead—and Found a 3,300-Year-Old Version of Wite-Out

Upon digital and infrared inspection, the team discovered the use of ancient correction fluid to trim a drawing on one of the illustrated spells.

Life, but not as we know it

Here is a problem that has been quietly gnawing at astronomers for decades. The standard approach to detecting life on other worlds involves scanning exoplanet atmospheres for oxygen, methane, and ozone, whose presence is difficult to explain without biology. It’s a clever idea, but it carries a hidden flaw. That entire shopping list was written by studying Earth. It is, inevitably, a search for life like us.

Botox-like nerve blocking reveals potential way to fully regenerate skin without scarring

Earlier studies had shown that embryonic wounds could heal without scarring, but the new study reveals far more. After injury, embryonic skin restores all cell types but this ability fades quickly after birth. The study reveals the molecular mechanisms behind this switch—and how to turn them back on.

Impressionist sea slugs create their patterns by arranging colorful photonic crystals

In structural colors, color is not a chemical property of the material, but it depends on the length scale of nanostructures composing the material. Such nanostructures, also called photonic crystals, are responsible for the coloration of chameleons, as well as many birds and butterflies. In such structures, color is produced by the regular arrangement of materials with different refractive indices.

Cells in the mosquito’s gut drive its appetite

Researchers have known for decades that female mosquitoes—the ones responsible for the itchy and irritating bites that can also transmit disease—lose their desire to bite humans for several days after feeding, as they digest blood and convert it to yolk protein that they deposit in their eggs.

Smart wound dressing delivers antibiotics on-demand

The new material is a smart hydrogel loaded with an antibiotic cargo that can be placed directly on a wound under a bandage. The hydrogel is sensitive to an enzyme produced by many different types of harmful bacteria.

ShadowCam search casts doubt on abundant lunar ice

To detect solid ice, the researchers focused on two of its key optical properties. Compared with lunar regolith (the loose dust and rock covering the surface), water ice is both more reflective at visible wavelengths and more strongly forward-scattering