Order from disordered proteins: Physics-based algorithm designs biomolecules with custom properties In synthetic and structural biology, advances in artificial intelligence have led to an explosion of designing new proteins with specific functions, from antibodies to blood clotting agents, by using computers to accurately predict the 3D structure of any given amino acid sequence. ⌘ Read more

Americans, Canadians unite in battling 'eating machine' carp Finally, something to unite President Donald Trump, his Democratic opponents and the Canadians he's threatening to annex: a ferociously hungry carp. ⌘ Read more

How to grow a giant pumpkin, with help from science The pumpkin in Tony Scott's backyard weighs almost as much as a small car. ⌘ Read more

Egypt reopens Amenhotep III's tomb after over 20 years of renovation Egypt on Saturday opened a tomb of a pharaoh for visitors after more than two decades of renovation in the southern city of Luxor, as it prepares for the official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo. ⌘ Read more

Strange 'rogue' planet spotted guzzling matter like a star A mysterious "rogue" planet has been observed gobbling six billion tons of gas and dust a second—an unprecedented rate that blurs the line between planets and stars, astronomers said Thursday. ⌘ Read more

Repetitive negative thinking mediates relationship between self-esteem and burnout in students, study finds When people are highly stressed for prolonged periods of time, they can sometimes experience a state known as burnout, characterized by pronounced emotional, mental and physical exhaustion. The stressors leading to burnout could be personal, such as family conflicts or the end of a relationship, as well as academic or professional, such as studying a lot for exams or working long ... ⌘ Read more

Undergrad students deploy applications to geosynchronous satellite 22,236 miles above Earth For many college students, satellites are faint dots crossing the sky on clear nights. These objects are background details from science fiction to reality, like GPS, satellite radio, and WiFi. ⌘ Read more

Australia's new food security strategy: What's on the table, and what's missing? In 2023, a parliamentary inquiry into food security was held in Australia. This involves the government asking for public and expert advice on key issues to make better decisions. ⌘ Read more

Saturday Citations: Bird news: Vultures as curators and a newly discovered interspecies warning call This week, researchers reported that mild dietary stress supports healthy aging. Engineers created artificial neurons that can communicate directly with living cells. And dark energy observations suggest that the universe could end in a "big crunch" at 33 billion years old. ⌘ Read more

Molecular coating cleans up noisy quantum light Quantum technologies demand perfection: one photon at a time, every time, all with the same energy. Even tiny deviations in the number or energy of photons can derail devices, threatening the performance of quantum computers that someday could make up a quantum internet. ⌘ Read more

Computational tool helps forecast volcano slope collapses and tsunamis For people living near volcanoes, danger goes well beyond lava flows and clouds of ash. Some explosive eruptions can lead to dramatic collapses of the sides of a volcano, like those at Mount St. Helens, Washington, and Anak Krakatau, Indonesia. The latter triggered tsunamis blamed for most deaths from its historic eruptions in 1883. ⌘ Read more

First wolf-dog hybrid confirmed in Greece A prominent Greek wildlife group on Friday said it had confirmed the first case of a wolf-dog hybrid in the north of the country. ⌘ Read more

Accelerated Gulf of Maine warming may pose a serious threat to American lobsters The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the world's oceans, raising concerns for its $2 billion-a-year American lobster fishery. Scientists at William & Mary's Batten School & VIMS have been studying the impacts of ocean acidification and warming on lobster reproduction, and the results of their most recent research suggest the rising temperatures pose the greatest risk. ⌘ Read more

Why some human GII.4 noroviruses are better than others at infecting cells Human noroviruses, GII.4 strains in particular, are the chief drivers of acute viral gastroenteritis around the world, a condition for which there are no vaccines or antivirals. Understanding how these viruses enter cells in the gut, a first step toward developing an infection, can lead to effective therapeutics. ⌘ Read more

Energy harvesters surpass Carnot efficiency using non-thermal electron states Harnessing quantum states that avoid thermalization enables energy harvesters to surpass traditional thermodynamic limits such as Carnot efficiency, report researchers from Japan. The team developed a new approach using a non-thermal Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid to convert waste heat into electricity with higher efficiency than conventional approaches. These findings pave the way for more sustainable low-power elect ... ⌘ Read more

Novel method for controlling Faraday rotation in conductive polymers Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have developed a novel method for controlling the optical rotation of conductive polymer polythiophene in a magnetic field at low voltage. This method combines the "Faraday rotation" phenomenon, in which a polarizing plane rotates in response to a magnetic field, with the electrochemical oxidation and reduction of conductive polymers. ⌘ Read more

Ultra-thin sodium films offer low-cost alternative to gold and silver in optical technologies From solar panels to next-generation medical devices, many emerging technologies rely on materials that can manipulate light with extreme precision. These materials—called plasmonic materials—are typically made from expensive metals like gold or silver. But what if a cheaper, more abundant metal could do the job just as well or better? ⌘ Read more

Neolithic Chinese culture artifacts show systematic human bone modification In a recent study by Dr. Sawada and his colleagues published in Scientific Reports, 183 human bones were surveyed, of which 52 were found to be worked human bones, all of which belong to the Neolithic Liangzhu culture. ⌘ Read more

New telescope cuts through space noise in hunt for distant Earth-like worlds EU researchers are developing powerful new telescopes to help uncover Earth-like planets around distant stars and advance the search for extraterrestrial life. ⌘ Read more

Millions of buildings at risk from sea level rise, analysis finds Sea level rise could put more than 100 million buildings across the Global South at risk of regular flooding if fossil fuel emissions are not curbed quickly, according to a new McGill-led study published in npj Urban Sustainability. ⌘ Read more

Gap-controlled infrared method enables analysis of molecular interfaces A novel spectroscopic method developed at Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, enables highly sensitive analysis of molecules at material interfaces, using a combination of conventional ATR-IR, precise gap-control and advanced data processing. The technique offers a low-cost alternative to conventional interfacial spectroscopy and has potential applications in material sciences, nanotechnology, and biological sciences. ⌘ Read more

Researchers demonstrate substrate design principles for scalable superconducting quantum materials Silicides—alloys of silicon and metals long used in microelectronics—are now being explored again for quantum hardware. But their use faces a critical challenge: achieving phase purity, since some silicide phases are superconducting while others are not. ⌘ Read more

Making yogurt with ants revives a creative fermentation process Researchers recreated a nearly forgotten yogurt recipe that once was common across the Balkans and Turkey—using ants. Reporting in iScience on October 3, the team shows that bacteria, acids, and enzymes in ants can kickstart the fermentation process that turns milk into yogurt. The work highlights how traditional practices can inspire new approaches to food science and even add creativity to the dinner table. ⌘ Read more

Natural barriers in northern Sweden's rivers challenge downstream assumptions Rivers in northern Sweden do not always become wider or richer in species further downstream. Natural barriers shape the flow and stop plants from spreading, new research from Umeå University shows. The study is published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. ⌘ Read more

Antarctica sees similar climate change effects as Greenland: Study The planet's warming climate is having effects in Antarctica that increasingly resemble those observed in the Arctic, meaning global sea levels could rise faster than previously predicted, Danish researchers warned on Friday. ⌘ Read more

Physicists maneuver DNA molecules using electrical fields, offering real-time control Researchers in McGill's Department of Physics have developed a new device that can trap and study DNA molecules without touching or damaging them. The device, which uses carefully tuned electric fields, offers scientists unprecedented control over how DNA behaves in real time, creating the opportunity for faster, more precise molecular analysis that could improve diagnostics, genome mapping and the study ... ⌘ Read more

Trauma in a puppy's first six months linked to adult aggression, says new study As many dog owners can attest, their four-legged companions are delightful and loving. But for others, their animals have an aggressive side, such as biting and attacking strangers, which may ultimately lead to them having to be euthanized. But why do some dogs turn out this way? ⌘ Read more

Cascadia megathrust earthquake could trigger San Andreas fault When the tectonic subduction zone beneath the Pacific Northwest moves, it does so in dramatic fashion. Not only is ground shaking from a magnitude 9+ earthquake incredibly destructive, the event triggers tsunamis and landslides to compound the damage. Now, a new study in the Geosphere suggests the "really big one" could also trigger a major earthquake in California. ⌘ Read more

Even short school breaks can affect student learning unevenly across socioeconomic backgrounds The COVID-19 pandemic affected people worldwide disproportionately, with economically disadvantaged households facing a heavier burden. Children were also affected since schools and classes were closed to contain the virus. ⌘ Read more

Unique videos show how trawling restrictions bring back life to the sea Trawling restrictions not only benefit fish and shellfish; anemones and corals are also becoming more common, according to a new study from the University of Gothenburg. Twenty-six years of underwater videos from the depths of the Koster Sea also show long-term changes in the ecosystem as the water becomes warmer. ⌘ Read more

Supercomputer modeling unlocks longstanding mystery of subducted oceanic slabs An international research collaboration has harnessed supercomputing power to better understand how massive slabs of ancient ocean floors are shaped as they sink hundreds of kilometers below Earth's surface. ⌘ Read more

New oil and gas fields incompatible with Paris climate goals Opening any new North Sea oil and gas fields is incompatible with achieving the Paris Climate Agreement goals of limiting warming to 1.5°C or holding warming to "well below 2°C" relative to preindustrial levels, finds a new report published by UCL academics. ⌘ Read more