Science and Technology

“For the first time, scientists can now present another example of how an extraterrestrial event formed life on Earth,” said Birger Schmitz, the lead author of the research paper

A research team is developing EarEcho, a biometric tool that uses modified wireless earbuds to authenticate smartphone users via the unique geometry of their ear canal. A prototype of the system proved roughly 95% effective.

Researchers reported today that bone marrow cells used to treat ischemic stroke in an expanded Phase I trial were not only safe and feasible, but also resulted in enhanced recovery compared to a matched historical control group.

New research shows that a child's intake of gluten at age 18 months is associated with a 46% increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes for each extra 10g of gluten consumed.

When does childhood end? That's the question international researchers are asking as they chart age cut-offs for paediatric services around the world. Previous research has found that global health systems do not meet adolescents' needs, yet pediatricians are well placed to provide age-appropriate care to adolescents -- especially if they are trained in adolescent medicine.

Worldwide, nutrition is insufficiently incorporated into medical education, meaning that medical students lack the confidence, skills and knowledge to provide nutritional care to patients, according to a systematic review.

Mechanical engineers have created the first robotic fish proven to mimic the speed and movements of live yellowfin tuna.

Weathering of subsurface rock in the Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California occurs due more to rocks expanding than from chemical decomposition.

To process information, photons must interact. However, these tiny packets of light want nothing to do with each other, each passing by without altering the other. Now, researchers have coaxed photons into interacting with one another with unprecedented efficiency -- a key advance toward realizing long-awaited quantum optics technologies for computing, communication and remote sensing.

Films of platinum only two atoms thick supported by graphene could enable fuel cell catalysts with unprecedented catalytic activity and longevity, according to a new study.

Researchers have made two unexpected discoveries. First, they found that, given a choice, fruit flies are drawn to green light early in the morning and late in the afternoon, when they are most active, and to red, or dim light, in midday, when like many humans, they slow down to eat and perhaps take a siesta.

Steadily reducing fossil fuel emissions over coming years will prevent millions of premature deaths and help avoid the worst of climate change without causing a large spike in short-term warming that some studies predict, new analysis from finds. The finding dispels the misconception that the air-quality and climate benefits of transitioning to clean energy play out at different timescales -- a sticking point in recent climate negotiations.

New RNA sequencing-based genetic research shows grizzlies express a larger number of genes in preparation for, and during hibernation to cope with such stressors, than do any other species studied.

Combining a new class of drug with two other compounds can significantly shrink lung tumors in mice and human cancer cells, new research shows. The study looked at G12C KRAS inhibitors, a new type of drug that targets a specific mutation that can cause cells to multiply uncontrollably and lead to fast-growing cancers.

Modifying a class of molecules originally developed to treat the skin disease psoriasis could lead to a new malaria drug that is effective against malaria parasites resistant to currently available drugs.

The rate at which the planet warms in response to the ongoing buildup of heat-trapping carbon dioxide gas could increase in the future, according to new simulations of a comparable warm period more than 50 million years ago.

About 466 million years ago, long before the age of the dinosaurs, the Earth froze. The seas began to ice over at the Earth's poles, and new species evolved with the new temperatures. The cause of this ice age was a mystery, until now: a new study argues that the ice age was caused by global cooling, triggered by extra dust in the atmosphere from a giant asteroid collision in outer space.

During the late 10th century BCE, the emerging Edomite Kingdom of the southern Levant experienced a 'leap' in technological advancement.

Building conventional robots typically requires carefully combining components like motors, batteries, actuators, body segments, legs and wheels. Now, researchers have taken a new approach, building a robot entirely from smaller robots known as 'smarticles' to unlock the principles of a potentially new locomotion technique.

How does learning to read change our brain? Does reading take up brain space dedicated to seeing objects such as faces, tools or houses? In a functional brain imaging study, a research team compared literate and illiterate adults in India. Reading recycles a brain region that is already sensitive to evolutionarily older visual categories, enhancing rather than destroying sensitivity to other visual input.