Science Daily

A new study shows the Megalodon, a gigantic shark that went extinct 3.6 million years ago, was more slender than earlier studies suggested. This finding changes scientists' understanding of Megalodon behavior, ancient ocean life, and why the sharks went extinct.

Scientists have created a working nanoscale electomotor. The science team designed a turbine engineered from DNA that is powered by hydrodynamic flow inside a nanopore, a nanometer-sized hole in a membrane of solid-state silicon nitride. The tiny motor could help spark research into future applications such as building molecular factories or even medical probes of molecules inside the bloodstream.

Tiny particles such as ice crystals or ash particles tend to oscillate as they settle through the atmosphere. In their experiments, the scientists were able to track non-spherical particles of size smaller than 1 millimeter with unprecedented accuracy. Their observations gave rise to a model which can help to refine prediction on air pollutants or weather forecasts.

One in three children who suffer from bacterial meningitis live with permanent neurological disabilities due to the infection.

Temperature-controlled, reversible shifting of molecular gear motion in a solid crystal opens new possibilities for material design.

You suddenly feel sick -- pathogenic bacteria have managed to colonize and spread in your body! The weapons they use for their invasion are harmful toxins that target the host's defense mechanisms and vital cell functions. Before these deadly toxins can attack host cells, bacteria must first export them from their production site -- the cytoplasm -- using dedicated secretion systems.

Diabetes often remains undetected until it has already damaged organs or nerves. This is partly due to the fact that diagnosis at an early stage is time-consuming and difficult. An international team of researchers has shown that a mathematical calculation based on just two values taken from a blood sample enables the reliable and inexpensive diagnosis of diabetes at an early stage.

Clothes, cars, travel, followers: People with a materialistic mindset always want more and, above all, more than others. Social media provides them with ideal opportunities to compare themselves with others, which makes them susceptible to passive and addictive user behavior. This stresses them out and, ultimately, leads to low life satisfaction. This downward spiral, which turns materialists into less happy people, was identified in an online survey of over 1,200 participants.

Guillain-?Barr Syndrome is a rare condition in which a person's immune system attacks the peripheral nerves. People affected suffer from muscle weakness and paralysis. A research team led by ETH Zurich has now clarified the mechanism of this autoimmune disease.

Think of a time when you had two different but similar experiences in a short period. Maybe you attended two holiday parties in the same week or gave two presentations at work. Shortly afterward, you may find yourself confusing the two, but as time goes on that confusion recedes and you are better able to differentiate between these different experiences. New research reveals that this process occurs on a cellular level, findings that are critical to the understanding and treatment of memory disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease.

Recent advances in generative AI help to explain how memories enable us to learn about the world, re-live old experiences and construct totally new experiences for imagination and planning, according to a new study.

A new study highlights the effectiveness of MDX-124, the first therapeutic drug to target annexin-A1, a protein which is overexpressed in several cancer types and promotes tumor progression.

Researchers have found a new way to supply the body with insulin. The medication that can be taken orally has already been tested on baboons, in which it was found to lower the blood sugar levels without causing hypoglycemia. The new insulin is ready to be tested on humans in 2025. If all goes well, diabetics are facing an easier life without injections.

A veterinary ophthalmologist wanted to determine factors, including age and vision, that influence a dog's interest in interacting with video content. Ultimately, the goal of the study, which launched two years ago, was to support development of more sensitive ways to assess canine vision -- something that has been sorely lacking in veterinary medicine. The study found that dogs are most engaged when watching videos that feature other animals.

Life on Earth runs on a 24-hour cycle as the planet turns. Animals and plants have built-in circadian clocks that synchronize metabolism and behavior to this daily cycle. But one beetle is out of sync with the rest of nature. A new study looks at a beetle with a unique, 48-hour cycle.

A team of scientists has made an important discovery that could lead to a novel treatment for obesity and obesity-associated diseases or conditions.

A new study finds that a small group of microorganisms may be influencing sperm motility.

An international team of researchers has uncovered a remarkable genetic phenomenon in lycophytes, which are similar to ferns and among the oldest land plants. Their study reveals that these plants have maintained a consistent genetic structure for over 350 million years, a significant deviation from the norm in plant genetics.

Long Covid patients suffer from chronic symptoms such as fatigue or shortness of breath. As researchers have discovered, this is to some extent due to a part of our immune system called the complement system. The study identified a pattern in the blood proteins that will improve the diagnosis and perhaps also the targeted treatment of long Covid.

Scientists created a new drug delivery system that can receive commands wirelessly from a smartphone or computer to schedule and trigger the release of drugs from individual microneedles. The patch's thin, soft platform resembles a Band-Aid and was designed to enhance user comfort and convenience, since wearability is a crucial factor for chronically ill patients.