Science

Ants don’t have noses. Thanks to the abundance of olfactory receptors on their antennae, insects have an incredible sense of smell, which they can use to detect tumors. Cancerous tumors release specific chemicals called volatile organic compounds. This chemical is…

Scientists have discovered a way to extract large amounts of oil from duckweed, one of nature’s fastest growing aquatic plants. Converting such vegetable oils into biodiesel for transportation and heating could be a big part of a more sustainable future.…

For most of human history and across multiple cultures, ethical behavior has been guided by the Golden Rule. When we act with empathy and compassion, we build on this important principle. But the rules are incomplete. People have very different…

A new study finds that the rotation of the Earth’s inner core has slowed, causing the planet’s core to rotate in a slightly slower clip than the upper layers. Deceleration not only changes the rotation speed of the planet as…

Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic is a treeless, rocky, and very cold wilderness, largely covered by thick glaciers. But about 52 million years ago, it had dense forests and a humid climate similar to what is now Savannah, Georgia.…

The move to electric vehicles could lead to lithium shortages unless the United States and other countries rethink their transportation systems and move away from private cars as their primary mode of transportation. A simple conversion of existing U.S. cars…

On January 6th, a powerful solar flare occurred from the surface of the Sun. It was the first X-class flare — the strongest type on the flare intensity scale —in about 2 monthsTwo more X-class flares occurred within the next…

In 1909 the mayor of Tokyo sent a gift of 2,000 prized cherry trees to Washington, D.C. But the iconic blossoms that are now enjoyed each spring along the city’s Tidal Basin are not from those trees. That’s because Flora Patterson, who was the mycologist in charge of mycological and pathological…

The next decade will see a resurgence in lunar exploration. This includes dozens of missions and plans to build permanent bases on the moon. There are myriad challenges in the effort. Among them are subtle yet fundamental questions that metrologists…

Life expectancy dropped during the pandemic in many countries, but some populations are suffering more than others Credit: Amanda Montañez; Source: “Changes in life expectancy since COVID-19” by Jonas Schöley et al in Nature Human Behavior. Published online on 17…