A new model sheds light on trends in firearm ownership in the United States. Policymakers are faced with an exceptional challenge: how to reduce harm caused by firearms while maintaining citizens’ right to bear arms and protect themselves. This is es

California’s Dixie Fire reveals the impact of legacy effects and prescribed burns, report researchers. The 2021 Dixie Fire burned over nearly 1 million acres in California and cost $637 million to suppress, making it the largest and most expensive wi

Humpback whales can learn incredibly complex songs from whales from other regions, research finds. Jenny Allen, whose doctoral work at University of Queensland’s School of Veterinary Science led to the study, says researchers found New Caledonian hum

New research digs into whether video games are a positive or negative influence on well-being for people who are unemployed. Unemployment can have devastating effects on people’s psychological and social well-being. The lack of control over one’s lif

Pacific salmon in larger groups have lower risk of being eaten by predators, research confirms. But for some salmon species, schooling comes at the cost of competition for food, and those fish may trade safety for a meal. The study appears in the jou

A new study finds that a species of large carnivore has made a major change to its life history in response to a changing climate—and may be worse off for it. As climate change alters environments across the globe, scientists have discovered that in

There’s potential for couples to influence each other through conversations on climate change, research finds. “We wanted to see if there’s potential for couples to increase support for pro-climate policies and behaviors through more conversations ab

In a pilot project exploring ways to monitor COVID-19, scientists hunted for pharmaceuticals, such as Tylenol, and viral RNA at the same time in wastewater in Western New York. The results of their study, published in the journal Environmental Scienc

Why do people sleep? Scientists have debated this question for ages, but a new study adds fresh clues for solving this mystery. The findings, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, may help explain how humans form memories and learn, and could eve

The Supreme Court’s decision allowing many states to end or sharply curtail abortion rights will have profoundly harmful effects on those who are forced to continue unwanted pregnancies and on democracy itself, says legal scholar Khiara M. Bridges. T

Researchers have discovered that a molecule called SCUBE3 potently stimulates hair growth. It may offer a therapeutic treatment for androgenetic alopecia, a common form of hair loss in both women and men. The study in Developmental Cell determined th

Testing the longevity of new electric vehicle battery designs could be four times faster with a streamlined approach, researchers report. Their optimization framework could drastically reduce the cost of assessing how battery configurations will perf

The size of our primary visual cortex and the amount of brain tissue we have dedicated to processing visual information can predict how well we can see, a new study shows. The study in the journal Nature Communications reveals a new link between brai

Will artificial intelligence be a help or a hindrance in the response to climate change? It depends. In the journal Nature Climate Change, a team of experts in AI, climate change, and public policy present a framework for understanding the complex an

Recent survey results link acceptance of gene-edited foods with a belief that science and technology are ways to solve society’s problems. Through CRISPR and other gene-editing technologies, researchers and developers are poised to bring dozens—if no

Increased flooding in the United States is exposing more people to industrial pollution, especially in urban areas that are home to marginalized communities, according to a new study. The study combined historical data on former hazardous manufacturi

Americans are more forgiving of lies when they come from politicians in their own party, research finds. In five new studies, researchers examined how conservative and liberal Americans responded to media reports of politicians’ falsehoods. Even acco

New software can perform computerized image editing with electric signals from human brains as the only input. “We can make a computer edit images entirely based on thoughts generated by human subjects. The computer has absolutely no prior informatio

For the first time, researchers have found viruses infecting a group of microbes that may include the ancestors of all complex life. The discovery offers tantalizing clues about the origins of complex life and suggests new directions for exploring th

Screening both mothers and fathers for depression beyond their child’s first birthday in pediatric offices could identify families in need of mental health and other critical resources, according to new research. “Pediatric professionals can play an

George Alessandria has some answers about what’s causing product shortages, how long problems with the supply chain could last, and why government intervention would be counterproductive. In the summer of 2021, Alessandria, a University of Rochester

A new machine learning method to model gene expression levels might improve the identification of genes that cause human diseases, according to a new study. Through information from the three-dimensional (3D) structure of genomes and epigenetics—how

A new invention called “NeuroString” is a soft implantable probe that lets researchers study the chemistry of brain and gut health. “The mainstream way people are trying to understand the brain is to read and record electric signals,” says Jinxing Li

New research identifies a gene that may explain disparities in heart attack care between the sexes. Many of the current symptom profiles and lab tests for heart disease do not accurately reflect known differences in women’s heart disease, says Jennif

By sequencing the genomes of two species of sea dragons, researchers have found genetic clues to the fish’s distinctive features. The funky, fabulous fish are bedecked with ruffly leaf-like adornments. Their spines are kinked. They’re missing their r

High blood pressure conditions during pregnancy increase cardiovascular disease risk 10 years later, research finds. Women who developed hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), which include preeclampsia and gestational hypertension, during pregna

Passive cooling strategies can reduce the load on air conditioning by as much as 80%, report researchers. In simulations using weather data from a 2021 severe heat wave, a combination of shading and natural ventilation kept apartment temperatures out

Prison labor programs in the United States violate fundamental human rights, a new report finds. Incarcerated workers generate billions of dollars’ worth of goods and services annually but get paid pennies per hour without proper training or opportun

Researchers have identified a specific bacterial microbe that, when fed to honey bee larvae, can reduce the effects of nutritional stress on developing bees—one of the leading causes of honey bee decline. Humans rely on honey bees for food security.

A new study may have solved two mysteries that have long puzzled paleo-climate experts: Where did the ice sheets that rang in the last ice age more than 100,000 years ago come from, and how could they grow so quickly? Understanding what drives Earth’