For decades, astronomers lumped brown dwarfs into a single category defined by mass alone—too big to be classified as planets but too small to become stars. However, this definition ignores the two very different mechanisms that can form them: the direct collapse of gas clouds and formation within the accretion disks of massive stars.
Consumers are increasingly choosing products from companies that demonstrate genuine environmental responsibility. While many studies have linked environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance with stronger financial results, exactly how environmental responsibility translates into higher profits has remained unclear. A new study suggests that sustainability improves corporate financial performance indirectly by increasing sales.
A wildfire needs a name long before anyone knows what caused it. When the pines of the Gironde in southwestern France caught fire in July, the fire was reported within hours under the name of the ground it was burning. By the time it had taken 40,000 hectares (99,000 acres), that name was fixed in every bulletin in Europe.
Kids, marriage and commute: A study co-authored by Dr. Mariana Macedo of Constructor University provides new insights into how major life transitions alter how individuals navigate and experience urban environments. Published in npj Complexity, the research challenges traditional urban planning models that rely on a single, average citizen profile, advocating instead for demographically sensitive city designs.
Inspired by pumped-storage hydropower, a nickel-based redox reservoir enables spontaneous nitrile synthesis in organic solvents, while hydrogen gas is produced separately.
A new study, led by researchers at the University of Staffordshire, has found evidence of potentially hazardous microbial growth on mummified human and animal remains advertised for sale online—posing risks to both sellers and buyers. The paper is published in the International Journal of Cultural Property.
It doesn't take a scientist to figure out that social media can trend toward the negative. But it might take one to figure out why. In a new paper in PNAS, professor of psychology Joshua Conrad Jackson and colleagues show that algorithms aren't the only driver of online negativity. Another culprit is what psychologists call differentiation, the innate drive to stand out from one's peers.
In 2024, the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) came into force. The regulation is intended to secure Europe's supply of critical raw materials, especially minerals and metals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements. The EU is therefore focusing on reducing its dependence on third countries such as China, boosting domestic minerals and metals production, and expanding recycling. In a study published in Communications Earth & Environment, researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) show how the pursuit of security of supply has increasingly pushed sustainability principles into the background. The study also highlights how researchers can help to strengthen sustainability principles in political discourse.
Scientists from the University of Manchester's Department of Chemistry, Centre for Radiochemistry Research and Photon Science Institute, led by Professor Steve Liddle, have uncovered why a rare class of metal clusters appears to behave differently in experiments and theoretical calculations, resolving a debate about the nature of chemical aromaticity and revealing a previously overlooked type of magnetic response.
Climate change and biodiversity loss require us to base our decisions on the best possible knowledge. Yet a new study conducted by Dr. Roxana Roos at the University of Bergen shows that valuable knowledge about local nature and climate conditions often does not become part of the decision-making basis.
