When you turn on the tap, you can typically expect clean, safe water to flow out. But behind that simple action lies a complex system of pipes, pumps, governance, and financials that, for millions of Americans, is at risk in the face of climate change.
An interdisciplinary study confirms, for the first time, the oceanographic pathways that transport floating macroalgae from the coastal waters of Southwest Greenland to deep-sea carbon reservoirs, potentially playing a previously underappreciated role in global carbon storage. The work is published in the journal Science of The Total Environment.
A new paper by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) staff details how using popular culture could effectively teach science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts. The paper shares insights from SwRI staff who hosted "Physics of Anime" panels at anime and hobbyist conventions across the country, presenting complex scientific ideas in an engaging way to curious attendees.
Even some 200 years after his death, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's scientific curiosity continues to yield new insights. This has now been demonstrated by biologists at Friedrich Schiller University Jena while closely examining the amber collection of the Weimar poet and polymath. In one of the pieces, they discovered a fossilized ant approximately 40 million years old which, thanks to its excellent state of preservation and extensive analyses, provides valuable information about the insect species. The researchers report their findings in the journal Scientific Reports.
A Florida State University economics professor's latest research offers a new perspective on the long-held belief that the space race of the 1950s and 60s served as a primary engine for broad American economic growth.
Using the Baryons Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) spectrograph, astronomers have discovered five new carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). This is the first time such stars have been identified in this galaxy. The discovery was reported in a paper published January 15 on the arXiv pre-print server.
At UC Berkeley's Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, located at 6,894 feet above sea level near Donner Pass, researchers collect detailed measurements of the snowpack each day. There is still some snow on the ground to measure, but less than they usually see in late January.
How do consumers choose what to buy on Amazon or what to listen to on Spotify? Do they scroll endlessly through the options, review the ratings or select what is most popular among other viewers? While some studies have examined how product placement and ratings affect consumer behavior on online platforms, researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas recently examined how popularity also impacts buyers' decisions when choosing online products or entertainment.
Rising ocean temperatures have been implicated in mass coral bleaching events affecting the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). These events have been increasingly frequent, with major events occurring in 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025. Now, in an unexpected turn of events, it appears that regulations introduced in 2020 to reduce ship fuel pollution may have actually increased the solar radiation that leads to increased coral bleaching, according to a study published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment.
For decades, sharks have been the unintended victims of longline fisheries aimed at tuna and swordfish. Rising accidental catches have contributed to population declines and created serious challenges for both conservation and commercial fishing. And the impacts go beyond the sharks themselves—every time a shark takes the bait, hooks are lost to target species, gear gets damaged, costs climb, and crews face added risks when handling or releasing the animals.
