The climate crisis is warming Antarctica fast, with potentially disastrous consequences. Now scientists have modelled the best- and worst-case scenarios for climate change in Antarctica, demonstrating just how high the stakes are — but also how much harm can still be prevented. “The Antarctic Peninsula is a special place,” said Prof Bethan Davies of Newcastle University, lead author of the article in Frontiers in Environmental Science and UK national nominee for the 2026 Frontiers Planet Prize. “Its future depends on the choices that we make today. Under a low emissions future, we can avoid the most important and detrimental impacts. ...

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan have discovered a previously undiscovered behavior in cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus). When presented with a mirror, the tiny fish not only recognized themselves, but experimented with the mirror themselves, interacting with it using a scrap of food. The results suggest that these social fish can perform a higher level of intelligence known as ‘contingency testing,’ typically seen in intelligent marine mammals like dolphins. The group led by Specially Appointed Researcher Shumpei Sogawa and Specially Appointed Professor Masanori Kohda at the Graduate School ...

Nairobi, Kenya, 20 February 2026: Africa’s rich livestock genetic resources hold untapped potential to drive productivity, climate resilience, and sustainable development, according to a new open-access reference, African Livestock Genetic Resources and Sustainable Breeding Strategies: Unlocking a Treasure Trove and Guide for Improved Productivity. The book, officially launched today by the African Animal Breeding Network (AABNet) in partnership with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), and the African Union’s Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), ...

Green hydrogen production technology, which utilizes renewable energy to produce eco-friendly hydrogen without carbon emissions, is gaining attention as a core technology for addressing global warming. Green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, a process that separates hydrogen and oxygen by applying electrical energy to water, requiring low-cost, high-efficiency, high-performance catalysts. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, President Oh Sang-rok) announced that a research team led by Dr. Na Jongbeom and Dr. Kim Jong Min from the Center for Extreme Materials Research has developed next-generation water electrolysis catalyst ...

Getting enough sleep may be more important for heart health than many busy professionals realize. A new multicenter study conducted by researchers from Kumamoto University and the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, has found that insufficient sleep is linked to a higher risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) among working-age adults. AF is the most common type of heart rhythm disorder and is associated with serious complications such as stroke and heart failure. Although previous studies suggested a connection between sleep and AF, most relied on self-reported sleep data. ...

A collaborative research team comprised of Xin Li from Nankai University, Wei Zhang from Sichuan University, and Hanliang Zheng from Zhejiang Normal University developed a green and efficient photo-redox/hydrogen atom transfer (HAT)/chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) synergistic catalytic strategy to achieve the deracemization of α-aryl cyclic ketones, successfully synthesizing a series of chiral α-aryl cyclic ketones (Figure 1). The reaction generates a sulfur radical via a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process between an excited-state photosensitizer and a thiophenol, followed by hydrogen atom transfer and single-electron ...

Investigation of 30 top AI agents finds just four have published formal safety and evaluation documents relating to the actual bots.  The new wave of AI web browser agents, many designed to mimic human browsing, have the highest rates of missing safety information.   Many of us now use AI chatbots to plan meals and write emails, AI-enhanced web browsers to book travel and buy tickets, and workplace AI to generate invoices and performance reports.   However, a new study of the “AI agent ecosystem” suggests that as these ...

Human beings are social animals; they need places to relax, connect with others, and feel a sense of belonging beyond the demands of home and work. Traditionally, these ‘third places’ are thought to be limited to cafes, clubs, gardens, and other neighborhood community spots. However, with an increase in digitally shaped life schedules, a new question arises: Do online spaces offer the same social values as offline ones? “Video games and social media are often considered to be isolating or overly ...

The University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine continues to boost its standing in the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research (BRIMR) rankings, moving to No. 8 among public medical schools in the nation and to No. 21 among all medical schools, with half of its 18 clinical Departments landing in the top 15. Annual Blue Ridge rankings are determined by total funding granted from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to researchers at U.S. medical schools and their departments. This year, BRIMR ranked the Department of Pediatrics No. 1 with more than $63 million in funding from the NIH, the Department ...

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands — Mayo Clinic is opening a representative office in the Cayman Islands to help patients, their families, health insurers and others interested in connecting with Mayo Clinic. The office on Grand Cayman Island is Mayo's first in the Caymans and third in the Caribbean.    The Mayo Clinic Representative Office staff will help patients in the Cayman Islands and surrounding area make appointments at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; ...

Acoustic frequency combs organize sound or mechanical vibrations into a series of evenly spaced frequencies, much like the teeth on a comb. They are the acoustic counterparts of optical frequency combs, which consist of equally spaced spectral lines and act as extraordinarily precise rulers for measuring light. While optical frequency combs have revolutionized fields such as precision metrology, spectroscopy, and astronomy, acoustic frequency combs utilize sound waves, which interact with materials in fundamentally different ways ...

When “quiet” isn’t quiet enough: how shallow sleep in infants may relate to autism  Peer reviewed – experimental study - humans Babies with an increased likelihood of autism may struggle to settle into deep, restorative sleep, according to a new study from the University of East Anglia. Researchers studied the link between sleep and sensory sensitivity, which is common in neurodivergent infants. They found that when babies with this trait napped in a noisy environment, their deep sleep was considerably disrupted. But even ...

(IDAHO FALLS, Idaho) — The National Reactor Innovation Center’s Molten Salt Thermophysical Examination Capability is set to begin operation in March, marking a pivotal step toward advancing reactor and fuel cycle technologies. MSTEC, located at the Idaho National Laboratory, is a state-of-the-art, shielded argon glove box for irradiated and nonirradiated actinide materials, specifically high-temperature liquids such as fuel salts. This is one of NRIC’s multiple testing capabilities advancing nuclear energy in the United States. NRIC officially unveiled the capability today during a small ceremony. It was attended ...

The International Progressive MS Alliance has awarded €6.9 million to three global studies aimed at finding solutions for the most common symptoms experienced by people living with progressive MS, including fatigue, cognitive impairment, pain and mobility. The Well-Being Phase II Efficacy Awards are part of the Alliance’s overall Well-being Research Pipeline, a large, multi-stage initiative to design, test and implement innovative approaches to solve some of the most difficult aspects of living with progressive MS. The three projects include: Comparison of Self-Guided, Coached and Therapist-Delivered Pain Self-Management ...

Determining the health of agricultural soil has traditionally been a slow, messy, and expensive process involving hazardous chemicals. But what if the answer was as simple as the shade of the dirt itself? A groundbreaking study published in Carbon Research reveals that analyzing soil color indices is not only a scientifically sound way to predict Soil Organic Matter (SOM) but also a massive financial win for farmers and laboratories. Led by Dr. Yassine Bouslihim from the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA) in Morocco, the study explores the potential of "colorimetric" soil testing in semi-arid agricultural regions. By shifting from traditional chemical-heavy ...

A new scientific review highlights how emerging biochar-based nanomaterials could play a powerful role in tackling global challenges ranging from climate change to healthcare innovation. Researchers report that nanobiochar and biochar nanocomposites, advanced forms of carbon-rich materials derived from biomass, are showing promise across fields including renewable energy storage, sustainable construction, agriculture, and even medicine. Biochar itself is produced by heating plant-based waste such as crop residues or forestry byproducts in low-oxygen conditions. When engineered at the nanoscale or combined ...

Researchers have developed a new method to transform two major waste streams, discarded mobile phone batteries and industrial lignin, into a promising material for next-generation sodium-ion batteries. The study demonstrates how waste recycling can simultaneously reduce environmental pollution and support the transition to sustainable energy storage technologies. Mobile phone batteries are replaced frequently, creating large quantities of electronic waste that contain valuable metals but also pose environmental risks if improperly discarded. At the same time, lignin, a natural polymer generated ...

A Northumbria University PhD student has led an international team of astronomers in creating the first-ever three-dimensional map of Uranus's upper atmosphere, revealing how the ice giant's unusual magnetic field shapes spectacular auroras high above the planet's clouds.   Using the James Webb Space Telescope, led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency), Paola Tiranti and her colleagues observed Uranus for nearly a full rotation, detecting the faint glow from molecules up to 5,000 kilometres ...

Prometheus Grand Challenge aims to deploy commercial-scale nuclear reactors in years, not decades. IDAHO FALLS, Idaho —The Idaho National Laboratory and NVIDIA have partnered to advance nuclear energy deployment through artificial intelligence. The collaboration aims to accelerate advanced nuclear reactor deployment and reduce costs. INL and NVIDIA’s collaboration is part of the Genesis Mission, a national initiative to build the world’s most powerful scientific platform to accelerate discovery science, strengthen national security, and drive ...

Can fragments of tumor DNA in the blood predict whether chemotherapy will be effective? Researchers at the Princess Máxima Center investigated this question together with experts from Italy and Slovakia. They focused specifically on young adults with germ cell tumors for whom standard chemotherapy doesn't work well.  Blood samples from young adults treated at hospitals in Italy and Slovakia were analyzed before and during chemotherapy. The researchers searched these samples for fragments of tumor DNA circulating in the blood. They identified specific ...

A new paper published in Science describes the discovery of Spinosaurus mirabilis, a new spinosaurid species found in Niger. A 20-person team led by Paul Sereno, PhD, Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy at the University of Chicago, unearthed the find at a remote locale in the central Sahara, adding important new fossil finds to the closing chapter of spinosaurid evolution. Eye-catching anatomy The scimitar-shaped crest of S. mirabilis was so large and unexpected that the paleontologists initially didn’t recognize it for what it was when they plucked it and some jaw fragments from the desert surface in November 2019. Returning with a larger team in 2022 and finding two ...

Qiang Li and colleagues have created “cyborg” pancreatic organoids that combine stretchy miniature electronics with stem cell-derived pancreatic islets, using the implanted electronics to monitor electrical activity related to glucose regulation in maturing α and β cells. Islet α and β cells secrete glucagon and insulin hormones, in response to electrical changes in the cell membrane. The researchers also used the electronics to stimulate the cells to enhance their glucose responsiveness and show how that responsiveness changes as the cells mature, how it is affected by different chemical compounds and circadian ...

AI models have their own internal representations of knowledge or concepts that are often difficult to discern, even as they are critical to the models’ output. For instance, knowing more about a model’s representation of a concept would help explain why an AI model might “hallucinate” information, or why certain prompts can trick it into responses that dodge its built-in safeguards. Daniel Beaglehole and colleagues now introduce a robust method to extract these representations of concepts, which works across several large-scale language, reasoning, and vision AI models. Their technique uses ...

Although cancer is a common cause of death in domestic cats, little is known about the range of cancer genes in cat tumors, and how this range might compare with the oncogenome in people. Now, Bailey Francis and colleagues have sequenced cancer genes in 493 samples from 13 different types of feline cancer and matched healthy control tissue,  gaining a clearer picture of the cat oncogenome and comparing the genes to known cancer-causing mutations in humans. Under the “One Medicine” approach, ...

A new Spinosaurus species uncovered in northern Niger by Paul Sereno and colleagues appears to have been a wading predator of fish like its close relatives, but it lived as many as 1,000 kilometers inland from the Tethys Sea. The fossil find may represent a third phase of evolution for this group of massive, fish-eating dinosaurs, according to Sereno et al. The new species Spinosaurus mirabilis, uncovered in the central Sahara near Sirig Taghat (“no water, no goat” in Tamasheq, the local Berber language), lived with long-necked dinosaurs in a riparian habitat 100-95 million years ago. Sereno et al. suggest there were ...