Science
press releases.

Science19 May 2025

Bees facing new threats, putting our survival and theirs at risk

Warzones, microplastics and light pollution pose serious new risks to bees and other pollinators over the next decade, according to a landmark report on today’s World Bee Day. The report from Bee:wild, a new science-led global campaign to save pollinators, identifies the top 12 emerging threats that could accelerate pollinator losses within the next 5-15 years, according to ten of the world’s leading experts. It also outlines steps we can take to protect them and reverse the decline. Pollinators like bees, butterflies, some birds and bats are vital to nature and our food supply with almost 90% of flowering plants and over three-quarters of ...

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Science19 May 2025

Genomic data shows widespread mpox transmission in West Africa prior to 2022 global outbreak

LA JOLLA, CA—Historically, most human mpox infections have resulted from zoonotic transmission—meaning from animals to humans—and these spillovers have rarely led to human-to-human transmission. But during the 2022 global outbreak, mpox began spreading readily between people. A new study now shows the virus was circulating long before then. Published in Nature on May 19, 2025, the study notes that mpox transmitted among humans in Nigeria for eight years before sparking the international outbreak in 2022. Using genomic tracing, the researchers estimate that the virus’ ancestor first emerged in southern Nigeria in August 2014 and spread to 11 states before ...

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Science19 May 2025

Eating craved foods with meals lessens cravings, boosts weight loss

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Food cravings are the downfall of many dieters, who feel locked in an eternal battle with their willpower to resist the tempting sweets, snacks and other foods they love. However, researchers in food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign say in a new study that eating dessert may be the optimal strategy for losing weight, keeping it off and keeping cravings at bay. Dieters in a clinical trial who incorporated craved foods into a balanced meal plan lost more weight during ...

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Science19 May 2025

U of A researchers developing world's first petahertz-speed phototransistor in ambient conditions

What if ultrafast pulses of light could operate computers at speeds a million times faster than today's best processors? A team of scientists, including researchers from the University of Arizona, are working to make that possible. In a groundbreaking international effort, researchers from the Department of Physics in the College of Science and the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences demonstrated a way to manipulate electrons in graphene using pulses of light that last less than a trillionth of a second. By leveraging a quantum effect known as tunneling, they recorded electrons bypassing a physical barrier almost instantaneously, a feat that redefines the ...

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Science19 May 2025

A head and a hundred tails: how a branching worm manages reproductive complexity

Scientists have uncovered the genetic underpinnings of one of the ocean’s most bizzare animals: a branching marine worm named Ramisyllis kingghidorahi that lives inside sea sponges and reproduces in a truly extraordinary way. Living hidden in tropical waters, this worm grows multiple body branches within a host sponge, each tail capable of producing separate living reproductive units called “stolons”. But how does a single animal coordinate sexual reproduction across so many branches? To find out, researchers led by the University of Göttingen analysed gene expression across different body regions and between male, female ...

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Science19 May 2025

Personality traits influence the development of insomnia

A study conducted at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil examined the influence of personality traits on the development and perpetuation of insomnia and found that there is a direct relationship between the two. Two findings caught the researchers’ attention: high levels of openness were associated with low levels of insomnia, while high levels of neuroticism (characterized by emotional instability) were very common in people with the sleep disorder. The results were published in the Journal of Sleep Research. “We decided ...

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Science19 May 2025

UK child sexual abuse survivors lack support - report

Over 640 victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation in the UK have shared their stories in a global effort to raise awareness about the realities of sexual violence against children, the challenges of disclosure and recovery, and its enduring impact on their lives. Their voices are amplified through a powerful report published by the Finnish child-rights organisation Protect Children in collaboration with the International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute (IPPPRI), part of Anglia Ruskin University in England. At IPPPRI25 - the research institute’s annual conference dedicated to tackling online harms - on ...

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Science19 May 2025

Rice’s Mikos elected to the European Academy of Sciences

HOUSTON – (May 19, 2025) – Antonios Mikos, the Louis Calder Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University, has been elected to the European Academy of Sciences (EURASC), an international body that recognizes excellence in scientific research and technological innovation. A global leader in biomaterials and tissue engineering, Mikos is widely known for his groundbreaking work in regenerative medicine, controlled drug delivery, gene therapy and disease modeling. ...

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Science19 May 2025

Hari Kalva, Ph.D., inducted into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame

Hari Kalva, Ph.D., a pioneering innovator in video technology and professor and chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, has been named a 2025 inductee of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame. Kalva is one of 10 inventors selected for the 2025 class, which spans disciplines from nanotech and regenerative medicine to clean energy and next-gen video systems. Their work has defined new frontiers, advanced scientific breakthroughs, and embodied the spirit of innovation that drives Florida’s expanding landscape ...

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Science19 May 2025

Having a team therapist reduces burnout in critical care nurses

EMBARGOED UNTIL: May 19, 2025, 9:15 a.m. PT Having a Team Therapist Reduces Burnout in Critical Care Nurses Session: B17 — The Power of Team Science: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Pulmonary and Critical Care One of Us. The Value of Having a Team Therapist to Support Nursing Staff in Critical Care Areas Date and Time: May 19, 2025, 9:15 a.m. PT Location: Room 3014/3016/3018 (West Building, Level 3), Moscone Center ATS 2025, San Francisco – Adding a team therapist to support nurses in critical care areas can reduce burnout ...

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Science19 May 2025

Ciliary dysfunction linked to bronchopulmonary dysplasia severity

Session: B18 — Best in Pediatrics Analyzing Respiratory Cilia Dynamics in Relation to Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Severity Date and Time: May 19, 2025, 9:15 a.m. PT Location: Room 2018/2020 (West Building, Level 2), Moscone Center ATS 2025, San Francisco – Premature infants are at risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or BPD, a type of lung injury associated with increased mortality. Now a new study published at the ATS 2025 International Conference shows that ciliary dynamics may play a role in the pathophysiology of this disease. Researchers found that infants with more severe BPD showed signs of ciliary dysfunction that were not present ...

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Science19 May 2025

Capuchin monkeys develop bizarre “fad” of abducting baby howlers

On an island off the coast of Panama lives a population of wild primates with a remarkable culture. White-faced capuchins on Jicarón Island in Coiba National Park use stone tools; and scientists have been monitoring this unique tradition with an array of motion-triggered cameras on the island since 2017. In 2022, doctoral researcher Zoë Goldsborough was looking through the camera trap footage when she found an unusual sighting, something they had never seen in the previous five years of data: a capuchin monkey ...

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Science19 May 2025

Florida Inventors Hall of Fame announces 2025 inductees: Celebrating the visionaries behind the breakthroughs

*** Embargoed for public release until Monday, May 19, 2025 at 11 a.m. ET *** TAMPA, Fla. (May 19, 2025) – The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame is proud to announce its 2025 inductees -- 10 pioneering inventors whose groundbreaking contributions span disciplines ranging from nanotechnology and regenerative medicine to energy systems and video technologies. Their work has established and reshaped entire fields, propelled scientific progress and exemplified the spirit of innovation that defines Florida’s growing ecosystem of discovery and enterprise. "The 2025 Inductees ...

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Science19 May 2025

Level-ground and stair adaptation for hip exoskeletons based on continuous locomotion mode perception

A research article published by the Peking University presented a control framework for exoskeletons based on environmental perception, which effectively integrates environmental information and human kinematic data, improves the accuracy and lead time of transition detection, thereby enhancing smooth switching of control strategies across different terrains. Additionally, the adoption of a learning-free method eliminates the need for data collection and model training, demonstrating strong generalization capabilities across users. The new research paper, published on Apr. 22 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic ...

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Science19 May 2025

Helping noisy data centers fit into residential neighborhoods #ASA188

NEW ORLEANS, May 19, 2025 – The past few years have seen an explosion in data centers built across the country, as developers try to keep up with demand created by artificial intelligence, cloud storage, and e-commerce. Many of these data centers are being built near residential areas, and the people who live there keep complaining about the noise. Gregory Miller and his colleagues at Trinity Consultants will present their work on noise control strategies for data centers on Monday, May 19, at 8:05 a.m. CT as part of the joint 188th Meeting of the ...

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Science19 May 2025

Using sound to ‘see’ unexploded munitions on the seafloor #ASA188

New Orleans, May 19, 2025 – More than 400 underwater sites in the United States are potentially contaminated with unexploded ordnance (UXO) — weapons that did not explode upon deployment, which continue to pose a safety concern. Connor Hodges, a doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin, studies the changes in the acoustic characteristics of these UXOs after they have been subject to corrosion and biofouling to help detect them underwater. “Many of these sites are in shallow water, potentially posing a threat to human safety, ...

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Science19 May 2025

Metallic glass catalyst paves the way for efficient water splitting

Hydrogen is a promising clean energy carrier, but its adoption depends on cost-efficient production. Electrochemical water splitting is a key method, yet it relies on scarce and expensive noble metal catalyst. High-entropy metallic glasses (HEMGs) offer a promising alternative due to their amorphous structure and multi-element synergy. However, they often recrystallize during the formation of nanoporous structures via dealloying. The amorphous phase in HEMGs is vital for water splitting due to its disordered ...

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Science19 May 2025

After cardiac event, people who regularly sit for too long had higher risk of another event

Research Highlights: People who were less active, with a daily average of more than 14 hours of sedentary behavior, were more than twice as likely to have another cardiac event, including heart attack, surgery to treat heart issues (coronary revascularization), or to be hospitalized again within a year after the first cardiac event. In the study of approximately 600 people, ages 21 to 96, replacing 30 minutes of sedentary behavior with light-intensity physical activity reduced the risk of another cardiovascular event or death by 50%, and replacing 30 minutes of sedentary time with 30 minutes ...

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Science19 May 2025

Study finds Reform voters more datable than Tories

Reform voters enjoy more success on dating apps than Conservative voters, according to new research from the University of Southampton and Harvard University. The study, published in the Journal of Politics found that even left-wing voters are more likely to swipe right (‘like’) on a Reform voter’s profile than a Conservative voter. Dating preferences were heavily split along the left-right divide, with left-wing voters more likely to reject someone on the right than vice-versa. Researchers say increasing polarisation is ...

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Science19 May 2025

National Poll: Some parents say they waited too long to stop pacifier use or thumb-sucking in children

Pacifiers and thumb-sucking can help soothe babies and ease them to sleep but some parents struggle with knowing when and how to stop these habits, a new national poll suggests. About half of parents say their child currently or previously used a pacifier while a quarter say their child sucked their thumb or fingers, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. Experts point to many benefits of pacifier use and thumb-sucking, with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending offering pacifiers during sleep to help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. But some parents polled feel they ...

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Science19 May 2025

Is understanding propaganda a necessary skill for modern democracy?

Propaganda is not simply a tool of manipulation, and in fact a professor of communication suggests it may even be a necessary skill for any citizen to address global challenges. After carrying out extensive research examining the role of mass persuasion in an era of viral videos, social media campaigns, and global messaging, Professor Nathan Crick says propaganda has become an inescapable part of modern life. In Propaganda: The Basics, Professor Crick suggests propaganda is not merely a tool of deception and instead should be understood as a fundamental aspect of mass communication in a technological society. Redefining propaganda for the digital ...

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Science18 May 2025

Methotrexate as effective as prednisone in pulmonary sarcoidosis

EMBARGOED UNTIL: 9:15 a.m. PT/12:15 p.m. ET, Sunday, May 18, 2025 Session: A14—Advances in the Diagnosis and Management of ILD Methotrexate Versus Prednisone as First-line Treatment for Pulmonary Sarcoidosis: The Predmeth Trial Date and Time: Sunday, May 18, 2025, 9:15 a.m. Location: Room 25, Hall E (North Building, Exhibition Level), Moscone Center ATS 2025, San Francisco – Prednisone is recommended as the first-line treatment for pulmonary sarcoidosis, but this steroid causes a number of unwanted side effects. Now new research published at the ATS 2025 International Conference finds that methotrexate provides ...

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Science17 May 2025

Scientists wash away mystery behind why foams are leakier than expected

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have solved a long-standing mystery behind the drainage of liquid from foams. Standard physics models wildly overestimate the height of foams required for liquid to drain out the bottom. Through careful observation, the team found that the limits are set by the pressure required to rearrange bubbles, not simply push liquid through a static set of obstacles. Their approach highlights the importance of dynamics to understanding soft materials. When you spray a foam on a wall, ...

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Science17 May 2025

TIFRH researchers uncover a mechanism enabling glasses to self-regulate their brittleness

Materials with self-adaptive mechanical responses have long been sought after in material science. Using computer simulations, researchers at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Hyderabad, now show how such adaptive behavior can emerge in active glasses, which are widely used as models for biological tissues. The findings provide new insights—ranging from how cells might regulate their glassiness to aiding in the design of new metamaterials. Glasses (or amorphous solids) are materials whose components ...

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Science16 May 2025

Life, death and mowing – study reveals Britain’s poetic obsession with the humble lawnmower

University of Cambridge media release Life, death and mowing – study reveals Britain’s poetic obsession with the humble lawnmower UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL 00:01AM (UK TIME) ON SATURDAY 17TH MAY 2025 Over the last half-century, British poets including Philip Larkin and Andrew Motion have driven a ‘lawnmower poetry microgenre’, using the machine to explore childhood, masculinity, violence, addiction, mortality and much more, new research shows. The study, published today in Critical Quarterly, argues that the tradition goes back to the 17th-century poet Andrew Marvell who used mowing – with a scythe – to comment ...

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