Science
press releases.

Science10 Feb 2025

Satire more damaging to reputations than direct criticism

WASHINGTON - In our digital times as we are inundated with YouTube videos, memes and social media, satire is everywhere, but it can be more damaging to people's reputations than direct criticism, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. Seemingly innocuous satire may be more harmful than direct criticism because it can dehumanize people and reduce them to caricatures, the study found. The research was published online in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. “Most people think satire is just humorous and playful, but dehumanization exists on a spectrum and can include things like forgetting ...

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Science10 Feb 2025

KERI’s faster and higher-quality argyrodite structures for ASSBs!

Dr. Ha Yoon-Cheol's team at KERI's Next Generation Battery Research Center has developed an 'enhanced coprecipitation method' that enables faster and higher-quality production of lithium superionic conductors for ASSBs. ASSB replaces the ‘electrolyte’, which transfers ions between the anode and cathode, with a solid instead of a liquid, significantly reducing the risk of fire or explosion.. Solid electrolytes are difficult to manufacture and expensive. However, in 2021, Dr. Ha Yoon-Cheol's team garnered significant attention by proposing the 'coprecipitation method', ...

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Science10 Feb 2025

The link between finances and loneliness in older adults

Older adults who didn’t have enough savings to cover emergency expenses during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic faced another surprising problem: higher levels of loneliness. In a new study, researchers at The Ohio State University found that adults over the age of 65 faced increases in loneliness during the pandemic, regardless of income level or wealth. But those who said they would have to use a credit card to pay off an emergency expense over time were more likely to report high levels of loneliness. “Our ...

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Science10 Feb 2025

Anomaly in the deep sea

Beryllium-10, a rare radioactive isotope produced by cosmic rays in the atmosphere, provides valuable insights into the Earth's geological history. A research team from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), in collaboration with the TUD Dresden University of Technology and the Australian National University (ANU), has discovered an unexpected accumulation of this isotope in samples taken from the Pacific seabed. Such an anomaly may be attributed to shifts in ocean currents or astrophysical events that occurred approximately 10 million years ago. The findings hold the potential to serve as a global time marker, representing a promising ...

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Science10 Feb 2025

Trump's 2024 election victory: A double-edged sword for the US stock market

Financial markets are reacting not just to Donald Trump's return to the White House but also to the unpredictability of this victory, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. Investors must diversify their portfolios to mitigate risks associated with political volatility and to remain vigilant about the potential for abrupt market corrections. A new study, published in Economics Letters, indicates that while there was an immediate surge in stock prices following Trump's election, this was quickly tempered by investor concerns over potential trade wars and international instability. A group of ...

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Science10 Feb 2025

Euclid discovers a stunning Einstein ring

Euclid blasted off on its six-year mission to explore the dark Universe on 1 July 2023. Before the spacecraft could begin its survey, the team of scientists and engineers on Earth had to make sure everything was working properly. During this early testing phase, in September 2023, Euclid sent some images back to Earth. They were deliberately out of focus, but in one fuzzy image Euclid Archive Scientist Bruno Altieri saw a hint of a very special phenomenon and decided to take a closer look. “I look at the data from Euclid as it comes in,” explains Bruno. “Even from that first observation, I could see it, but after Euclid made more observations of the area, ...

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Science10 Feb 2025

Scientists find that a playful approach to life activates ‘lemonading’, which helps people cope with adversity

Scientists have found that taking a playful approach to life doesn’t mean you don’t take your situation seriously, but it can mean you cope with it better. By surveying people about their experiences during a Covid-19 lockdown, they learned that more playful people were more positive about the future and coped more actively and creatively. Life gave them lemons, and they made lemonade. “Our study revealed that playfulness and resilience are intimately connected through what we call ‘lemonading’ — the ability to imagine ...

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Science8 Feb 2025

Tracing gas adsorption on “crowns” of platinum and gold connected by nanotunnels

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have elucidated how hydrogen and carbon monoxide is adsorbed into solids containing a crown-motif structure of platinum and gold. Using quick-scan X-ray absorption measurements and theoretical calculations, they studied a solid of [PtAu8(PPh3)8]-H[PMo12O40] called PtAu8-PMo12 and found that gas adsorption is affected strongly by the dimension of nanoscale voids in the structure. This highlights the importance of engineering voids in materials for next generation sensors and gas separation. Ligand-protected metal clusters have been a source of ...

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Science8 Feb 2025

Decoding fat tissue

As many as 40% of Americans are obese, putting them at an increased risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, heart disease and certain cancers, according to the CDC. New research from the University of Delaware aims to tackle the issue by investigating obesity at the gene level. Principal investigator Ibra Fancher, assistant professor of kinesiology and applied physiology in UD’s College of Health Sciences, discovered significant differences in gene expression in adipose tissue, more commonly known as fat. Formerly considered fat storage, adipose tissue is now recognized as a vital ...

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Science7 Feb 2025

Generation of Terahertz complex vector light fields on a metasurface driven by surface waves

A new publication from Opto-Electronic Sciences; DOI 10.29026/oes.2025.240024, discusses generation of terahertz complex vector light fields on a metasurface driven by surface waves. With the rapid development of information and communication technologies, especially in the context of 5G, 6G networks, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, the development of on-chip optical control devices with high bandwidth, high speed, low power consumption, and miniaturization ...

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Science7 Feb 2025

Scientists enhance understanding of dinoflagellate cyst dormancy

Dinoflagellates play crucial roles in aquatic ecosystems, particularly as major contributors to harmful algal blooms. They can enter a dormant stage, known as the resting cyst stage, that allows them to survive for extended periods—up to 150 years—in marine sediments. This dormancy is essential for their annual population dynamics, blooming cycles, and geographic expansion. Despite the ecological importance of resting cysts, the molecular mechanisms governing their dormancy, viability maintenance, and germination in natural sediments remain largely unexplored. To better understand this process, researchers from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences ...

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Science7 Feb 2025

nTIDE February 2025 Jobs Report: Labor force participation rate for people with disabilities hits an all-time high

East Hanover, NJ – February 7, 2024 – The latest National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) report revealed a record-breaking Labor Force Participation Rate for people with disabilities, marking an all-time high. These gains build upon a steady upward trend, which exceeded those seen among people without disabilities. nTIDE is issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD). Month-to-Month nTIDE Numbers (comparing December 2024 to January 2025) Based on data from the ...

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Science7 Feb 2025

Role of ELK3 in ferroptosis of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes

Background and objectives Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory arthritis characterized by chronic joint inflammation, cartilage degradation, and bone erosion. ELK3 is a transcriptional repressor that can affect cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and other cellular processes. The study aimed to clarify the effect of ELK3 in the biological activity and ferroptosis phenotype of RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), and to reveal its molecular mechanism in regulating ferroptosis in RA FLS. Methods We investigated the impact of ELK3 on the biological activity and ferroptosis phenotype of RA FLS using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, ...

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Science7 Feb 2025

How neighborhood perception affects housing rents: A novel analytical approach

Housing rents usually correlate with factors such as the building’s age, facilities, and location. Yet not all rentals with similar physical factors charge the same rent. Psychological factors such as the subjective perceptions of the neighborhood matter as well. Considering these perception variables, an Osaka Metropolitan University team has developed a method with almost 75% accuracy in explaining housing prices in Osaka City. The team led by Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology student Xiaorui Wang and Professor Daisuke Matsushita used existing Osaka City property datasets and incorporated additional information on the physical factors (sky, vegetation, and buildings) of ...

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Science7 Feb 2025

Many adults report inaccurate beliefs about risks and benefits of home firearm access

About 40% of households in the United States report firearm access and the majority of firearm owners report typically storing at least one of their firearms unsecured. The most common reason individuals provide for when asked why they store firearms unsecured is defense, with many reporting that firearms are unrelated to suicide risk despite robust data to the contrary. A new study by the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center clarified the extent to which U.S. adults exhibit skewed perceptions of risk and safety by collecting a nationally representative sample of 8,009 adults in May and asking participants about the extent to which they believe ...

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Science7 Feb 2025

UC Davis researchers achieve total synthesis of ibogaine

Ibogaine — a psychoactive plant derivative — has attracted attention for its anti-addictive and anti-depressant properties. But ibogaine is a finite resource, extracted from plants native to Africa like the iboga shrub (Tabernanthe iboga) and the small-fruited voacanga tree (Voacanga africana). Further, its use can lead to irregular heartbeats, introducing safety risks and an overall need to better understand how its molecular structure leads to its biological effects. In a study appearing in Nature Chemistry, researchers at the University ...

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Science6 Feb 2025

Warding off superbugs with a pinch of turmeric

In 2017, a tragic incident unfolded in a Nevada hospital. A woman, admitted for pneumonia, tragically succumbed to multiple organ failure and sepsis. The culprit? A strain of bacteria that had developed resistance to a staggering 26 different antibiotics. These superbugs, or antibiotic-resistant bacteria, stand as one of the most pressing public health threats globally. Joining the effort to fight these deadly pathogens, researchers at Texas A&M have now shown that curcumin, the compound that gives turmeric its characteristic bright yellow color, can potentially be used to reduce antibiotic resistance. The ...

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Science6 Feb 2025

Ice streams move due to tiny ice quakes

In brief: • In Greenland, an international team of researchers led by ETH Zurich has discovered that countless tiny ice quakes take place deep inside ice streams. • These quakes are responsible for the fact that ice streams also move with a continuous stick-slip motion and not only like viscous honey as previously considered. • The researchers recorded seismic data from inside the ice stream using a fibre-optic cable in a 2,700-metre deep borehole. The ...

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Science6 Feb 2025

Whale song has remarkable similarities to human speech in terms of efficiency

Whale song can be as efficient as – and, in some cases, more efficient than – human communication, according to a new study in Science Advances. Meanwhile, new unrelated research in Science further investigates whale song’s adherence to a universal linguistic law, as observed in recordings of humpback whales. Natural selection favors the pithy over the longwinded. For example, yelling “Duck!” is faster and far more effective than shouting “Be careful, there is an incoming projectile, and you need to move out of the way!” ...

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Science6 Feb 2025

Uncovered: How mice override instinctive fear responses

Researchers have uncovered a neural mechanism in the brains of mice that enables them to override instinctive fear responses; dysfunction in this mechanism may contribute to inappropriate or excessive fear responses, they say. According to the findings, targeting these circuits could offer new therapeutic avenues for treating fear-related disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. Fear responses to visual threats, such as escaping from an approaching predator, are critical instinctive reactions for survival and are ...

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Science6 Feb 2025

A pathway that contributes to insulin resistance can be targeted, mouse study shows

The hormone adrenomedullin disrupts insulin signaling in blood vessel cells, contributing to systemic insulin resistance in obesity-associated type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. Blocking adrenomedullin’s effects restores insulin function and improves glucose control in a mouse model, suggesting a potential new target for treating obesity-related metabolic disease. Diabetes is a leading global cause of illness, mortality, and healthcare expenditures, with most cases stemming from obesity-induced insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Insulin resistance primarily ...

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Science6 Feb 2025

Special Issue: The cryosphere

In this Special Issue of Science, 3 Reviews and a Policy Forum highlight research on Earth’s frozen places – from the Arctic to the Antarctic – and how it’s changing due to climate change and the geopolitical challenges this important work faces. In the first Review, Julienne Stroeve and colleagues provide a preview of what the Arctic region may look like in a warmer world. Without stronger climate action, global temperatures are set to rise +2.7°C above preindustrial levels, ...

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Science6 Feb 2025

Mantis shrimp clubs filter sound to mitigate damage

Known for their powerful punch, mantis shrimp can smash a shell with the force of a .22 caliber bullet. Yet, amazingly, these tough critters remain intact despite the intense shockwaves created by their own strikes. Northwestern University researchers have discovered how mantis shrimp remain impervious to their own punches. Their fists, or dactyl clubs, are covered in layered patterns, which selectively filter out sound. By blocking specific vibrations, the patterns act like a shield against self-generated shockwaves. The study will be published on Friday (Feb. 7) in the journal Science. The findings someday could be applied to developing ...

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Science6 Feb 2025

Large differences in water-seeking ability found in U.S. corn varieties

A corn plant knows how to find water in soil with the very tips of its roots, but some varieties, including many used for breeding high-yielding corn in the U.S., appear to have lost a portion of that ability, according to a Stanford-led study. With climate change increasing droughts, the findings hold potential for developing more resilient varieties of corn. The study, published in the journal Science, uncovers genetic mechanisms behind root “hydropatterning,” or how plant roots branch toward water and avoid dry spaces in soil. In particular, the researchers ...

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Science6 Feb 2025

Whale song has structure similar to human language

Humpback whale song is a striking example of a complex, culturally transmitted behavior, but up to now, there was little evidence it has language-like structure. Human language, which is also culturally transmitted, has recurring parts whose frequency of use follows a particular pattern. In humans, these properties help learning and may come about because they help language be passed from one generation to the next. This work innovatively applies methods inspired by how babies discover words in speech to humpback whale recordings, uncovering the same statistical structures found in all human languages. It reveals previously undetected structure in ...

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