Science
press releases.

Science24 Mar 2026

Honey bee waggle dance depends on its audience, study finds

A new study by Chinese scientists reveals that the honey bee waggle dance—one of the most famous examples of animal communication—is not a one-way communication but, in fact, a dynamic, two-way interaction shaped by its audience. These findings challenge the traditional view that information flows unidirectionally from dancers to passive followers. The study, conducted by researchers from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators, was published in PNAS on March 23. To test whether the content of the waggle ...

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Science24 Mar 2026

Ultra-processed foods are linked to reduced fertility and embryonic development

Eating large amounts of ultra-processed food (UPF) is linked not only to reduced fertility in men, but also to slower growth in early embryos, and smaller yolk sacs, which are essential for early embryonic development, according to new research. The authors of the study, which is published today (Tuesday) in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals, say their findings suggest that reducing the consumption of UPFs, especially around the time of conception and pregnancy, is better for both parents ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Study explores frameworks for improved indigenous data sovereignty

Original Research Study Explores Frameworks for Improved Indigenous Data Sovereignty Background: In Canada, current approaches to managing health data do not always reflect principles of Indigenous data sovereignty, which emphasize Indigenous peoples’ rights to control how data about their communities are collected, used, and shared. This study examined how practice-based research and learning networks (PBRLNs) currently approach data governance and explored how Indigenous data sovereignty frameworks could apply. Researchers ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Bee dancing is better with the right audience

Dance like nobody’s watching? Not quite, at least not for honey bees. In recent years, scientists have carefully deciphered details of the honey bee “waggle dance,” which is an advanced form of social communication in the animal kingdom. University of California San Diego biologists and their international colleagues recently unraveled how the dance conveys critical information about food sources for the benefit of fellow hive inhabitants. A new study on the dynamics of the dance, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Negative emotions at work aren’t always harmful—empathetic leaders make the difference

During a widespread crisis, negative emotions don’t simply go away once the workday begins. Organizational scholars who study how emotions affect employees tend to assume that negative emotions equal negative outcomes. That isn’t always the case, according to new research from David Lebel, associate professor of business administration in the School of Business and director of the Berg Center for Ethics & Leadership. Working with Pitt doctoral student Jordan Sanders and Jochen Menges at the University of Zurich, Lebel found that during one such crisis–the ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Island Scholarship launched

A new scholarship scheme launched as part of the Scottish Government’s new National Islands Plan aims to encourage postgraduate students to move to Orkney and study specialist clean energy and marine science. Heriot-Watt University, the Scottish Government and Orkney Islands Council are behind the programme, which is designed to draw more talent to the islands. While the scheme is being piloted in Orkney, the Scottish Government says its findings will inform wider policy efforts ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Exploring balance recovery by pulling a rug out from under people

Lena Ting, from Emory University, and colleagues explored how brain and muscle activity during balance recovery change due to aging and Parkinson’s. Previously, Ting’s research group revealed that when they pulled a rug out from under young adults to trigger balance recovery, these individuals experienced an immediate involuntary brainstem and muscle response followed by a second wave of activity in the brain and muscle in more difficult balance disturbances. In this new study on older adults with and without Parkinson’s, published in eNeuro, the researchers discovered that these populations ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Childhood mortality by parental cause of death

About The Study: This statewide cohort study found that childhood mortality is significantly higher among children bereaved by parental drug overdose, homicide, and suicide compared with the general child population. Parental homicide was associated with the highest risk of mortality in children and highlights the need for research into potential explanations, such as the impact on family restructuring and mental health. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Sean Esteban McCabe, PhD, email plius@med.umich.edu. To access the embargoed ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Alignment of large language model responses with human therapists in motivational interviewing

About The Study: The findings of this study suggest large language models (LLMs) can produce contextually appropriate motivational interviewing-consistent responses, but limitations in coherence and stylistic alignment highlight the need for further validation before clinical use. Motivational interviewing, a structured counseling approach, provides an empirically grounded setting for evaluating alignment between LLM-generated and human therapist responses. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Venkat Bhat, MD, MSc, email venkat.bhat@utoronto.ca. To ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Thirty-year trends in multiple sclerosis prevalence, lifestyle factors, and mortality in England

About The Study: In England’s health care system, multiple sclerosis prevalence more than doubled while survival rates increased over 30 years. Substantial gradients in tobacco use, abnormal weight, and socioeconomic deprivation persisted and were associated with mortality. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Raffaele Palladino, PhD, MD, email palladino.raffaele@gmail.com. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2026.0352) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Multiple sclerosis doubles in prevalence while survival rates improve

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has more than doubled in recorded prevalence in England from 2000 to 2020, increasing by 6% per year, largely due to improved diagnosis and longer life expectancy, finds a new study by University College London (UCL) and Imperial College London researchers. The team found that survival of people with MS improved significantly over time thanks to advances in treatments and care, although they also identified inequalities, with higher mortality in deprived areas. In the study published in JAMA Neurology, the researchers ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

The “Silent Takeover”: invasive bees are reshaping Chile’s unique pollination networks

Biological invasions are a major driver of biodiversity loss and invasive pollinators can reshape native plant-pollinator networks. A new study published in the journal NeoBiota, reveals that invasive pollinators are fundamentally reshaping native plant-pollinator networks in Chile, leading to a "silent takeover" that threatens the stability of one of the world's most unique biodiversity hotspots. Chile functions as a “biogeographical island,” isolated by the Andes Mountains, the Atacama Desert, and the Pacific Ocean. While this isolation has created a highly specialized ecosystem, ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Field-portable assays help scientists study & explore caves

Key Points: A new study shows that field-portable assays are effective at identifying microbes directly in the field in real time, making it easier to study and explore caves. The researchers established a roadmap for thoroughly studying cave life, emphasizing the need to sample widely and from different materials. They also discovered that cave microbial communities change predictably from cave entrances to darker areas. The findings have implications on community ecology and public health for detecting and cataloging cave microbiomes, which may include human pathogens. Washington, D.C.—A new study has demonstrated that we now have the tools to study the incredibly ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Police misconduct often traceable to warning signs before hire

Past behavior matters, especially in law enforcement where certain pre-hire misbehavior by law enforcement candidates sharply increases the likelihood of police misconduct once they are hired, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. The researchers analyzed pre-hire data and disciplinary records for 6,075 officers at more than 150 municipal, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies across the United States, tracking them for up to five years. They identified which background warning signs most accurately predicted later misconduct. Officers who had a prior record of ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

A sudden surge in luminosity: New method for stacking dyes

In nature, a certain size is often a prerequisite for biomolecules to perform their specific functions. For example, for proteins or DNA to fulfil their vital tasks, they must be folded in a precise manner – and this requires a certain minimum length. Chemists in the laboratory have long been able to achieve the step-by-step construction of proteins and nucleic acids with defined lengths and compositions using solid-phase synthesis. Now, for the first time, German and Korean researchers have presented a comparable synthesis ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Want to shift a group’s opinion? Encourage opponents to sit on the fence

Trying to persuade people to abandon deeply held views often backfires, leaving groups entrenched and unable to move forward. A new study by researchers at the University of Bath in the UK proposes a strategy that is both surprising and more effective: encourage neutrality. The researchers, led by Professor Kit Yates from the Department of Mathematics, found that when individuals are encouraged to step back and adopt a neutral position – for example by abstaining in a vote – groups become more responsive, decisions become easier to reach, and shifts in consensus happen more smoothly. Neutrality does not stall ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Moby Dick ‘ship sinking’ sperm whales caught headbutting on camera

New research from the University of St Andrews reports sperm whales headbutting one another. The behaviour was captured on film and described scientifically for the first time, confirming accounts by 19 th century mariners of sperm whales using their heads to deliberately push and strike objects, occasionally even sinking ships, thereby inspiring Herman Melville’s classic tale Moby Dick. Using drone technology, researchers were able to film sperm whales headbutting each other, as well as the surrounding behavioural and social context. ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Initial tests find lead in children’s fast-fashion clothing

ATLANTA, March 23, 2026 — Fast fashion is an inexpensive way to dress rapidly growing kids. But preliminary research has found that the fabric in some of these items contains an unwanted, toxic ingredient: lead. After testing several shirts from different retailers, undergraduate researchers found that all samples exceeded U.S. federal regulatory lead limits. They also estimate that even briefly chewing these fabrics (which young kids tend to do) could expose children to dangerous lead levels. The researchers will present their results at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Spring ...

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Science23 Mar 2026

Foreign volunteer fighters in Ukraine face intense combat trauma with almost no support

The first study of US and UK military veterans who volunteered to fight in Ukraine reveals extreme combat exposure including drone warfare and trench fighting, with high rates of PTSD, moral injury, and alcohol misuse. Most struggled to access mental health care in Ukraine or after returning home.

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Science23 Mar 2026

Want to change a group's mind? Math says: make opponents neutral first

New mathematical modeling and experiments from the University of Bath demonstrate that groups change their collective opinion more quickly when opponents are encouraged to adopt a neutral stance rather than being directly persuaded to switch sides. The effect was confirmed in both locust swarms and human voting games.

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Science22 Mar 2026

Surfactant does not help babies with severe bronchiolitis - the largest trial of its kind confirms

The BESS trial, the largest randomized study of surfactant for bronchiolitis, found no reduction in ventilator time for 232 critically ill babies across 15 UK hospitals - closing the door on a hypothesis that had persisted for years.

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Science21 Mar 2026

King Harold didn't march to Hastings — he sailed, and the famous 200-mile trek is Victorian fiction

For over two centuries, textbooks have described Harold's exhausting forced march from Yorkshire to Hastings before the Norman Conquest. New research from the University of East Anglia shows this never happened. Harold kept his fleet and moved his army by sea.

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Science20 Mar 2026

Foster youth with strong emotional support were less likely to end up incarcerated

Among youth transitioning out of foster care, those who reported adequate emotional support had significantly lower odds of incarceration, according to research in Social Work Research -- suggesting that who listens matters more than how many people are around.

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Science20 Mar 2026

Randomly assigned to Team Spain, people still believed biased facts about it

When 600 participants were randomly sorted into arbitrary teams, they judged pro-team statements as more credible -- not because of what they knew, but because of what they wanted to believe, according to a study in Psychological Science.

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Science20 Mar 2026

Crushed pork bones cut cadmium in rice by 68% and nearly doubled yields

Micro-nanoscale bone char made from discarded pork bones reduced cadmium accumulation in polished rice grains by up to 68% while increasing yields by nearly 50% in a 140-day greenhouse trial, offering a low-cost circular approach to contaminated farmland.

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