Research announcements from universities, hospitals and scientific institutions. Explore the stories, people and discoveries behind the headlines.
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A 27-year analysis of Arctic landfast ice shows the Chukchi Sea's ice season has shortened by 57 days and the Beaufort's by 39 days, driven primarily by warmer oceans delaying fall freeze-up. The loss threatens hunting access, coastal protection, and industrial ice roads.
Read the releaseAdolescents who replaced just 30 minutes of daily sedentary time with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity showed nearly 15% lower insulin resistance in late adolescence, according to an analysis of Project Viva data presented at the AHA's EPI|Lifestyle 2026 meeting. Replacing that time with sleep yielded a 5% reduction.
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A Cambridge-led team engineered a hafnium oxide thin film that switches resistance at an internal p-n junction rather than through filament formation. The result: switching currents roughly a million times lower than conventional oxide memristors, with hundreds of stable conductance levels for neuromorphic computing.
Read the releaseThe Brunel Centre's Strategic Economic Audit shows the West of England outperforms most UK regions on productivity and exports but faces structural limits in transport, housing, and inequality that threaten sustained growth.
Read the releaseA new fiber-coupled terahertz imaging system from the University of Warwick captures biological tissue at near video rates with 360-micrometer resolution - fast and portable enough for bedside wound assessment without ionizing radiation.
Read the releaseEmbryonic mice heal wounds without scars by regenerating all skin cell types. Harvard researchers found the mechanism shuts off days after birth when fibroblasts recruit excess nerves -- and showed that blocking this signal restores scar-free healing.
Read the releaseScientists created the first lab-grown oesophagus that restored swallowing, developed functional muscle and nerves, and grew with the recipient animal over six months - all without immunosuppression. The advance targets children born with long-gap oesophageal atresia.
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A scoping review by the University of Eastern Finland and Lakehead University finds Via Ferrata tourism growing fast but under-researched, particularly in North America. The study calls for collaboration between operators, land managers, and climbing organizations to guide sustainable development.
Read the releaseResearchers found sulfuric acid absorbs atmospheric ammonia at 96% recovery with stable nitrogen isotope readings, far outperforming boric acid. Field tests distinguished emissions from cropland, livestock, orchards, and vegetable farms - critical data for targeting PM2.5 reduction strategies.
Read the releaseA 1,658-person trial across six U.S. medical centers used smart water bottles, health coaching, and financial incentives to increase hydration. Participants drank more, but kidney stone recurrence rates remained unchanged, pointing to a need for more personalized prevention.
Read the releaseA University of East Anglia systematic review of 5,000+ social media posts found misinformation rates as high as 56% on some platforms. TikTok scored worst: 52% of ADHD and 41% of autism videos were inaccurate, compared to 22% on YouTube and under 15% on Facebook.
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Researchers at UC Riverside built a counterfeit drug detector from cheap infrared line-following sensors. By tracking how pills dissolve in water and converting the data into digital fingerprints, the open-source device correctly identified 90% of 30+ tested medications.
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University of Utah geophysicists used airborne electromagnetic imaging to detect a deep freshwater reservoir beneath the Great Salt Lake, with saturated sediments reaching 3-4 km depth. The water could potentially be tapped to suppress toxic dust from the lake's exposed playa.
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A new study maps the overlap between unregistered groundwater wells, former industrial zones, and known contamination sites across the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area, revealing that 22 million residents face an invisible water safety crisis driven by decades of unmonitored solvent pollution.
Read the releaseA decade-long study of more than 25,000 U.S. adults found that people living in densely developed neighborhoods had a 2.5% lower risk of first-time stroke, challenging assumptions that urban environments harm cardiovascular health.
Read the releaseThe largest UK survey on drink spiking to date estimates roughly one million adults were victims in the past year. Only 23% reported the incident to police. Women accounted for 58% of cases, with bars and social events the most common settings.
Read the releaseIndependent researchers reexamined Monte Verde, a landmark Chilean archaeological site long dated to 14,500 years ago. Their geological analysis places the site between 8,000 and 4,000 years old, suggesting older radiocarbon dates were skewed by redeposited ancient material. Other pre-Clovis sites remain unaffected.
Read the releaseIn a study of 4,196 participants evaluating 110 pairs of animal sounds from 16 species, researchers found that humans reliably preferred the same sounds animals favor for mate selection. The overlap held across insects, frogs, birds, and mammals, supporting Darwin's idea of a shared aesthetic sense.
Read the releaseYoung people who stay in England's urban coastal areas are far more likely to end up in routine and manual jobs by age 25. Moving away breaks the pattern, but those who leave tend to come from wealthier families — deepening a cycle of deprivation in seaside communities.
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Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute used an X-ray free-electron laser to watch a light-switchable beta blocker change shape at its receptor in real time. The drug does not fall off when bent by light -- it simply loosens its grip, turning the receptor into a dimmer switch.
Read the releasePsychologists at SWPS University created the Post-Game Depression Scale, the first validated tool for measuring the emotional void players report after completing immersive video games. RPG fans scored highest, and the phenomenon correlates with broader depressive symptoms.
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Lawrence Toll, a professor at Florida Atlantic University who co-discovered the pain-related molecule nociceptin three decades ago, has been named a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors. His nine patents span opioid receptor research and nicotine addiction therapies.
Read the releaseTracking 470 pregnant women across all three trimesters, researchers found that limiting sitting to 8 hours daily and getting 7+ hours of light activity reduced hypertensive disorder risk by nearly 30%. The optimal daily pattern cut risk by more than half.
Read the releaseAmong 340,000 UK adults tracked for 13 years, low-to-moderate wine consumption correlated with a 21% lower cardiovascular death risk compared with non-drinkers — but the same level of beer, cider, or spirits consumption correlated with a 9% higher risk.
Read the releasePeople shown dating profiles written as personal narratives reported more empathy and greater romantic interest than those shown the same information as a list of traits, according to research from Reichman University published in Psychology of Popular Media.
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