Science
press releases.

Science20 Nov 2025

For young children, finger-counting a stepping stone to higher math skills

Children who count on their fingers between ages 4 and 6 1/2 have better addition skills by age 7 than those who don’t use their fingers, suggesting that finger counting is an important stepping stone to higher math skills, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. “Finger counting is not just a tool for immediate success in young children, but a way to support the development of advanced abstract arithmetic skills,” said lead author Catherine Thevenot, PhD, of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. Finger counting is widely used by young children as a strategy to solve math problems. However, ...

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Science20 Nov 2025

Cleveland’s famous sea monster gets a scientific update

CLEVELAND—About 360 million years ago, the shallow sea above present-day Cleveland was home to a fearsome apex predator: Dunkleosteus terrelli. This 14-foot armored fish ruled the Late Devonian seas with razor-sharp bone blades instead of teeth, making it among the largest and most ferocious arthrodires—an extinct group of shark-like fishes covered in bony armor across their head and torso. Since its discovery in the 1860s, Dunkleosteus has captivated scientists and the public alike, becoming ...

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Science20 Nov 2025

Will my kid be a pro athlete? Study finds what parents think

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Many children grow up dreaming – or maybe even expecting – that they will become a star in football, basketball or whatever their favorite sport may be. Most parents have more realistic expectations of their children’s future athletic achievement, a new study finds. But a substantial minority believe their kids will beat the odds and become collegiate, pro or even Olympic athletes. In a survey of 785 American parents, 34% thought it was somewhat or very likely that their child would become a small-college athlete, 27% thought it was likely they would become a college scholarship athlete, and 17% thought it was somewhat ...

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Science20 Nov 2025

23andMe Research Institute helps reconnect African diaspora to their roots with release of 250+ high-resolution African Genetic Groups

PALO ALTO, Calif. - November 20, 2025 - For millions of Americans in the African diaspora, genealogical ties and records were severed by the transatlantic slave trade, creating a "brick wall" for those seeking to know their full heritage. Today, 23andMe Research Institute announced a landmark expansion of its genetic ancestry reports and features, unveiling more than 250 high-resolution Genetic Groups across Africa. This significant update provides members with African heritage the most detailed and scientifically ...

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Science20 Nov 2025

Isotope-based method for detecting unknown selenium compounds

Although present in very small amounts, selenium (Se)-based compounds play important roles in protecting the body from oxidative stress, regulating thyroid hormones, strengthening the immune system, and even detoxifying heavy metals. As we begin to understand more about the biological functions of Se, the need to detect and identify Se-containing compounds has become increasingly important. Researchers from Chiba University, Japan, have developed a new method that selectively detects Se compounds, addressing a long-standing challenge in the identification of unknown Se-containing compounds. Using a previously unexplored approach, the researchers discovered novel Se-containing molecules in ...

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Science20 Nov 2025

Dopamine signaling in fruit flies lends new insight into human motivation

Our brain’s reward system processes and reinforces pleasurable experiences, motivating us to seek out and engage in rewarding activities ranging from eating to social interactions to recreational drug use. Dopamine plays an important role in this process, mediated by the D2 dopamine receptor (D2R). New research published today in Nature Neuroscience finds that the same mechanism that causes drug addiction (desensitization of D2R) also controls the natural devaluation of repeated behaviors (e.g. seeking out the same thrill of going on a rollercoaster for the first time). This is the first natural use found for this mechanism. Researchers from ...

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Science20 Nov 2025

Millions of people in the UK are being drawn into bribery and money laundering, according to new study

Bribery and money laundering are far more common among the public than many assume, with millions of people in the UK approached to take part in these activities in the past year, according to a new report co-authored by a researcher from the University of Surrey on behalf of the International Society of Economic Criminology (ISEC). The report found that 16% of UK adults had been asked for a bribe in the last 12 months and 11% (5.8 million UK adults per year) had been asked to help move money that ...

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Science20 Nov 2025

Could a child have painted that? Jackson Pollock's famous pour-painting has child-like characteristics, study shows

What makes art art? Is it the method or the creator? Does it need a color palette and oil paints, or a canvas laid flat on the floor and paint splattered across it? Does it require a critically acclaimed painter, or a toddler with crayons? And when it comes to the artist, can we even reliably tell if an artwork has been created by children or adults? In a new Frontiers in Physics study, researchers in the US put it to the test. “Our study shows that the artistic patterns generated by children are distinguishable from those created by adults ...

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Science20 Nov 2025

Broad support for lethal control of wild deer among nature organisation subscribers

Embargo: 20th November 2025 at 05:01 UK time Broad support for lethal control of wild deer among nature organisation subscribers There is broad support for regulated lethal control of wild deer to reduce their numbers and impacts among subscribers of nature organisations in England and Wales, a new study has found. According to research led by Bangor University and published in People and Nature, it was the most supported and widely used deer management practice. The authors of the study believe that the findings might help nature organisations and decision makers feel more confident about recommending its use. Researchers ...

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Science20 Nov 2025

Over a decade in the making: Illuminating new possibilities with lanthanide nanocrystals

In a discovery shaped by more than a decade of steady, incremental effort rather than a dramatic breakthrough, scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and their collaborators demonstrated that great ideas flourish when paired with patience. Flashback to 2011: a small group of young researchers gathered around an aging optical bench at the NUS Department of Chemistry, watching a faint, flickering glow on a screen. Their goal seemed deceptively simple: make an insulating crystal emit light when electricity flowed through it. The challenge, however, was nearly impossible. Lanthanide nanocrystals, known for their chemical stability and ...

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Science20 Nov 2025

Deadly, record-breaking heatwaves will persist for 1,000 years, even under net zero

Deadly hotter and longer heatwaves, which worsen in severity the longer it takes to reach net zero carbon emissions, will become the norm predicts new climate research. Published in Environmental Research: Climate, researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather and CSIRO used climate modelling and supercomputers to understand how heatwaves will respond over the next 1,000 years, after the world reaches net zero carbon emissions. They chose a range of dates between 2030 and 2060 and calculated the long-term difference in heatwaves for each ...

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Science20 Nov 2025

Cool comfort: beating the heat with high-tech clothes

As global temperatures rise and heatwaves intensify, a new textile innovation co-developed by University of South Australia scientists promises to keep people cooler, drier, and more comfortable in extreme heat. Partnering with researchers from Zhengzhou University in China, UniSA materials scientist Professor Jun Ma has helped to create a lightweight breathable fabric that reflects 96% of the sun’s rays in outdoor conditions. The moisture-wicking composite fabric is described in the journal Nano Research. In outdoor field tests, the new textile lowered skin temperature by 2 degrees celsius under direct sunlight ...

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Science20 Nov 2025

Two thirds of women experience too much or too little weight gain in pregnancy

Around two-thirds (68%) of pregnancies have weight gain that is more or less than recommended and that is associated with complications such as preterm birth, large birth weight, and admission to intensive care, finds a review of data from 1.6 million women published by The BMJ today. These findings reinforce the need for international standards for healthy GWG alongside lifestyle support and public health measures to improve outcomes for mothers and babies worldwide, say lead researchers Helene Teede and Rebecca Godstein. Gaining too much or too ...

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Science20 Nov 2025

Two thirds of women gain too much or too little weight in pregnancy: Global study

Key points Higher and lower than recommended gestational weight gain is associated with increased pregnancy complications Support is needed to improve health for women across the globe Findings may help inform global standards for healthy weight gain in pregnancy Around two-thirds of pregnancies have weight gain that is more or less than recommended and is associated with complications such as preterm birth, large birth weight, and admission to intensive care. The findings are part of a Monash University-led systematic review of data from 1.6 million women, published by The BMJ. Gaining too much or too little weight during pregnancy, known as gestational ...

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Science20 Nov 2025

National Women’s Soccer League launches Hands-Only CPR effort, led by player Savy King

DALLAS, Nov. 19, 2025 — National Women’s Soccer League and Angel City FC defender Savy King are teaming up with the American Heart Association on a groundbreaking league-wide initiative to equip all NWSL 16 teams with the lifesaving skills of Hands-Only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automatic external defibrillator (AED) education. The initiative aims to empower players, staff and coaches with the knowledge and confidence to act in a cardiac emergency. The initiative was announced tonight at the NWSL Awards ceremonies in San Jose, California and broadcast on ...

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Science19 Nov 2025

Center for Open Science awarded grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to preserve and safeguard publicly funded scientific data

Media Contact: pr@cos.io The Center for Open Science (COS) has been awarded a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to develop a community-driven strategic plan for ensuring the long-term preservation, accessibility, and usability of federally-funded scientific data. COS has long championed policies and practices that increase the openness, integrity, and trustworthiness of research. The success of the open science movement relies on the integrity, sustainability, and resilience of infrastructures that promote access to research outputs, like scientific data. In 2025, the sudden removal of public data from multiple federal agency ...

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Science19 Nov 2025

Teens who play video games with gambling-like elements more likely to start real betting, study suggests

Young people who play video games with “gambling-like” elements – such as buying loot boxes or in-game items – are more likely to go on to gamble with real money. That’s the suggestion of a new longitudinal study of gambling behaviour and attitudes in young people. A team of experts from Belgian institutions KU Leuven and the University of Ghent quizzed more than 2,000 young gamers twice, with a year gap in-between. In follow-up surveys, it was shown those who engage in games with gambling-like elements were more likely to then gamble with real money than those who did not. The research team, who publish their findings ...

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Science19 Nov 2025

Use of head CT scans in ERs more than doubles over 15 years

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2025 MINNEAPOLIS — A new study shows large increases in the use of computed tomography (CT) scans of the head in emergency departments across the United States from 2007 to 2022. The study, which was published on November 19, 2025, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, also found disparities in use of head CTs by race, type of insurance and hospital location. “Head CT scans are a critical tool for diagnosing neurological emergencies, but their growing use raises concerns about cost, ...

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Science19 Nov 2025

Bandage-like device brings texture to touchscreens

Northwestern University engineers have developed the first haptic device that achieves “human resolution,” meaning it accurately matches the sensing abilities of the human fingertip. Called VoxeLite, the ultra-thin, lightweight, flexible, wearable device recreates touch sensations with the same clarity, detail and speed that skin naturally detects. Similar to a bandage, the device gently wraps around a fingertip to give digital touch the same realism people now expect from today’s screens ...

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Science19 Nov 2025

New clues to why some women experience recurrent miscarriage

Researchers at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, University of Sydney, and the Royal Hospital for Women have uncovered important new insights into the biology of recurrent miscarriage - a devastating condition that affects up to one in fifty couples trying to conceive. The Australian study, led by Dr Hartmut Cuny and Professor Sally Dunwoodie, explored whether differences in how the body processes vitamin B3 (niacin) and NAD, a vital molecule for cell health, might help explain why some pregnancies end in miscarriage. Analysing blood, plasma, and urine samples from 88 women with and without a history of recurrent miscarriage (two or more consecutive losses), the team found ...

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Science19 Nov 2025

Trends in prevalence of adverse childhood experiences among children

About The Study: This cross-sectional study reveals an encouraging positive shift in the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among U.S. children during the study period of 2016 to 2023. The upward trends in the proportion of individuals reporting 0 ACEs suggest a growing societal recognition of the importance of healthy and nurturing environments for children. Conversely, the decrease in the prevalence of 4 or more ACEs highlights a reduction in severe ACEs, particularly among other racial and ethnic groups and those from low-income families. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding ...

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Science19 Nov 2025

Study questions water safety beliefs

PULLMAN, Wash. – A Washington State University-led study in Guatemala found the sources of drinking water people believe to be safe and clean often contain potentially dangerous bacteria. Focusing on the Western Highlands region of Guatemala, researchers examined how community perceptions of water safety compared with actual water quality. While residents overwhelmingly believed bottled water sold in large refillable jugs to be the safest option for drinking, researchers found that of 11 water sources tested it was the most frequently contaminated with coliform bacteria – an indicator of fecal contamination. ...

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Science19 Nov 2025

Australia’s middle-aged are the engine room of the nation but many risk burnout: Report

Middle-aged Australians are keeping the country running - but it’s taking a hefty toll on their wellbeing, a new report shows. ‘A Balancing Act: Life, work and connection in the middle years’, the latest report by the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, finds Australians aged 35 to 55 are facing mounting pressures as they balance work, family and financial demands, with life satisfaction dipping to its lowest point in midlife. Report lead and co-author Dr Daniel Kiely from the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, said while people ...

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Science19 Nov 2025

Why top firms paradoxically fire good workers

Why do the world’s most prestigious firms—such as McKinsey, Goldman Sachs and other elite consulting giants, investment banks, and law practices—hire the brightest talents, train them intensively, and then, after a few years, send many of them packing? A recent study in the American Economic Review concludes that so-called adverse selection is not a flaw but rather a sign that the system is working precisely as intended. Two financial economists, from the University of Rochester and the University of Wisconsin–Madison respectively, created a model that explains how reputation, information, ...

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Science19 Nov 2025

Wiley expands spectral libraries with major updates to IR, Raman, and LC-MS collections

Wiley, a global leader in authoritative content and research intelligence, today announced the release of additional data to its IR, Raman, LC-MS, and SmartSpectra libraries, significantly broadening compound coverage. The expansion brings Wiley's spectral database offerings to over 9.5 million high-quality spectra, delivering researchers enhanced capabilities for faster, more confident compound identification. "These updates deliver what researchers need ...

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