Science
press releases.

Science18 Nov 2025

Leak-proof gasket with functionalized boron nitride nanoflakes enhances performance and durability

A research team in South Korea has developed a novel gasket technology that enhances both the safety and efficiency of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and water electrolyzers (PEMWEs, AEMWEs)—core devices for hydrogen production and utilization—by simultaneously improving mechanical strength and gas-tight sealing. Dr. Keun-Hwan Oh and his colleagues at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) have successfully applied functionalized two-dimensional boron nitride nanoflakes (BNNFs) to silicone and ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM)-based sealing gaskets. The newly developed nanocomposite gasket demonstrates excellent ...

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Science18 Nov 2025

Unearthing the City of Seven Ravines

The remains of an extensive Bronze Age settlement on the Kazakh Steppe that was likely once a major regional hub for large-scale bronze production more than 3,500 years ago, have been revealed by an international team of archaeologists co-led by researchers from UCL. Published in Antiquity Project Gallery and co-led by Durham University and Kazakhstan’s Toraighyrov University, the paper presents the first detailed archaeological survey of Semiyarka—a vast, 140-hectare planned settlement and the ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Scientists document rise in temperature-related deaths in the US

Researchers led by investigators at Mass General Brigham have discovered that over the last 25 years, heat and cold-related deaths have caused more than 69,000 deaths in the U.S., disproportionately affecting certain populations. The findings are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. “Prior research, many of which was ecological, modeling or forecasting in nature, has examined heat- and cold-related deaths separately, but this study provides a real, observed nationwide and contemporary assessment of deaths related to non-optimal temperatures at both ends of the spectrum and across key demographic subgroups,” ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Chemical evidence of ancient life detected in 3.3 billion-year-old rocks: Carnegie Science / PNAS

Pairing cutting-edge chemistry with artificial intelligence, a multidisciplinary team of scientists today published fresh chemical evidence of Earth’s earliest life – concealed in 3.3-billion-year-old rocks – and molecular evidence that oxygen-producing photosynthesis was occurring over 800 million years earlier than previously documented. In a groundbreaking study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists from the Carnegie Institution for Science and several partner universities and institutions analyzed over 400 samples, including ancient sediments, fossils, modern plants and animals, and even meteorites, to see ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

The woman and the goose: a 12,000-year-old glimpse into prehistoric belief

A 12,000-year-old clay figurine unearthed in northern Israel, depicting a woman and a goose, is the earliest known human-animal interaction figurine. Found at the Late Natufian site of Nahal Ein Gev II, the piece predates the Neolithic and signals a turning point in artistic and spiritual expression. Combining naturalism, light manipulation, and symbolic imagination, it reveals how early communities used art to explore the relationship between humans and the natural world. Link to pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nwEejOk2uaRGxAQN3yGCTMxhroZg6f0Z?usp=sharing At ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Ancient chemical clues reveal Earth’s earliest life 3.3 billion years ago

A new study uncovered fresh chemical evidence of life in rocks more than 3.3 billion years old, along with molecular traces showing that oxygen-producing photosynthesis emerged nearly a billion years earlier than previously thought. The international team, led by researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science, paired cutting-edge chemistry with artificial intelligence to reveal faint chemical “whispers” of biology locked inside ancient rocks. Using machine learning, the researchers trained computers to recognize subtle molecular fingerprints left behind by living organisms, even when the original biomolecules have long since degraded. Among the collaborators ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Small changes in turnout could substantially alter election results in the future, study warns

Small changes in turnout could substantially alter election results in the future because the UK now has a multiparty system with majoritarian voting rules, a new study warns. Last year’s General Election, which saw a marked increase in the number of candidates and a fragmented vote, will have an impact on the mandate of the Labour government, an expert has said. The research shows how the 2024 election tested the boundaries of the first-past-the-post system and the result means the UK has an uncertain electorate with diverse preferences. While the result led to a stable government there is plenty of instability. The study, by Dr Hannah Bunting, from the University ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Arkansas research awarded for determining cardinal temps for eight cover crops

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Knowing what temperatures that a plant can withstand is a hallmark of botanical science, but those temperatures had not been well documented for many cover crops. Grown in periods of the year when the cash crop is absent, cover crops are planted for erosion control, as well as weed suppression and to improve soil structure, moisture retention and nutrient cycling. They also provide habitat for beneficial insects and can serve as forage for farm animals. Without knowledge of the cover crops’ base, optimal and maximum temperature ranges —known as cardinal temperatures — agricultural ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

How people identify scents and perceive their pleasantness

In a new JNeurosci paper, Masako Okamoto and colleagues, from the University of Tokyo, explored the brain activity involved in smelling odors. The researchers recorded brain activity as study volunteers inhaled a panel of odors. The volunteers also completed questionnaires as well as tests for odor detection, identification, and discrimination. A distinct frequency of brain activity arising soon after odor presentation was linked to detecting odors. Notably, the quality of this activity was associated with the ability to discriminate ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Evidence builds for disrupted mitochondria as cause of Parkinson’s

SAN FRANCISCO—November 17, 2025—For decades, scientists have known that mitochondria, which produce energy inside our cells, malfunction in Parkinson’s disease. But a critical question remained: do the failing mitochondria cause Parkinson’s, or do they become damaged when brain cells die during the course of disease? Many studies have sought to answer this question over the years. Yet, progress has been slow—in large part due to the limitations of animal models used to research this highly complex disease. Now, a team of scientists ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Parasitic ant tricks workers into killing their queen, then takes the throne

Scientists document a new form of host manipulation where an invading, parasitic ant queen “tricks” ant workers into killing their queen mother. The invading ant integrates herself into the nest by pretending to be a member of the colony, then sprays the host queen with fluid that causes her daughters to turn against her. The parasitic queen then usurps the throne, having the workers serve her instead as the new queen regent. This work appears in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on November 17. “At first, I wanted the title of this study to exemplify a fable where a daughter is tricked to kill their mother. I asked CHATGPT ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Reducing arsenic in drinking water cuts risk of death, even after years of chronic exposure

A new 20-year study of nearly 11,000 adults in Bangladesh found that lowering arsenic levels in drinking water was associated with up to a 50 percent lower risk of death from heart disease, cancer and other chronic illnesses, compared with continued exposure. Published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study provides the first long-term, individual-level evidence that reducing arsenic exposure may lower mortality, even among people exposed to the toxic contaminant for years. The landmark analysis, led by researchers at Columbia University and New York University, is important for public health because ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Lower arsenic in drinking water reduces death risk, even after years of chronic exposure

A new 20-year study of nearly 11,000 adults in Bangladesh found that lowering arsenic levels in drinking water was associated with up to a 50 percent lower risk of death from heart disease, cancer and other chronic illnesses, compared with continued exposure. The study highlights the importance of ensuring access to arsenic-free drinking water and provides the first long-term, individual-level evidence that reducing arsenic exposure may lower mortality, even among people exposed to the toxic contaminant for years. The findings ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Parasitic matricide, ants chemically compel host workers to kill their own queen

Fukuoka, Japan—In the ruthless world of parasitic ants, taking over a host colony is a matter of life and death. The conventional understanding has been that an invading queen must physically fight and kill the resident queen to seize control. However, a new study published in Current Biology details a more sinister strategy: a parasitic ant queen that chemically manipulates the host colony’s workers into executing their own mother. “The initial discovery was made by my friend Taku Shimada, the first author of the paper, who has been passionate about ants since childhood and runs a popular blog called ‘AntRoom.’ He observed the colony infiltration ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Racial and ethnic disparities in cesarean birth trends in the United States

About The Study: In this cohort study of births in the United States from 2012 to 2021, the rate of overall cesarean births decreased slightly over the study period. However, racial and ethnic disparities persisted, with increasing risk of primary cesarean births among non-Hispanic Black individuals compared with individuals from other racial and ethnic groups. Quality improvement efforts to reduce unnecessary cesarean births should address this inequity and the structural racism that drives it. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Marie J. Boller, MD, email boller@ohsu.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Light-intensity-dependent transformation of mesoscopic molecular assemblies

Constructing out-of-equilibrium molecular assemblies that deviate from thermodynamic equilibrium is a central challenge in materials science. While numerous studies have reported the creation of such states using external energy sources such as chemical fuels or light, few systems can adaptively access different states depending on how much energy is input. Developing such systems could offer new design principles for advanced functional materials capable of flexibly adapting to environmental changes, much like biological systems. In a recent study published online in Chem on November 17, 2025, researchers in Japan reported a supramolecular polymer system that can produce out-of-equilibrium ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

SwRI expands capabilities in large-scale heat exchanger testing

SAN ANTONIO — November 17, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has significantly expanded its heat exchanger performance evaluation capabilities with a new facility designed to industry standards, the Large-Scale Heat Exchanger Test Facility (LS-HXTF) that supports testing up to five megawatts of heat loads as well as a wider range of thermal performance testing. Heat exchangers efficiently transfer heat between two or more fluids without mixing for a wide variety of heating and cooling applications. The ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Study reveals potential and beauty of the world unseen

A University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka-led study has produced a detailed blueprint of a bacteriophage, furthering their potential in the fight against drug-resistant bacteria. Lead author Dr James Hodgkinson-Bean, who completed his PhD in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, says bacteriophages are “extremely exciting” in the scientific world as researchers search for antibiotic alternatives to combat the increasing risk of antimicrobial resistance. “Bacteriophage viruses are non-harmful to all multi-cellular life and able to ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

How early morning practices affect college athletes’ sleep

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A study using more than 27,000 sleep records of collegiate athletes provides the best evidence to date that early morning team practices take a toll on healthy sleep. Researchers at The Ohio State University used data from wearable sleep trackers to measure sleep for 359 varsity athletes over five years. They found that when male athletes had team practices that began before 8 a.m., they averaged about 30 minutes less sleep the night before when compared to later morning workouts. Female athletes averaged about 20 minutes less sleep. Findings also showed evidence that ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

World COPD Day: November 19, 2025

World COPD Day: Short of Breath, Think COPD Appropriate diagnosis of COPD can have a very significant public health impact. For Immediate Release In support of World COPD Day on November 19, the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), is drawing attention to the importance of correctly diagnosing COPD earlier - with the theme ‘Short of Breath, Think COPD’. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable condition marked by breathlessness, chronic sputum ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Study shows people support higher taxes after understanding benefits of public goods

Research overview A research team led by Associate Professor Tomoko Matsumoto from the Institute of Arts and Sciences at Tokyo University of Science, Japan, along with Associate Professor Daiki Kishishita and Associate Professor Atsushi Yamagishi, both from Hitotsubashi University, Japan, has demonstrated that providing people with information about the universal benefits of public goods significantly increases support for higher taxation. This finding reveals a new mechanism that could contribute to reducing inequality by expanding government size while maintaining tax progressivity. The ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Researchers develop first-ever common language for cannabis, hemp aromas

Researchers have taken a significant step toward creating a standardized language for describing the aromas of cannabis and hemp. “Aroma plays a key role in how consumers judge cannabis quality, yet until now there’s been no standardized language to describe it,” said Tom Shellhammer, professor of food science and technology at Oregon State University. “This research lays the groundwork for a shared vocabulary that benefits consumers, retailers and growers.” The study, recently published in PLOS ...

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Science17 Nov 2025

Researchers link extreme heat and work disability among older, marginalized workers

With an increasing intensity and severity of heat waves in the U.S., Rutgers Health researchers, in collaboration with the City University of New York (CUNY), found that older workers, particularly Black, Latino and low-income individuals, face an increased risk of work disability because of exposure to extreme heat. Their study, published in the journal Generations, explores how heat-sensitive occupations contribute to health-related work limitations among adults aged 50 and older. Using nationally representative data, the researchers found that workers ...

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Science16 Nov 2025

The simulated Milky Way: 100 billion stars using 7 million CPU cores

Researchers led by Keiya Hirashima at the RIKEN Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS) in Japan, with colleagues from The University of Tokyo and Universitat de Barcelona in Spain, have successfully performed the world’s first Milky Way simulation that accurately represents more than 100 billion individual stars over the course of 10 thousand years. This feat was accomplished by combining artificial intelligence (AI) with numerical simulations. Not only does the simulation represent 100 times more individual stars than previous state-of-the-art models, but ...

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Science15 Nov 2025

New genetic test targets elusive cause of rare movement disorder

Scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School have developed a targeted genetic test to improve diagnosis for X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP), a rare and disabling movement disorder that affects primarily men of Filipino ancestry. The work will be presented at the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) 2025 Annual Meeting & Expo, taking place Nov. 11–15 in Boston. XDP causes symptoms like those of Parkinson’s disease, such as muscle spasms, tremors and abnormal postures and movements. It usually first presents in the face, jaw or neck. As it progresses, speech, walking and independent ...

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