Crystals have repeatedly been found at archaeological sites alongside Homo remains. Evidence shows hominins have been collecting these stones for as long as 780,000 years. Yet, we know that our ancestors did not use them as weapons, tools, or even jewelry. So why did they collect them at all? Now, in a new Frontiers in Psychology study, scientists in Spain investigated which characteristics of crystals may have made them so fascinating to our ancestors. They designed experiments with chimpanzees – one of the two great ape species most closely related to modern humans – to identify the physical properties ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (March 4, 2026)—Despite the increased incidence of endometrial cancer in younger women, there is limited research regarding the safety of local, low-dose vaginal estrogen therapy (ET) for survivors. A new study suggests that this form of estrogen is not only effective in relieving numerous menopause symptoms but also does not seem to increase a woman’s risk of cancer recurrence. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society. Until recently, all forms of hormone therapy, including ...

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects more than one billion people worldwide and is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. For decades, researchers have observed that premenopausal women are less likely to develop high blood pressure than men or postmenopausal women. Researchers have known for years that estrogen is the deciding factor, but exactly how it offers this protection has remained unclear.   New research from the University of Waterloo helps answer ...

As the global push for renewable energy accelerates, capturing the full spectrum of solar energy remains a significant challenge. Photovoltaic (PV) cells convert light into electricity most efficiently at low temperatures, while photothermal (PT) and thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems require high temperatures to function. Balancing these opposing thermal requirements in a single system has long hindered the development of hybrid solar harvesters.   In a study published in the journal ENGINEERING Energy, a research team from the State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization at Zhejiang University has proposed a ...

As time unfolds, new chapters emerge. In January 2026, Frontiers in Energy will officially be renamed ENGINEERING Energy. As a member of the Engineering journal family published by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the journal embarks on a new chapter in academic communication in the energy field with a renewed identity. With the inaugural issue under its new title, we take this opportunity to reflect briefly on our journey, express our gratitude to our colleagues, and look ahead together toward the ...

As the global transition to renewable energy intensifies, the search for high-performance batteries and efficient electrocatalysts has become a critical race against time. Traditionally, discovering these materials required years of "trial-and-error" laboratory experiments. Now, a comprehensive review published in the journal ENGINEERING Energy by researchers from Tongji University reveals how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally shifting this paradigm. The study, led by Professor Menghao Yang’s team at the Institute of New Energy for Vehicles, Tongji University, provides a systematic roadmap of ...

A University of the Sunshine Coast study of young teenagers has identified a vicious cycle of loneliness linked to the fear of embarrassment or judgement by peers. The study of more than 170 children aged 13 to 15 found that those staying under the radar socially to avoid judgement reported greater loneliness, as well as lower trust, connection and participation in friendships. “It explored why some teens feel lonely even when surrounded by their peers, and identified the key pattern of social avoidance,” said ...

The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) launched the MOH–NUS Postgraduate Fellowship in Biomedical Ethics, a postgraduate programme to advance the understanding and translation of the practice of ethics in healthcare settings, and to equip healthcare professionals and leaders with the frameworks and tools to address real-world ethical challenges in everyday healthcare practice. The first awardee of the Fellowship is Ms Kwek Shi Qi, a registered nurse at the National University Hospital (NUH), and alumna of the Alice Lee Centre for ...

Sungkyunkwan University (President: Jibeom Yoo) announced that a joint research team led by Professors Han-Ki Kim and Bo Ram Lee from the School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering has developed a next-generation transparent electrode technology that completely eliminates the use of the rare metal indium, while maintaining high performance and significantly extending device lifetime. Perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs), which have recently attracted considerable attention as a key technology for next-generation ...

Quantum computers work by applying quantum operations, such as quantum gates, to delicate quantum states. Ideally, quantum computers can solve complex equations at staggeringly fast speeds that vastly outpace regular computers. In real hardware, the operations of quantum computers often deviate from the ideal behavior because of device imperfections and unwanted noise from the environment. To build reliable quantum machines, researchers need a way to accurately determine what a quantum device is actually doing. Quantum process tomography (QPT) ...

In a dry riverbed in Brazil, in a dense forest near the Amazon, a team of paleontologists found a fossilized jawbone from an ancient animal. Over the course of their fieldwork, they found eight similar bones, each around six inches long—but no other bones that they could confidently use to complete a skeleton for one of these mystery animals. However, the jawbones alone were enough to reveal that they belonged to a species that would have been a “living fossil” for its time, 275 million years ago when it lived. What’s more, the jawbones were oddly twisted, with some ...

Jackdaw chicks learn about predators by listening to adults, new research shows. Scientists played recordings of predator calls to chicks in their nests – and paired the sounds with either adult jackdaw “alarm” calls or “contact” calls that indicate no danger. Chicks that heard predator sounds paired with alarm calls learned to fear the predator – becoming more vigilant on hearing that sound again – while chicks that heard contact calls did not. The study, by researchers at the University ...

The year-long algal bloom along the South Australian coastline has not only devastated marine life and triggered health risks for humans and pets: it has also had a significant psychological impact on local residents, according to new research. An Adelaide University survey of more than 600 South Australians during the peak of the 2025 bloom found high levels of ‘eco-anxiety’ – distress linked to environmental damage – with many participants reporting persistent worry, sadness and feelings of helplessness. The findings have recently been published in the Journal of Environmental ...

A research team led by Prof. Seunguk Song from the Department of Energy Science at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), in collaboration with the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), the University of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, has published a comprehensive technical roadmap for two-dimensional (2D) Indium Selenides (InSe)—a key material for next-generation low-power and quantum computing. The study, titled “Indium selenides for next-generation electronics and optoelectronics,” was recently published in Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering, the ...

A new Cochrane review has found that sucrose can help with pain relief in newborn babies during common hospital procedures, such as venepuncture. This involves drawing blood with a needle, typically for testing. Newborns, especially preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), undergo numerous painful procedures. Because of their immature pain regulation, they can experience these procedures intensely. Preventing and treating procedural pain in hospitalised newborns is important, as repeated untreated pain has been associated with poorer physical ...

Pollen exposure is linked to poorer exam results taken at the end of secondary (high) school (matriculation), with the effects especially noticeable in subjects involving maths, including physics and chemistry, finds research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.   Recognition is needed of the adverse effects of fluctuations in pollen levels on academic performance and the potential impact on a student’s future prospects, conclude the researchers.   Allergic rhinitis, caused by an allergic reaction to ...

Sleeping for 7 hours and 18 minutes every night may be the sweet spot for warding off the risk of insulin resistance—the precursor to type 2 diabetes—suggests a large observational study published in the open access journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.   But weekend catch-up sleep is associated with a heightened risk of impaired glucose metabolism in those who sleep beyond the optimal threshold every night, the findings indicate.   Previously published research shows that sleep duration is strongly associated with the risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, and ...

Around 6 deaths a year are linked to clubbing in the UK, finds a 15 year retrospective study published online in Emergency Medicine Journal.   Physical assault, including stabbings and head trauma, or too much ecstasy (MDMA) are the primary causes, the findings indicate.   UK nightclubs attract close to 100 million visitors every year and boast a revenue of just under £1 billion. Risky behaviours while clubbing are common, but current evidence on deaths associated with nightclubs is limited to small case series or isolated critical incidents, with no national data, ...

The Covid pandemic disrupted children’s ability to self-regulate - according to new research from the University of East Anglia. A new study reveals that the pandemic hampered children’s ability to regulate their behaviour, stay focused and adapt to new situations - skills known collectively as executive functions. The greatest impact was seen among pupils who were in reception when the first lockdowns began - a crucial stage when youngsters normally learn to socialise, follow routines and navigate the busy world of the classroom. These children showed less growth in their self-regulatory and cognitive flexibility scores ...

Embargoed copy of the research paper available on request Scientists have analysed more than 40 years of astronomical data to uncover evidence that the Sun’s internal structure subtly changes from one solar cycle minimum to the next. Publishing their findings today (London - 00.01hrs on 4 March) in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, researchers from the University of Birmingham and Yale University reveal that even small differences in solar magnetic activity produce detectable changes inside the Sun. Every 11 years, the Sun goes through a cycle of magnetic activity and is at its calmest during ‘solar ...

According to the model, among all vegetation types, urban trees make the greatest contribution to offsetting carbon dioxide emissions in cities. On some summer days, their absorption can cover the emissions from Munich's urban traffic and even exceed them at times. Because soil respiration exceeds photosynthesis, grassy areas release more carbon dioxide than they bind and are therefore considered a source of CO₂ on an annual basis. Jia Chen, professor of environmental sensing and modeling, and her doctoral student Junwei Li conducted biospheric field measurements in urban parks from April 2024 to February 2025, to validate their model results. Trees as CO₂ sinks, grasslands ...

Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego has received a $15 million grant from the Fund for Science and Technology (FFST). This support will expand observational capabilities into parts of the ocean where data has historically been sparse or nonexistent. The resulting insights will help scientists understand how the ocean is changing and what those changes mean for the planet. “Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is pushing boundaries for exploration and discovery across the global ...

OKLAHOMA CITY – For the millions of people living with lupus – a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage the kidneys, brain and other vital organs – treatment options remain limited and often come with serious side effects. A $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will allow a University of Oklahoma researcher to continue investigating a protein that may help explain why the disease develops and how it might be treated more precisely. Carol Webb, Ph.D., a professor at the OU College of Medicine, has spent her career studying the protein ARID3a. Her research has shown that people with lupus ...

A new study published in Biochar presents a practical and regulation-compliant design for producing biochar on farms that could dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture while permanently removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Agriculture contributes around 12 percent of the United Kingdom’s total greenhouse gas emissions, with manure management alone responsible for nearly 10 percent of the sector’s emissions. At the same time, large volumes of crop residues such as straw are often underutilized, creating missed opportunities for climate mitigation. Researchers from the University ...

A new scientific review reveals how residues from traditional Chinese medicine production can be transformed into high performance biochar materials capable of removing toxic pollutants from water and soil. The work highlights a promising pathway to convert large volumes of herbal waste into valuable environmental solutions. As the traditional Chinese medicine industry continues to expand, so does the generation of herbal residues. These materials are typically discarded through landfilling, stacking, or incineration, creating environmental burdens and wasting potentially useful resources. At the same ...