The study, published in The Journal of Cleaner Production, describes the new ‘pressurised spinning’ innovation and its potential to create cellulose materials more cheaply and cleanly than some current manufacturing methods, using a waste product from the dairy farming industry, cow dung, as the raw material. The advance is the first time that manufacturing-grade cellulose has been derived from animal waste and is a prime example of circular economy, which aims to minimise waste and pollution by reusing and repurposing resources wherever possible. The ...

CLEVELAND, Ohio (May 7, 2025)—Many women struggle to find resources to help manage their menopause symptoms. For women living with a serious mental illness, the need for additional support and education during the menopause transition is even greater. A new scoping review confirmed the paucity of research on this topic and suggested a need for more psychoeducation programs. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society. Serious mental illnesses are a group of mental health conditions often characterized by their chronicity and severity of symptoms that lead to significant functional impairment. ...

A research team led by Professor Yong-Young Noh and Dr. Youjin Reo from the Department of Chemical Engineering at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) has developed a groundbreaking technology poised to revolutionize next-generation displays and electronic devices. The project was a collaborative effort with Professors Ao Liu and Huihui Zhu from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), and the findings were published in Nature Electronics on April 28th.   Every time we stream videos or play games on our smartphones, thousands of transistors operate tirelessly ...

When our planet and the incoming sunlight align just right, stunning phenomena such as rainbows and halos can occur. More often, sunlight - or shortwave radiation - interacts with Earth in subtle but curious ways.   A new perspective study, published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, lays out how shortwave radiation research has led to improved fundamental understanding of Earth. The study also shares exciting prospects for how such advances can continue into the future. Scientific insights derived from shortwave ...

Eating a healthy diet as a child is linked to girls having their first menstrual period at an older age than those who consumed a less healthy diet, according to a new study published today (Wednesday) in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals. The findings remained unaltered by the girls’ body mass index (BMI) or height, both of which have been associated with the earlier onset of periods. The study has implications for health in later life as it is well known that women who started their periods at an early age may be at higher risk for diabetes, ...

In the urban parks of Barcelona, Spain, the calls of a tropical parrot fill the air. The bright green monk parakeet, native to South America, has found a new home in European cities. Monk parakeets thrive in huge colonies where they communicate with each other using many distinct sounds—offering scientists a unique window into understanding the interplay of individual social relationships with vocal variety. For social animals, communication is a key that unlocks the benefits of group living. It’s well known that animals with more complex social lives tend to have more intricate ...

Tyrannosaurus rex evolved in North America, but its direct ancestor came from Asia, crossing a land bridge connecting the continents more than 70 million years ago, according to a new study led by UCL researchers. The study, published in Royal Society Open Science, also found that the rapid growth in size of tyrannosaurids (the group that included the T. rex) as well as a closely related group called megaraptors coincided with a cooling of the global climate following a peak in temperatures 92 million years ago. This suggests T. rex and its cousins might have been better suited to cooler climates than other dinosaur groups at the time, perhaps due to having feathers or a more warm-blooded ...

Since the dawn of philosophy, thinkers from Plato to Kant have considered how beauty affects human experience, and whether it has the power to transform our state of mind. Now, a new study from the University of Cambridge suggests that stopping to contemplate the beauty of artistic objects in a gallery or museum boosts our ability to think in abstract ways and consider the “bigger picture” when it comes to our lives. Researchers say the findings offer empirical evidence that engaging with artistic beauty helps us escape the “mental trappings of daily life,” such as current anxieties and to-do lists, and induce “psychological distancing”: ...

New research challenges traditional views and myths in psychology, such as the long-held belief that parenting is the biggest influence on adult personalities. A comprehensive review of current psychology has revealed that many long-held beliefs about mental health and the function of the brain need significant revision. Renowned psychologist Michael W. Eysenck pulls apart some of these commonly-held beliefs in a new book, Rethinking Psychology: Finding Meaning in Misconceptions. Popular psychological myths debunked One of the myths held under ...

Termites — infamous for their ability to destroy wood — are rarely welcomed into rainforests that have been painstakingly replanted. But a new paper suggests that termite transplants may be necessary to help regenerating forests to thrive.  Published May 6 in the Journal of Applied Ecology and led by scientists from Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, the study found that termites are not thriving in replanted rainforests in Australia. Because decomposers like termites are essential for recycling nutrients and carbon, the researchers worry that the insect’s slow recovery could hinder the growth and health of the ...

A new study from McGill University researchers suggests the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to rapidly analyze vast amounts of biodiversity data could revolutionize conservation efforts by enabling scientists and policymakers to make better-informed decisions.  A collaboration between a computer scientist, an ecologist and an international team of researchers, the review published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity examines the seven “global biodiversity knowledge shortfalls,” ...

A new discovery about the slime ejected by velvet worms could revolutionize sustainable material design, according to a study by McGill University researchers. Their findings outline how a naturally occurring protein structure, conserved across species from Australia, Singapore and Barbados over nearly 400 million years of evolution, enables the slime’s transformation from liquid to fibre and back again. It’s a discovery that could inspire next-generation recyclable bioplastics. "Nature has already figured out a way to make materials ...

A new study from McGill University is reshaping how scientists date dinosaur fossils in Alberta’s Dinosaur Provincial Park (DPP). Using advanced drone-assisted 3D mapping, researchers have uncovered significant variations in a key geological marker, challenging long-standing methods of determining the ages of dinosaur fossils. The researchers say their findings, published in Palaeontologia Electronica, could lead to more accurate reconstructions of ancient ecosystems, helping us better understand Earth's history and how past biodiversity changes inform present and future life. “We’ve ...

A new study, “Inter-Species Interactions in Dual, Fibrous Gels Enable Control of Gel Structure and Rheology” published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), uncovers how fine-tuning the interactions between two distinct network-forming species within a soft gel enables programmable control over its structure and mechanical properties. The findings reveal a powerful framework for engineering next-generation soft materials with customizable behaviors, inspired by the complexity of biological tissues. The study uses simulations to investigate how varying the strength and geometry of interactions between two colloidal species impacts network formation and ...

McGill University researchers, in collaboration with Mexican scientists, have discovered two previously unknown species of crocodiles, one living on the island of Cozumel and the other on the atoll of Banco Chinchorro, both off the Yucatán Peninsula. The findings challenge long-held assumptions about the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) and highlight the urgent need for conservation efforts, the researchers say. "Biodiversity is disappearing faster than we can discover what we’re losing," said Biology Professor Hans Larsson, the principal investigator. ...

An international study co-authored by McGill psychologist Caroline Palmer suggests our brains and bodies don’t just understand music, they physically resonate with it. These discoveries, based on findings in neuroscience, music, and psychology, support Neural Resonance Theory (NRT).  NRT maintains that rather than relying on learned expectations or prediction, musical experiences arise from the brain’s natural oscillations that sync with rhythm, melody and harmony. This resonance shapes our sense of timing, musical ...

A team of McGill University researchers has developed a cost-effective, high-throughput technology for detecting nanoplastics and microplastics in the environment. These particles are pervasive, posing health and environmental risks, yet detecting them at the nanoscale has been difficult. The 3D-printed HoLDI-MS test platform overcomes the limitations of traditional mass spectrometry by enabling direct analysis of samples without requiring complex sample preparation. The researchers say it also will work for detection of waterborne plastic particles. HoLDI-MS stands for hollow-laser ...

Stem cell scientists from around the world will gather in Montréal, Canada, from 8–11 July 2026 for the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2026 Annual Meeting. This global event will unite experts who are leading progress in stem cell research and regenerative medicine. The meeting will center around five key scientific themes curated by the 2026 Annual Meeting Program Committee: Clinical Applications Chairs: Catherine Priest, USA and Stuart Forbes, UK Capturing Development Chairs: Kat Hadjantonakis, USA and Dasaradhi Palakodeti, ...

Customers often prefer companies aligned with their values, but it has been less clear how they react to firms taking a stance on a polarizing topic. A new study published in Strategic Management Journal explores how individuals respond to firms' communications around a polarizing political issue: whether firms take an apolitical stance, say nothing, or choose an ideological stance. The findings highlight how firm and communication characteristics influence the ways in which individuals' opinions of the firm are affected by management’s political activism, and how individuals may prefer firms to stay neutral. The research team — Tommaso ...

The number and sophistication of cyberattacks has increased significantly in recent years. According to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, economic losses from cybercrime in the US exceeded $4 billion in 2020 and skyrocketed to $16 billion in 2024. Beyond their monetary impacts, cyberattacks can cause significant harm. “A significant number of cyberattacks are on critical infrastructure, like smart electrical grids or water meters,” said Himanshu Thapliyal, an ...

The substances behind the slimy strings from okra and the gel from fenugreek seeds could trap microplastics better than a commonly used synthetic polymer. Previously, researchers proposed using these sticky natural polymers to clean up water. Now, they report in ACS Omega that okra and/or fenugreek extracts attracted and removed up to 90% of microplastics in ocean water, freshwater and groundwater. Rajani Srinivasan and colleagues have been exploring nontoxic, plant-based approaches to attract ...

More frequent hot weather and droughts have dealt a significant blow to crop yields, especially for key grains like wheat, barley, and maize, according to a Stanford study published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The analysis finds that warming and air dryness – a key factor in crop stress – have surged in nearly every major agricultural region, with some areas experiencing growing seasons hotter than nearly any season 50 years ago. The study also pointed to two important ways that models have missed the mark ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The hospitality industry can leverage the gender characteristics of service robots to influence customers’ decisions, according to new research from a team in the Penn State School of Hospitality Management. Service robots with characteristics typically associated with males may be more persuasive when interacting with women who have a low sense of power, according to the researchers. The team also found that “cute” features in the design of robots — such as big eyes and raised cheeks — may reduce the effect of portrayed robot gender on persuasiveness, as male and female ...

Electronic devices rely on materials whose electrical properties change with temperature, making them less stable in extreme conditions. A discovery by McGill University researchers that challenges conventional wisdom in physics suggests that bismuth, a metal, could serve as the foundation for highly stable electronic components. The researchers observed a mysterious electrical effect in ultra-thin bismuth that remains unchanged across a wide temperature range, from near absolute zero (-273°C) to room temperature. “If we can harness this, it could become important for green electronics,” said Guillaume ...

Drywood termites, the ones that hide in wooden structures, molt about seven times in their lives. UC Riverside researchers have found a chemical preventing them from growing new exoskeletons will also end their infestation of your home. The chemical, bistrifluron, and its ability to kill about 95 percent of a termite colony without off-target effects on mammals, are documented in a paper published in the Journal of Economic Entomology. “This chemical is more environmentally friendly than ones traditionally used for drywood termite infestations,” said Nicholas Poulos, corresponding author of the paper and a doctoral student in UCR’s Department of Entomology. ...