Firefly brightness holds a cautionary tale about accepting older measurements
For over a century, the accepted value for a firefly's brightness has mostly stood, tracing its origins to experiments carried out in 1912. Through rigorous new analysis published in the American Journal of Physics, David Silver of Remiza AI in New York has discovered that this value has likely been vastly overestimated. His results provide a stark reminder of what can happen when widely accepted older measurements are converted into modern standard units.
How the 'creeping normality' of large language models is quietly reshaping the life sciences
Large language models (LLMs) are gradually transforming research in the life sciences in ways that extend far beyond improving productivity, and they are becoming a new normal before scientists have agreed on the limits of their use.
Low-cost genome sequencing approach is powering genetics research on mental illness and many other studies
For researchers on the hunt for the genetic roots of disease, the cost of deep whole-genome sequencing makes it challenging to conduct large genetic studies involving thousands of participants, which are needed to reveal new genetic insights. So scientists at the Broad Institute came up with a clever approach, called the Blended Genome Exome (BGE), that lowers the cost of sequencing by 75% and is becoming one of the most commonly used sequencing methods at the Broad.
Gravitational waves reveal hidden populations within black hole mergers
Since gravitational waves were first detected in 2015, instruments including LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA have picked up a steady stream of signals from colliding black holes, building a catalog that now numbers in the hundreds. Yet despite this wealth of data, a fundamental question has remained stubbornly unresolved: How do these black holes actually form?
X-ray tracking reveals uneven expansion in young supernova remnant G292.0+1.8
By analyzing data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, Dutch astronomers have investigated a young, oxygen-rich supernova remnant known as G292.0+1.8. Results of the new study, published June 29 on the arXiv preprint server, yield important insights into the expansion of this remnant.
Collective agreements are least common where workers need them most
Workers earning the lowest wages are the least likely to be covered by collective agreements in Germany, despite being the group for whom these protections are arguably most important. In 2021, only 34% of workers in the lowest wage decile were covered by collective agreements, compared with more than 60% of workers in the middle of the wage distribution, according to findings of a new report by the ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin) and the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) in Nuremberg.
Dust in the wind: intense storms struck China, US in 2025, says UN
China and the southern United States were hit last year by some of their worst sand and dust storms in decades, the United Nations said Friday.
New 3D COF structure could help tune porous materials for batteries and cleanup
A research team synthesized and determined the structure of a borate-linked 3D crystalline covalent organic framework, TCTP-COF, via electron diffraction for the first time. These findings will help scientists determine the structure-property relationships for other 3D COFs and facilitate their tuning for advanced applications.
Researchers find simple solution for extending the lifespan of LEDs made from glowing quantum dots
A new study led by MIT researchers could drive the development of more energy-efficient digital displays—such as flat-screen TVs, augmented and virtual reality headsets, smartphone screens, medical imaging devices and even large-area ambient lighting surfaces—that also generate richer, brighter colors.
Ancient DNA challenges family assumptions in medieval Scandinavian graves
When archaeologists find adults and children buried together in medieval graves, it is often assumed that they were members of the same family. A new study from Stockholm University in Science Advances suggests otherwise.