Life speaks one universal language to activate genes: It speaks many more to silence them

Life speaks one universal language to activate genes. It speaks many more to silence them
From top left clockwise: Spizellomyces punctatus, Acanthamoeba castellanii, Naegleria gruberi and Tetrahymena thermophila. Credit: Sean Montgomery/Centro de Regulación Genómica

The signals that cells use to switch genes on have remained almost unchanged across 2 billion years of evolution, but the ones used to switch genes off vary dramatically from one branch of life to another, according to a new study from the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona.

South Korea records its highest-ever temperature of 42.5 C

KMA data show the average annual number of heatwave days in the country has more than doubled to 19 over the past five years, from eight in the 1970s
KMA data show the average annual number of heatwave days in the country has more than doubled to 19 over the past five years, from eight in the 1970s.

South Korea registered its highest temperature since records began more than a century ago on Sunday, as authorities warned people to "immediately" stop all outdoor activities in affected areas.

August's total solar eclipse will sweep over Spain, Iceland and Greenland

August’s total solar eclipse will sweep over Spain, Iceland and Greenland
This image provided by NASA and captured by the Artemis II crew from lunar orbit, April 6, 2026, shows the Moon eclipsing the Sun. Credit: NASA via AP, File

For the first time in more than a century, a total solar eclipse is coming to mainland Spain with an even longer encore next summer.

Scientists twist crystal layers and reshape matter from within

Researchers have developed a way to make twisted oxide materials over much larger areas while maintaining precise control over how their layers are rotated. The advance could help move twistronics closer to practical electronic devices by giving scientists greater control over both the scale and internal structure of these materials.

What this western Pennsylvania '90s Pizza Hut reveals about nostalgia

red checkered table cloth pizza
Credit: Sergio Arreola from Pexels

A Pizza Hut in southwest Pennsylvania was recently highlighted for preserving its retro 1990s appearance, even as hundreds of other locations have closed across the United States.

Deadly blooms offer a genetic blueprint for making hard-to-synthesize medicinal compounds

Two deadly flowers have big medical potential
A larkspur specimen in bloom at Beal Botanical Garden. Known for their toxicity, injurious plants such as larkspur and wolfsbane have been leveraged by humans for millennia for their medicinal potential. Credit: Paul Henderson

Two plants that cause neurotoxicity and paralysis in the tiniest doses are also known to counter pain, malaria, cancer and pests. For the first time, researchers discovered a way to recreate these powerful compounds in the lab, helping lead the way to improved, naturally sourced therapeutics.

Scientists left water inside a battery and nearly doubled its power

Sodium ion batteries could offer a more sustainable way to store large amounts of energy, and new research suggests they may eventually serve another valuable purpose: helping remove salt from seawater.

Strengthening El Nino 'adding fuel to a planet already on fire': UN chief

A person cools off with water from an open fire hydrant during a heat wave on the West Side of Chicago
A person cools off with water from an open fire hydrant during a heat wave on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois; Human-caused climate change can amplify El Nino's associated effects because a warmer ocean and atmosphere increase the availability of energy and moisture for extreme weather events.

A strengthening El Niño that could shatter all-time records is "adding fuel to a planet already on fire" and pushing the world into "uncharted territory," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Friday.

Experts say blood pressure guidelines are missing half the equation

A new report suggests that high blood pressure may be managed more effectively by combining two dietary changes: consuming less sodium and getting more potassium.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects more than 1.28 billion adults around the world. It is also a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Current public health recommendations generally emphasize reducing sodium as the primary dietary step for lowering blood pressure and protecting heart health.

Where to watch the next total solar eclipse anywhere in the world | New Scientist

When might you next see an eclipse?

Hector Vivas/Getty Images

On 12 August, a total solar eclipse will sweep a narrow path across parts of Europe and the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Such an eclipse happens somewhere on Earth about once every 18 months as the moon and the sun line up just right so that the moon blocks out the entirety of the sun’s disc, darkening the sky and revealing the outermost layers of the sun that are usually hidden by the glare of its brighter surface.