MD
77 news posts
Life sciences
19 May 2026
DNA floating in seawater is now enough to let scientists monitor the health of America’s dolphin populations
Scientists shows that simply sampling seawater can reveal health of dolphin populations, in a first for conservation
Featured news
06 May 2026
Space junk falls to Earth faster when sunspots peak, and this can help prevent collisions with satellites
Scientists have shown for the first time that solar activity can predict the rate at which space junk and satellites descend from orbit
Featured news
30 Apr 2026
Seals get their hearts racing to detox after foraging trips at sea
Fur seals back on land speed up their heart to clear waste products and replenish oxygen stores
Featured news
22 Apr 2026
Preschool children born with heart defects have greater risk of developing behavioral problems
Cognitively stimulating home can protect against higher risk of ADHD and peer relationship problems in preschoolers with congenital heart disease
Space sciences and astronomy
31 Mar 2026
Legged robot could accelerate resource prospecting on the Moon and the search for life on Mars
What if future planetary robots did not have to wait for instructions from Earth before examining every rock?
Life sciences
24 Mar 2026
Use of controversial weedkiller inadvertently selects for drug-resistant bacteria that can spread to hospitals
Agricultural soils exposed to glyphosate may be unexpected breeding ground for hospital ‘superbugs’
Life sciences
18 Mar 2026
Scientists discover ‘consortium' of bacteria cooperating to eat phthalate plasticizers that single microbes can’t stomach
‘Microbial cross-feeding’ and previously unknown enzymes help community of bacteria to digest toxic phthalate esters
Featured news
03 Mar 2026
Modern twist on wildfire management methods found also to have a bonus feature that protects water supplies
Thinning to slow wildfires simultaneously boosts ‘hydrological resilience’ of forests
Health
26 Feb 2026
Middle-aged men are most vulnerable to faster aging due to ‘forever chemicals’
Aging effect of specific PFAS is found to be greatest in men between 50 and 65
Health
18 Feb 2026
Brainwaves of mothers and children synchronize when playing together – even in an acquired language
Neural synchrony between mothers and children doesn’t require native language proficiency
Health
09 Feb 2026
Brief, intensive exercise helps patients with panic disorder more than standard care
A key technique of cognitive behavioral therapy for panic disorder is interoceptive exposure, where patients learn to tolerate the physical effects of panic attacks through repeated simulated exposure. Now, scientists have shown in a randomized controlled trial that brief intermittent intensive exercise is more effective at reducing the severity of panic disorder than relaxation therapy.
Life sciences
26 Jan 2026
To reach net-zero, reverse current policy and protect largest trees in Amazon, urge scientists
Current regulations in the Peruvian Amazon prioritize large trees for timber harvesting. But a new study has now shown that most carbon is stored in trees with a diameter at breast height of at least 41cm, depending on species. The authors concluded that a review of forest policy is essential to protect these trees if progress towards net-zero emissions is to be made.
Health
19 Jan 2026
Decades of suffering: Long-term mental health outcomes of Kurdish chemical gas attacks
Researchers found exceptionally high levels of trauma among survivors of a notorious atrocity: the 1988 chemical attack on Halabja in Kurdistan.
Life sciences
11 Dec 2025
Pandemic ‘beneath the surface’ has been quietly wiping out sea urchins around the world
Canary Islands as the ‘missing link’ in a global sea urchin killer pandemic
Featured news
02 Dec 2025
Dynamic duo of bacteria could change Mars dust into versatile building material for first human colonists
In this guest editorial, Dr Shiva Khoshtinat and co-authors present a bold approach for construction on Mars, harnessing microbial partnerships to transform Martian regolith into structural materials