Chemists have made the biggest network structure of its kind, a giant hexagon made out of 90 fused aromatic rings. This is almost double the size of the previous record holder, a 54-ring structure reported in 2018. Fused aromatic networks (Fans) are a more chemically diverse alternative to perforated graphene. As the flat honeycomb structures […]

Computer models are the mainstay of modern science. They comprise the lion’s share of the explosion of scientific literature in the 21st Century. Analytic Solutions yield to Computer Models Before computer models, quantitative science was limited to the simplest systems, those that could be described by a few equations and for which the equations happened […]

It might seem that video would be a singularly influential medium for spreading information online. But a new experiment conducted by MIT researchers finds that video clips have only a modestly larger impact on political persuasion than the written word does. “Our conclusion is that watching video is not much more persuasive than reading text,” […]

Countries have been asked to set more ambitious emissions reduction targets by next year’s climate talks, after pledges made at Cop26 in Glasgow fell short of action needed to limit warming to 1.5°C by the end of the century. Many countries submitted plans for larger emissions cuts, but Climate Action Tracker, which provides an independent […]

During infection, HIV places copies of its genome into the DNA of cells, creating what is known as a viral reservoir. In this state, the virus effectively hides from anti-HIV drugs and the body’s immune response. In most people, new viral particles are constantly made from this reservoir. Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) can prevent the new […]

How are chemical elements produced in our Universe? Where do heavy elements like gold and uranium come from? Using computer simulations, a research team from the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, together with colleagues from Belgium and Japan, shows that the synthesis of heavy elements is typical for certain black holes with orbiting matter […]

After decades of uncertainty, researchers have confirmed the existence of lunar carbon dioxide cold traps that could potentially contain solid carbon dioxide. The discovery will likely have a major influence in shaping future lunar missions and could impact the feasibility of a sustained robot or human presence on the moon. In the permanently shadowed regions at the […]

A new study using genetically engineered mice and human cell and tissue samples has added to evidence that higher levels of inflammatory chemicals involved in fat metabolism occur in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the neuromuscular disorder, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The study, which focused on genetic pathways involved in how spinal […]

When a team of doctors, scientists and engineers at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the University of Cambridge placed an air filtration machine in COVID-19 wards, they found that it removed almost all traces of airborne SARS-CoV-2. Reducing airborne transmission of the coronavirus is extremely important for the safety of both patients and staff Vilas Navapurkar While […]

Oregon State University researchers have conducted the largest study of water births to date and found they were associated with better overall outcomes than non-water births. Water births had a lower risk of several maternal and neonatal outcomes, including postpartum hemorrhage and hospitalization soon after delivery, and no increase in neonatal death. The study, published in the […]