ScienceDaily

Fresh evidence suggests early Earth wasn’t locked under a rigid stagnant lid but was already experiencing intense subduction. Ancient melt inclusions and advanced simulations point to continents forming far earlier than expected. The findings overturn long-held assumptions about the planet’s infancy and reveal a surprisingly active Hadean world.

A network of powerful ground-based telescopes captured rare starspot-crossing events on TOI-3884b, revealing cooler patches on the star’s surface and rapid changes tied to its rotation. By combining multicolor transit observations with months of high-cadence brightness monitoring, researchers nailed down the star’s rotation period with impressive precision. These measurements allowed them to map …

Penn State researchers created seven new high-entropy oxides by removing oxygen during synthesis, enabling metals that normally destabilize to form rock-salt ceramics. Machine learning helped identify promising compositions, and advanced imaging confirmed their stability. The method offers a flexible framework for creating materials once thought impossible to synthesize.

Researchers studying people with major psychiatric disorders found that drinking up to four cups of coffee a day is associated with longer telomeres. This suggests a potential slowing of biological aging by about five years. However, drinking five or more cups showed no benefit and may even contribute to cellular damage. Coffee’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties may help explain the e…

This year’s ozone hole over Antarctica ranked among the smallest since the early 1990s, reflecting steady progress from decades of global action under the Montreal Protocol. Declining chlorine levels and warmer stratospheric temperatures helped limit ozone destruction. Scientists say the layer remains on track to recover later this century.

A low-dose mix of zinc, serine, and branched-chain amino acids boosted neural function and social behavior in autism mouse models. The combination restored more typical synaptic protein patterns and reduced excessive amygdala activity. Individual supplements had no effect, showing that the nutrients must work together. The findings point toward a promising multi-nutrient strategy for influencing …

Experiments reveal that pond frogs can eat highly venomous hornets without suffering noticeable damage, even after repeated stings. Most frogs successfully consumed hornets, including the notorious Asian giant hornet. This unusual resilience suggests that frogs may have evolved mechanisms to block the effects of venom. Their resistance could help scientists uncover new insights into pain and toxi…

Scientists have captured a never-before-seen, high-resolution look at influenza’s stealthy invasion of human cells, revealing that the cells aren’t just helpless victims. Using a groundbreaking imaging technique, researchers discovered that our cells actually reach out and “grab” the virus as it searches for the perfect entry point, surfing along the membrane.

Researchers have discovered a new way to grow graphene that deliberately adds structural defects to enhance its usefulness in electronics, sensors, catalysts, and more. Using a specially shaped molecule called azupyrene, scientists can produce graphene films rich in beneficial 5–7 ring defects—imperfections that make the material more interactive, more magnetic, and more electronically versatile.

FROSTI is a new adaptive optics system that precisely corrects distortions in LIGO’s mirrors caused by extreme laser power. By using custom thermal patterns, it preserves mirror shape without introducing noise, allowing detectors to operate at higher sensitivities. This leap enables future observatories like Cosmic Explorer to see deeper into the cosmos. The technology lays the groundwork for vas…

Scientists have discovered a strange tubular structure inside Profftella, a symbiotic bacterium in the Asian citrus psyllid. These long, helical tubes, filled with ribosomes, show a complexity not typically found in bacteria. The discovery reshapes ideas about bacterial evolution and internal architecture. It may also help create targeted methods to control a major global citrus pest.

Ancient anaconda fossils show that the snakes became giants soon after emerging in Miocene South America. Their size has stayed stable for over 12 million years, even though other huge reptiles went extinct. Surprisingly, warmer periods didn’t make anacondas bigger—just more widespread. Today they remain large thanks to surviving patches of ideal wetland habitat.

Stanford researchers found that gas stoves expose Americans to surprisingly high levels of nitrogen dioxide—often matching or exceeding outdoor pollution. For millions, cooking alone pushes NO2 over long-term safety thresholds. Smaller homes, renters, and rural households face the highest concentrations. Cleaner cooking technologies could substantially reduce the risks.

A unique vaccine rollout in Wales gave researchers an accidental natural experiment that revealed a striking reduction in dementia among seniors who received the shingles vaccine. The protective effect held steady across multiple analyses and was even stronger in women. Evidence also suggests benefits for people who already have dementia, hinting at a therapeutic effect.

For thirty years, SOHO has watched the Sun from a stable perch in space, revealing the inner workings of our star and surviving crises that nearly ended the mission. Its long-term observations uncovered a single global plasma conveyor belt inside the Sun, detailed how solar brightness subtly shifts over the solar cycle, and turned SOHO into an unexpected comet-hunting champion with more than 5,00…