Science

Deep within the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, scientists discovered a fungus with an extraordinary ability that could offer new clues in the fight against plastic pollution. Known as Pestalotiopsis microspora, the fungus can break down polyester polyurethane, a widely used type of plastic, and use it as a source of carbon. Even more remarkably, laboratory research…

As climate change drives temperatures higher, farmers are facing a growing challenge: protecting crops from extreme heat without reducing the sunlight they need to grow. Conventional shade nets can lower temperatures, but they also block visible light, limiting photosynthesis and potentially affecting yields. Researchers and engineers in Japan believe they have found a better solution….

Traditional solar panels have transformed renewable energy, but they come with one major limitation, they are rigid, heavy and designed to sit on flat surfaces such as rooftops or solar farms. That makes them difficult to install on curved buildings, lightweight structures or unconventional designs. Researchers in the United States are now working on a…

For much of the year, the Black Sea appears exactly as its name suggests, a broad, dark body of water stretching between Europe and Asia. Yet every spring and early summer, parts of the sea take on a very different appearance. Vast swirls of pale blue and turquoise begin to spread across the surface, creating…

Quote of the day by Neil deGrasse Tyson (AI-generated image) A student who cheats is usually judged entirely on the act itself, without much thought given to what actually pushed them there. Neil deGrasse Tyson, the astrophysicist, pointed the question in a different direction. “When students cheat on exams it’s because our school system values…

Buzz Aldrin used nothing but a felt-tip pen to fix a broken switch and rocket Apollo 11 home from the Moon An ordinary felt-tip pen that helped save two astronauts from being stranded on the Moon has been sold at auction for $857,600.During the historic Apollo 11 mission in July 1969, Buzz Aldrin used the…

This Lost City carbonate tower was imaged during the National Science Foundation-supported project Return to the Lost City 2018. (Picture source: NOAA) Scientists have uncovered new evidence that helps answer one of the biggest questions about the mysterious Lost City hydrothermal field, a unique underwater ecosystem deep in the Atlantic Ocean. By drilling more than…

The biological landscape is no longer just limited to the earthly realms, it has travelled far and wide into space. In a one-of-a-kind biological manufacturing operation, researchers managed to cultivate organs in space using technologies that are now being tested for scalability. Mission for biomanufacturing The mission was conducted in June 2026 and concluded with…

For decades, the coelacanth existed in scientific literature as a creature of the distant past. Fossils showed that members of this ancient fish lineage had lived alongside dinosaurs and vanished from the fossil record around 66 million years ago. The assumption seemed straightforward: they were gone.Then, in December 1938, a fishing trawler operating off the…

Air filters trap biological particles along with ordinary dust and pollution, allowing laboratory sequencing to reveal environmental DNA Every breath you take carries an invisible record of the living world, and scientists have discovered a way to read it using ordinary air filters.By studying the tiny particles trapped inside standard air-quality monitoring equipment, researchers can…

When eyeing a predator, horses keep a poker face as their hearts race Horses have a hidden poker face when they face danger, hiding severe internal stress from their handlers even as their hearts beat at extremely high speeds.A study from The Ohio State University found that horses can instantly recognise a predator just by…

Eucalyptus trees have become highly invasive in regions with similar climates to their native Australia, including California, South Africa, India. Scientists have compared the same invasive plant species in Europe and North America and found that they became 91% more productive after spreading to new habitats. The increase was seen only in the plants’ non-native…