Science

(Originally published by Knowable Magazine—Written by Bob Holmes) Everyone loves to watch hummingbirds—tiny, brightly colored blurs that dart about, hovering at flowers and pugnaciously defending their ownership of a feeder. But to the scientists who study them, hummingbirds offer much more than an entertaining spectacle. Their small size and blazing metabolism mean…

Mysterious radio bursts from outer space first discovered in 2007, last only a millisecond but can carry an enormous amount of energy—enough to briefly outshine entire galaxies. Since that first fast radio burst, or FRB, astronomers have detected thousands more, whose locations range from within our own galaxy to as far…

A new way of treating common inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema is on the horizon, according to a new study. American researchers discovered that a compound called SYM2081 inhibited certain cells that drive inflammation in mice and human skin samples. They say it paves the way for new treatments to…

It’s not an alignment, but the January sky will be lit up with the lights of our solar system neighbors. As the eight planets move about our star along the plane of the ecliptic, certain periods of certain years offer extra-special opportunities to see them shining bright. This January is one…

In the Canary Islands, in Barcelona, and in Chile, a unique fog catcher design is sustaining dry forests with water without emissions, or even infrastructure. Replicating how pine needles catch water, the structure need only be brought on-site and set up, without roads, powerlines, or irrigation channels. Fog catching is an…

Scientists investigating Alzheimer’s disease have made a key breakthrough, identifying a vital cellular mechanism driving the most common cause of dementia. The research from the City University of New York (CUNY) provides a promising target for drug therapies that could slow, and possibly reverse, the disease’s development. The study, published in…

A matrix of squid bone and cotton cellulose offers a low-cost, scalable solution to global microplastic poisoning according to a new study from China. Attempting to find a material that would address all common concerns with microplastic filtration, the scientists’ cotton-squid sponge displayed 99.9% efficacy and a “remarkable reusability.” Tested in…