Stretchy plastics conduct electricity via tiny, whisker-like fibers

• A stretchy, conductive type of plastic could help power the next generation of implantable biomedical devices, like longer-lasting pacemakers or glucose monitors, according to En

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 127 words

Trauma follows children into the classroom-a new teaching model is changing that

• Traumatic experiences can have ripple effects that permeate across many aspects of people’s lives. • For students, adverse childhood experiences have been shown to impact attenti

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 125 words

Quantum computers go high-dimensional with a four-state photon gate

• The collaboration of TU Wien with research groups in China has resulted in a crucial building block for a new kind of quantum computer: The realization of a novel type of quantum

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 156 words

Students run 'bee hotels' across Canada-DNA reveals who's checking in

• Can students be on the front lines of conservation? • A new Canada-wide study, published in Metabarcoding and Metagenomics, suggests they can. • The efforts of some 5,000 student

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 151 words

Seabird conservation starts upstream, scientists say

• New research from Monash University, in collaboration with Phillip Island Nature Parks, has found conclusive evidence that rivers are vital drivers of food and habitat for seabir

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 191 words

The optical engineering required to photograph an Earth twin

• More and more papers are coming out about the upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). • As the telescope moves from theory to practice (and physical manifestation), various

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 138 words

250 million-year-old amphibian fossils from Australia reveal global spread of 'sea-salamanders'

• The Kimberley region in the northwest corner of Western Australia is full of rugged ranges and gorges, and long stretches of red soil and rocky ground. • The dry seasons are long

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 140 words
Less sugar as a baby, fewer heart attacks as an adult

Less sugar as a baby, fewer heart attacks as an adult

• Less sugar as a baby, fewer heart attacks as an adult Less sugar in the first 1,000 days of life may mean a stronger, longer-lasting heart decades down the road. • Limiting sugar

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 25, 2026) · 2 min · 408 words

How the echolocation of bats has shaped their skulls

• Bats are some of the most highly specialized mammals to have ever evolved. • This includes not only the evolution of active flight, but also their echolocation. • This ability re

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 154 words

Building beneath the sea-ecology and architecture unite for corals

• Just like a human newborn, coral larvae need just the right environment to settle and begin their new life. • Understanding the ideal surface geometry for coral settlement and ea

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 142 words

Ant queen frozen in time: New ant species found in Dominican amber

• Gianpiero Fiorentino and his colleagues, published in the Journal of Paleontology, describes the identification of a new species of ant, Hypoponera electrocacica, belonging to th

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 140 words

Ultra-efficient optical sensors can keep light circulating longer inside a microscopic chip

• CU Boulder researchers have built high-performing optical microresonators, opening the door for new sensor technologies. • At its simplest form, a microresonator is a tiny device

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 142 words

Missing geomagnetic reversals: Earth's past may be incomplete

• Several studies have predicted that not all geomagnetic reversals have been discovered, but it was unknown in which periods they might be hidden. • Researchers led by the Nationa

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 162 words

AI imaginary friends no substitute for human connection

• Loneliness and isolation now classified as major public health threats worldwide. • Governments are turning to technology to address these growing social challenges. • Monash Uni

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 155 words

Why laws named after tragedies win public support

• When lawmakers name bills after victims of tragedy-such as Megan’s Law or the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993-public support surges, but this emotional boost may co

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 142 words

Evidence links polyploidy and senescence in bladder cells, with implications for cancer

• UConn Center on Aging researchers have published a new editorial in the journal Aging titled ‘Polyploidy-induced senescence: Linking development, differentiation, repair, and (po

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 161 words
Scientists create universal nasal spray vaccine that protects against COVID, flu, and pneumonia

Scientists create universal nasal spray vaccine that protects against COVID, flu, and pneumonia

• Scientists create universal nasal spray vaccine that protects against COVID, flu, and pneumonia A single nasal spray vaccine may one day shield us from viruses, pneumonia, and ev

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 25, 2026) · 2 min · 348 words

Large dogs release two to four times more airborne microbes than humans

• Unseen but all around us, the air we breathe in enclosed spaces is crucial to our health and well-being. • Indoor air is not simply outdoor air that has been run through a filter

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 192 words

Warming Antarctic waters come with a cost for the 'robust' rockcod

• About 10 million years ago, Antarctica’s Southern Ocean started to get so cold that it scared away most fish in the region. • Among the fish that stayed were what are now known a

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 165 words

Can childhood obesity limit the American dream? Study links it to lifelong mobility penalties

• While the national conversation around childhood obesity often focuses on rising health care costs, new research co-authored by Ball State University economist Dr. • Maoyong Fan

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 152 words

Cleaner hulls, safer seas? How eDNA checks could spot invasive species early

• Antarctic scientists have trialed a DNA ‘barcoding’ technique that could improve biosecurity measures that help protect polar ecosystems from invasive marine species. • The resea

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 133 words

What banana-scented kombu means for probiotic foods and seaweed-based drinks

• Kombu (Saccharina japonica) is a brown seaweed extensively cultivated and consumed in Japan, Korea and China. • Despite its nutritional value, its strong fishy and grassy odor ca

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 168 words

Quantum algorithm beats classical tools on complement sampling tasks

• Quantum computers-devices that process information using quantum mechanical effects-have long been expected to outperform classical systems on certain tasks. • Over the past few

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 133 words

Good fungus may one day help save plants from bad fungus like deadly myrtle rust disease

• What do coffee, sugar, wheat, soy, eucalypts and paperbarks all have in common?

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 120 words

Shining a light on the secret life of carbon dioxide in cells

• Carbon dioxide (CO₂) connects us to the natural world: What we breathe out becomes fuel for forests. • But inside our own bodies, CO₂ has a secret life. • It sparks chemical reac

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 152 words
Music is not a universal language - but it can bring us together when words fail

Music is not a universal language - but it can bring us together when words fail

• Thank you for visiting nature.com. • You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. • To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 23, 2026) · 1 min · 206 words

Germany's coastal regions brace for change, fearing rising sea levels

• Standing on the coast and looking out to sea, you cannot detect the changes with the naked eye. • But in northern Germany, sea levels are rising, as is the risk of flooding for t

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 23, 2026) · 1 min · 131 words

Germany's coastal regions brace for change, fearing rising sea levels

• Standing on the coast and looking out to sea, you cannot detect the changes with the naked eye. • But in northern Germany, sea levels are rising, as is the risk of flooding for t

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 131 words
Babies exposed to far more 'forever chemicals' before birth than scientists knew

Babies exposed to far more 'forever chemicals' before birth than scientists knew

• Babies exposed to far more â forever chemicalsâ before birth than scientists knew Before they are even born, babies may already carry a surprising mix of â forever chemicals.â B

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 25, 2026) · 2 min · 375 words

Study uncovers how schools circumvent suspension bans

• New research emerging from SFUSD’s Shoestrings program reveals informal exclusionary discipline is a widespread problem-but there are solutions. • When San Francisco Unified Scho

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 23, 2026) · 1 min · 168 words

Study uncovers how schools circumvent suspension bans

• New research emerging from SFUSD’s Shoestrings program reveals informal exclusionary discipline is a widespread problem-but there are solutions. • When San Francisco Unified Scho

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 168 words

Artificial rivers and lakes can help keep freshwater mussel populations afloat

• Researchers at Murdoch University have found that artificial waterbodies could play a crucial role in slowing the decline of Carter’s freshwater mussel (Westralunio carteri), a v

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 132 words

Artificial rivers and lakes can help keep freshwater mussel populations afloat

• Researchers at Murdoch University have found that artificial waterbodies could play a crucial role in slowing the decline of Carter’s freshwater mussel (Westralunio carteri), a v

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 23, 2026) · 1 min · 132 words

New evidence shows indoor plants can quietly reshape the health and quality of our homes and workplaces

• Houseplants and more advanced plant systems, such as indoor living walls and hydroponic towers, have the potential to raise indoor humidity, boost thermal comfort and help create

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 23, 2026) · 1 min · 148 words

New evidence shows indoor plants can quietly reshape the health and quality of our homes and workplaces

• Houseplants and more advanced plant systems, such as indoor living walls and hydroponic towers, have the potential to raise indoor humidity, boost thermal comfort and help create

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 148 words

Earth's mantle may have been cooler than thought before Pangea's breakup

• When the supercontinent Pangea began to fragment around 200 million years ago during the Early Jurassic, it reshaped the face of the planet. • Vast new oceans opened, continents

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 23, 2026) · 1 min · 188 words

Earth's mantle may have been cooler than thought before Pangea's breakup

• When the supercontinent Pangea began to fragment around 200 million years ago during the Early Jurassic, it reshaped the face of the planet. • Vast new oceans opened, continents

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 188 words
Simple blood test can forecast Alzheimer's years before memory loss

Simple blood test can forecast Alzheimer's years before memory loss

• Simple blood test can forecast Alzheimerâ s years before memory loss A single blood test may soon predict when Alzheimerâ s symptoms will begin â years before memory loss appears

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 23, 2026) · 1 min · 212 words
Simple blood test can forecast Alzheimer's years before memory loss

Simple blood test can forecast Alzheimer's years before memory loss

• Simple blood test can forecast Alzheimerâ s years before memory loss A single blood test may soon predict when Alzheimerâ s symptoms will begin â years before memory loss appears

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 212 words
AI Coach Improves Peer Review Tone

AI Coach Improves Peer Review Tone

AI coach provides constructive feedback, turning vague reviews into detailed, actionable suggestions. The tool reduces unprofessional tone, eliminating personal attacks and factual

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 23, 2026) · 1 min · 171 words
Howard University Becomes First HBCU R1 Research Institution

Howard University Becomes First HBCU R1 Research Institution

• Howard University earned R1 status, the highest Carnegie research classification, after spending $50M+ annually. • Only HBCU to achieve R1, opening doors to federal, state, and p

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 23, 2026) · 1 min · 184 words

Congo Basin Peatland Lakes Release Ancient Carbon

• ETH Zurich researchers find large blackwater lakes in Congo Basin peatlands emit ancient carbon. • Peatlands previously thought to store millennia‑old carbon safely for centuries

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 23, 2026) · 1 min · 165 words

Peatland lakes in Congo Basin release carbon that is thousands of years old

• Researchers at ETH Zurich have now discovered for the first time that large blackwater lakes in the extensive peatlands of the central Congo Basin are releasing ancient carbon. •

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 184 words
Why our brains tune things out and how to overcome it when you need to

Why our brains tune things out and how to overcome it when you need to

• Your brain has a neurological trick for drowning out chaosolaser/Getty Images Your brain has a neurological trick for drowning out chaos olaser/Getty Images Recently, I was scrol

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 25, 2026) · 2 min · 358 words
Why the outer solar system is filled with giant cosmic 'snowmen'

Why the outer solar system is filled with giant cosmic 'snowmen'

• Why the outer solar system is filled with giant cosmic â snowmenâ Cosmic snowmen beyond Neptune may be the natural result of gravity quietly at work. • For decades, astronomers

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 23, 2026) · 2 min · 243 words
Why the outer solar system is filled with giant cosmic 'snowmen'

Why the outer solar system is filled with giant cosmic 'snowmen'

• Why the outer solar system is filled with giant cosmic â snowmenâ Cosmic snowmen beyond Neptune may be the natural result of gravity quietly at work. • For decades, astronomers

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 2 min · 243 words
Cleaner wrasse show self awareness in stunning mirror experiments

Cleaner wrasse show self awareness in stunning mirror experiments

• Cleaner wrasse show self awareness in stunning mirror experiments These tiny reef fish may be far more self-aware than anyone imagined. • Scientists at Osaka Metropolitan Univers

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 25, 2026) · 2 min · 329 words
Young Mars volcano hides a powerful magma engine beneath the surface

Young Mars volcano hides a powerful magma engine beneath the surface

• Young Mars volcano hides a powerful magma engine beneath the surface Volcanic eruptions that look like single events are often the visible outcome of slow, complicated activity t

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 25, 2026) · 2 min · 339 words
A giant blade-crested spinosaurus, the 'hell heron,' discovered in the Sahara

A giant blade-crested spinosaurus, the 'hell heron,' discovered in the Sahara

• A giant blade-crested spinosaurus, the â hell heron,â discovered in the Sahara A blade-crested â hell heronâ dinosaur unearthed in the Sahara is rewriting the final chapter of sp

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 25, 2026) · 2 min · 324 words

Globe-trotting ancient 'sea-salamander' fossils rediscovered from Australia's dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs

• Around 250 million years ago, what is today scorching desert in remote northwestern Australia was the shore of a shallow bay bordering a vast prehistoric ocean. • Fossils recover

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 156 words

Study finds warming world increases days when weather is prone to fires around the globe

• The number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy-ideal to spark extreme wildfires-has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing e

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 125 words
Author Correction: BCL6 enables Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukaemia cells to survive BCR-ABL1 kinase inhibition

Author Correction: <i>BCL6</i> enables Ph<sup>+</sup> acute lymphoblastic leukaemia cells to survive <i>BCR-ABL1</i> kinase inhibition

• Subjects Acute lymphocytic leukaemia Cancer therapeutic resistance Drug therapy TheOriginal Articlewas published on 18 May 2011 Correction to:Naturehttps://doi.org/10.1038/nature

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 194 words

Stereospecific alkyl-alkyl cross-coupling of boronic esters

• Copper acetylide complex catalyzes stereospecific C(sp3)-C(sp3) coupling of boronic esters. • Reaction uses four‑coordinate boron ‘ate’ complexes, enabling stereocenter preservat

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 168 words
'Universal vaccine' protects mice against multiple pathogens

'Universal vaccine' protects mice against multiple pathogens

• Email Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X A macrophage - a ‘first responder’ cell in the innate immune system - in the process of engulfing aMycobacterium tuberculosisbac

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 2 min · 325 words
Science journalism on the ropes worldwide as US aid cuts bite

Science journalism on the ropes worldwide as US aid cuts bite

• Email Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X Environmental journalists at last year’s COP30 climate meeting in Belém, Brazil, interview the French ecology and biodiversity m

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 2 min · 343 words
Academia's parent trap: the struggles faced by researcher mothers

Academia's parent trap: the struggles faced by researcher mothers

• Adam Levy 00:00 Hello, I’m Adam Levy, and this is Off Limits: Academia’s Taboos, a podcast from Nature Careers. • In this episode: fertility and parenthood. • Academia can be inc

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 1 min · 181 words
Blood test holds promise for predicting when Alzheimer's symptoms will start

Blood test holds promise for predicting when Alzheimer's symptoms will start

• Email Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X Abnormal tau proteins can form tangled fibres that accumulate in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s (slice at left). • (Brain

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 2 min · 257 words
Daily briefing: Automated robot 'scientists' spark debate over the future of lab work

Daily briefing: Automated robot 'scientists' spark debate over the future of lab work

• Email Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X You have full access to this article via your institution. • HelloNaturereaders, would you like to get this Briefing in your inb

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 2 min · 279 words
'An AlphaFold 4' - scientists marvel at DeepMind drug spin-off's exclusive new AI

'An AlphaFold 4' - scientists marvel at DeepMind drug spin-off's exclusive new AI

• Email Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X The AI tool includes predictions of how proteins interact with potential therapeutic molecules.Credit: Isomorphic Labs Nearly tw

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 2 min · 331 words
Biotech investor set to lead US National Science Foundation

Biotech investor set to lead US National Science Foundation

• Email Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X Jim O’Neill, a biotechnology investor who has held other positions in government, will be appointed by US President Donald Trump

Science · February 23, 2026 (updated February 24, 2026) · 2 min · 325 words