As the climate crisis becomes a part of daily life with unprecedented heat waves and cold snaps, technology to effectively remove greenhouse gases is emerging as a critical global challenge. In particular, catalytic technology that decomposes harmful gases using oxygen is a key element of eco-friendly purification. South Korean researchers have identified the principle that catalysts—which were previously vaguely thought to simply "use oxygen well"—can selectively utilize different oxygen sources depending on the reaction environment, presenting a new standard for catalyst design.

A novel type of three-dimensional (3D) polar topological structure, termed the "polar chiral bobber," has been discovered in ferroelectric oxide thin films, demonstrating promising potential for high-density multistate non-volatile memory and logic devices. The result was achieved by a collaborative research team from the Institute of Metal Research (IMR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, and other institutions. The findings were published in Advanced Materials on January 30.

Amino acids, the building blocks necessary for life, were previously found in samples of 4.6-billion-year-old rocks from an asteroid called Bennu, delivered to Earth in 2023 by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission. How those amino acids—the molecules that create proteins and peptides in DNA—formed in space was a mystery, but new research led by Penn State scientists shows they could have originated in an icy-cold, radioactive environment at the dawn of Earth's solar system.

Most materials have an inherent capacity to handle heat. Plastic, for instance, is typically a poor thermal conductor, whereas materials like marble move heat more efficiently. If you were to place one hand on a marble countertop and the other on a plastic cutting board, the marble would conduct more heat away from your hand, creating a colder sensation compared to the plastic.

Around the Balkan Peninsula, the African plate is sinking beneath the European plate. A piece of deeply submerged African crust resurfaced 40 million years ago far away from the sinking zone. How this phenomenon of so-called vertical extrusion can be explained and whether the Rhodope mountain range in southern Bulgaria was formed in this way is a matter of scientific debate. Dr. Iskander Muldashev and Professor Thorsten Nagel from the TU Bergakademie Freiberg have now shown how this process works in a recent publication in the journal Geology. The formation of the Rhodopes was only 40 million years ago—the mountain range is therefore 30–50 million years younger than previously assumed.

How did the complexity of many organisms living today evolve from the simpler body plans of their ancestors? This is a central question in biology. Take our hands, for example: Every time we type a message on our mobile phone, we are using an evolutionary "masterpiece" that evolved over millions of years. Notably, we typically grasp and manipulate objects with the palm of our hand—its ventral side. The back of our hand, or dorsal side, plays almost no role. This differentiation of our limbs, with a ventral side adapted for contact and a dorsal side protected by nails or toenails, is essential for life on land.

Scientists in the laboratory of Rendong Yang, Ph.D., associate professor of Urology, have developed a new large language model that can interpret transcriptomic data in cancer cell lines more accurately than conventional approaches, as detailed in a recent study published in Nature Communications.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday that bomb threats sent to Clark County offices included language demanding that Haitian immigrants leave Springfield, prompting a major law enforcement response and early school dismissals.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday praised President Donald Trump's role in advancing peace efforts and said he hopes the American leader will be awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, while emphasizing the importance...

An explosion was reported Monday at Miami International Airport after a vehicle caught fire inside a parking area near the departure levels, authorities said.