Natures

For decades, scientists have been exploring how exposing humans to nature—by planting trees along urban streets, visiting forests or even just growing houseplants—may improve physical and psychological health. Now researchers are also testing whether we can reap at least some of the same benefits from experiencing nature in virtual reality. This strange twist speaks to some recent, powerful findings on the health impacts of nature exposure. “We are seeing new research, really on a daily basis, coming out that is…

Researchers have elucidated the process by which an activated catalyst can break down the strong carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds of alkanes such as methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The study reveals the catalyst becomes active by a short flash of light, proceeding to break down the C-H bonds almost without any energy. Utilizing powerful X-ray light sources, SwissFEL and Swiss Light Source, the researchers followed the process from start to finish, witnessing the intricate exchange of electrons between the catalyst and the…

Photo of mouse renal tubules in vivo, immunostained for plasma membrane protein occludin (green). Many epithelial cells like the ones shown here have rugged boundaries described as interdigitated. It is proposed that interdigitation facilitates the transport of molecules and fluid between cell boundaries. Credit: Kyushu University/Miura LabThe Mathematics of Cell Boundary “Ruggedness”Researchers have uncovered both the mathematical and biological mechanism behind the rugged structures at cell boundaries found in tissues…

Information processing capacity of natural ecosystem give clues to how ecosystem dynamics are maintained. Credit: KyotoU/Jake TobiyamaKyoto University investigates the computational capabilities of ecological networks.Kyoto University researchers have demonstrated the computational power of natural ecosystems through ecological reservoir computing, suggesting a link between high biodiversity and high computational power, and potentially leading to novel computer types and insights into ecosystem dynamics.The exponential…

New ocean in making? Africa slowly splitting into two, scientists predict nature's rarest move | Photo: Reuters (Image for representation)As Africa splits into two pieces, scientists predict the beginning of the rarest natural phenomena. Researchers believe that in the distant future, the creation of a new ocean may result in the division of Africa into two pieces. The separation of two significant portions of the continent may eventually lead to the formation of a new body of water. In millions of years, landlocked…

The strong force is an enigma. Through gluons, it binds together quarks, one of the two basic building blocks of matter, into the protons and neutrons at the center of every atom. True to its name, it is the strongest of the four known fundamental forces, but it only exerts its might across subatomic distances. Despite its power and importance, the strong force is the hardest force to observe in action, and its behavior is nearly impossible to mathematically predict. Now a group of scientists at Brookhaven National…

Original microscopy data on different ligand patterns on DNA materials Credit: © Bastings/PBL EPFLEPFL researchers have found that controlling super-selective binding interactions between nanomaterials and protein surfaces requires not only adjusting the molecular density but also the pattern and structural rigidity.Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have discovered that controlling super-selective binding interactions between nanomaterials and protein surfaces not only depends on molecular…

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a revolutionary gene editing technology that allows scientists to make precise changes to the DNA of living organisms. Scientists are now using it to engineer the viruses that evolved to engineer bacteria.Researchers are utilizing the gene-editing technology CRISPR to modify the viruses that have evolved to engineer bacteria.CRISPR, the revolutionary gene-editing tool, is making waves in the scientific community once more with its potential to edit the…

When you think of nature’s most successful predator, you probably think of something big and fast, like a cheetah. But, when you really start breaking down the numbers, cheetahs only manage to successfully nab their prey 20 to 30 percent of the time, according to some reports. If you really want to find the most successful predator on Earth, you might have to squint. Dragonflies are often small, fast-moving creatures. And while they might be small, they are by no means prey. Instead, these creatures are some…

Caltech researchers developed a framework to design new materials that mimic the fundamental rules hidden in nature’s growth patterns. Credit: CaltechInspired by the way termites build their nests, scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) developed a framework to design new materials that mimic the fundamental rules hidden in nature’s growth patterns. The researchers demonstrated that by using these rules, it is possible to create materials designed with specific programmable properties.The research…