A team of researchers has developed innovative methods to enhance frequency conversion of terahertz (THz) waves in graphene-based structures, unlocking new potential for faster, more efficient technologies in wireless communication and signal processing.

Experiments have yielded a fascinating new type of matter, neither granular nor crystalline, that responds to some stresses as a fluid would and to others like a solid. The new material, known as PAM (for polycatenated architected materials) could have uses in areas ranging from helmets and other protective gear to biomedical devices and robotics.

Following two months of record heat and precipitation in fall 2022, an estimated 7,500 lakes in West Greenland turned brown, began emitting carbon and decreased in water quality in less than a year. The spike in temperatures caused the precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow. The heat also caused permafrost to thaw, releasing an abundance of carbon, iron, magnesium and other elements that the rain washed into the lakes. Researchers found a decrease in phytoplankton that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis within the lakes, and an increase in plankton that break down and release carbon. Instead of sequestering carbon dioxide in the summer, the lakes have become a source of it, with a 350% increase in the flux of this greenhouse gas from them.

Marine scientists highlights the complex interplay between heat stress, disease onset and coral mortality. They found that 66 percent of the colonies were bleached by February 2024 and 80 per cent by April. By July, 44 percent of the bleached colonies had died, with some coral genera, such as Acropora, experiencing a staggering 95 percent mortality rate.

Seeds of two species of Plantago have been identified as producing mucilage that can be used as a natural additive to make gluten-free bread dough more elastic, resulting in fluffier loaves.

A new study provides compelling new evidence that a colossal ‘megaflood’ refilled the Mediterranean Sea, ending a period during which the Med was a vast expanse of salt flats. The study suggests the Zanclean Megaflood ended the Messinian Salinity Crisis, which lasted between 5.97 and 5.33 million years ago.

Transition metals have long been used as catalysts to activate small molecules and turn them into valuable products. However, as these metals can be expensive and less abundant, scientists are increasingly looking at more common elements as alternatives. In a recent study, researchers used a concept called ‘frustrated Lewis pairs’ to develop a transition metal-free catalyst for activating hydrogen. This breakthrough could lead to more sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient chemical processes.

Two major theories of aging both involve DNA, but in very different ways. Researchers have revealed that these theories may not be so different after all.

A clinical trial demonstrates the effectiveness of telephone-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in reducing fatigue’s interference with functioning and improving the quality of life for survivors of metastatic breast cancer. The ACT intervention helped study participants to fall asleep with greater ease. Fatigue remains a significant challenge for these survivors, affecting up to 63 percent of patients and severely impacting daily functioning.

If you’ve ever tossed a generous pinch of salt into your pasta pan’s water for flavor or as an attempt to make it boil faster, you’ve likely ended up with a whitish ring of deposits inside the pan. A group of scientists, inspired by this observation during an evening of board games and pasta dinner, wondered what it would take to create the most beautiful salt ring inside the pasta pan they report their findings about what causes these peculiar salt particle cloud deposits to form.