Tag

Nature Communications

All articles tagged with #nature communications

science8 days ago•5 min saved

Earth’s Chemistry Teetered Before the Five Great Extinctions

A Nature Communications study finds Earth’s climate oscillated through five distinct regimes over 539 million years, with rapid transitions that heightened life’s vulnerability and align with the planet’s Big Five mass extinctions. By tracking ocean oxygen and carbon isotopes and creating a biosphere vulnerability index, researchers show that higher temperatures and regime boundaries correlate with increased extinction risk, though the index measures overall system fragility rather than predicting specific events. The work offers a historical warning that, while the current era (Cenozoic) appears relatively stable, rapid environmental change can amplify the impact of disasters and push the biosphere toward instability.

via ScienceAlert|

#biosphere-vulnerability #climate-regimes #isotopes

space1 month ago•105 min saved

First known binary-star pair where both stars exploded as supernovae

Astronomers analyzing 16+ years of multiwavelength data (including NASA’s Fermi gamma-ray observations) identify IC 443, the Jellyfish Nebula, and the nearby remnant G189.6+3.3 as a likely first binary-star supernova pair: two massive stars that exploded within the same interstellar cloud, about 30–50 light-years apart. IC 443 is estimated at 8,000–9,000 years old, while G189.6+3.3 is older (20,000–110,000 years). The odds of a random alignment are ~1 in 1,000, suggesting a genuine binary progenitor and providing insights into how massive binary stars evolve and end their lives.

via Space|

#binary-stars #g189633 #ic-443-jellyfish-nebula

technology1 month ago•8 min saved

Cyborg Cockroaches Dive In: Tiny Suit Could Aid Disaster Search and Rescue

Researchers from NTU Singapore and Waseda University developed a flexible diving suit that feeds oxygen to a cyborg cockroach, enabling underwater movement for up to three hours and allowing it to traverse tight spaces in flooded or rubble-filled disaster zones. The system leverages the insect’s own locomotion to reduce power needs, but it remains experimental and not yet ready for practical rescue use.

via Fox News|

#cyborg-cockroaches #disaster-response #nature-communications

health1 month ago•27 min saved

9/11 PTSD linked to signs of accelerated aging, study finds

A Stony Brook-led study of 393 World Trade Center responders (232 with PTSD) found widespread molecular changes in blood—114 proteins and seven metabolites—that affect brain function, immune activity, energy metabolism and tissue repair, with evidence of accelerated aging in organs like the heart, kidneys, liver and lungs. The findings support PTSD as a “whole-body” condition with long-term health implications and may help explain higher risks of chronic diseases, though the study shows associations rather than causation and has limitations (e.g., underrepresentation of women and a unique responder population). The research, funded by the CDC and NIH, was published in Nature Communications.

via New York Post|

#911 #aging #health

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Long-Lived Heliconius Butterflies Reveal Hidden Longevity Tricks

Some tropical Heliconius butterflies live up to 348 days, far longer than relatives, with pollen-rich diets contributing to longer lifespans but not fully explaining the longevity. The researchers found evidence of evolved anti-aging mechanisms in these butterflies, suggesting they could serve as model organisms for human aging research; even without pollen, several species remain long-lived. The study used a grip-strength test called The Pullinator to assess age-related decline, highlighting nutrition and intrinsic longevity adaptations across the genus.

via CNN|

#aging #heliconius #longevity

science2 months ago•11 min saved

Left-turning by Default: Humans Exhibit a Counterclockwise Walking Bias

Across studies in Spain and Japan, as well as with people walking alone, humans show a consistent counterclockwise bias when moving in open spaces, not explained by culture or handedness; stronger in children, suggesting a biomechanical or neural basis with possible public-space design implications.

via ZME Science|

#biomechanics #crowd-dynamics #human-behavior

science2 months ago•3 min saved

Humans show a universal anticlockwise walking bias, study finds

New experiments show people naturally drift counterclockwise when walking in crowds, a bias observed in Spain and Japan across genders and ages (more pronounced in children). The reason remains unclear, but understanding it could improve crowd and evacuation simulations and the design of everyday spaces.

via The Guardian|

#anticlockwise-walking #biomechanics #crowd-dynamics

publishing3 months ago•6 min saved

Tough Peer Feedback May Boost a Paper’s Future Impact

An AI-assisted analysis of public peer-review reports for 8,000 Nature Communications papers (2017–2024) finds that papers subjected to tougher criticism and larger revision costs tend to be more highly cited in the following three years. While the quality of reviewer comments correlates with impact, how constructive the feedback is does not, suggesting that rigorous review can both reflect ambitious work and help raise its future influence.

via Nature|

#ai #citations #nature-communications

science3 months ago•9 min saved

One Psilocybin Dose May Rewire the Brain for Weeks

A UCSF and Imperial College London study found that a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin increases brain entropy during the experience and is followed by lasting changes in brain connectivity for about a month, alongside reported boosts in psychological insight and well-being. The results suggest the psychedelic experience itself may drive durable mental health benefits and could inform optimized psilocybin-based therapies.

via SciTechDaily|

#brain-entropy #nature-communications #neural-connectivity

technology3 months ago•59 min saved

Centuries-Long, Non-Toxic Water Battery Aims to Transform Grid Storage

Chinese researchers report a non-toxic aqueous battery using covalent organic polymers as the anode with a neutral water-based electrolyte, achieving an estimated 120,000 charge cycles—about 300 years—before replacement. The electrolytes are safe enough to dispose of directly in the environment, addressing toxicity concerns of water-based batteries, though energy density remains lower than lithium-ion. The technology could be well suited for large-scale grid storage where safety and longevity are prioritized.

via Live Science|

#aqueous-battery #covalent-organic-polymers #grid-storage

science3 months ago•5 min saved

Triangular Aluminum Molecule Could Challenge Platinum in Catalysis

Researchers at King’s College London synthesized a novel Al3 triangular compound, cyclotrialumane, that remains intact in solution and reacts with ethylene at room temperature to form unprecedented aluminum–carbon rings, a reactivity once seen only in precious metals, signaling a potential path to replacing platinum-group catalysts—though the work is early-stage and lab-scale, published in Nature Communications.

via Indian Defence Review|

#aluminum #catalysis #cyclotrialumane

science4 months ago•7 min saved

Blood biomarker pTau217 flags Alzheimer's risk years before symptoms

A Mass General Brigham-led study shows a blood test measuring pTau217 can predict Alzheimer's risk years before symptoms appear, potentially enabling earlier, less invasive screening than PET scans; while promising, more research is needed to validate across diverse populations and translate these findings into clinical practice.

via Indian Defence Review|

#alzheimers #blood-biomarker #early-detection

space4 months ago•2 min saved

Curiosity Finds Ancient Organic Clues on Mars, Still No Evidence of Life

NASA's Curiosity rover detected organic molecules in a dried lakebed in Gale Crater on Mars, including benzothiophene and a nitrogen-bearing compound reminiscent of DNA precursors. While these are building blocks for life and suggest preserved chemistry from about 3.5 billion years ago, the findings do not prove life existed there and could result from meteorite delivery or geological processes. The discovery keeps Mars as a prime candidate for past habitability and sets the stage for deeper analysis by the upcoming Rosalind Franklin rover (2028), with the results published in Nature Communications.

via The Guardian|

#astrobiology #curiosity-rover #mars

science4 months ago•33 min saved

Curiosity uncovers organic clues in ancient Martian clay

NASA’s Curiosity rover analyzed clay minerals in Gale Crater’s Glen Torridon region and identified over 20 organic compounds, including a nitrogen-containing molecule resembling proto-DNA, suggesting ancient Martian environments could have supported life. While not proof of past life, the findings show large, complex organics can be preserved in the shallow subsurface and guide future missions (e.g., Rosalind Franklin, Dragonfly) in the search for life’s building blocks.

via Yahoo|

#curiosity-mars-rover #glen-torridon #mars-habitability

science5 months ago•4 min saved

Ancient North Sea asteroid sparked a colossal 100-meter tsunami

Researchers confirm that the Silverpit Crater beneath the North Sea was formed by a 160-meter-wide asteroid about 43–46 million years ago, triggering a tsunami over 100 meters tall and blasting a 1.5-km-high plume of rock and water. Using advanced seismic imaging and analyses of shocked minerals, the study resolves the crater’s origin as an asteroid impact and highlights the rare preservation of an oceanic impact site.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#asteroid-impact #nature-communications #science