Comment

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 14 hours ago

How airplanes discharge static electricity

An international team of scientists has observed radio wave emissions originating from a commercial airliner, most likely caused by the discharge of static electricity. The serendipitous observation of radio wave emissions from specific locations on the aircraft may be of interest to the aviation industry. 

In addition, this has already enabled the team to identify a source of error in their imaging techniques. The results were published on 26 November in the journal Nature Communications. 

Static electricity builds up through friction, for example, between your clothes and the fabric of your chair, but also in airplanes when they pass through frozen clouds. Airplanes are therefore fitted with electrostatic discharge wicks, which are designed to shed electrostatic charges in a way that does not cause dangerous sparks or interfere with the aircraft's communications. 

Interestingly, the discharges observed by the researchers, while the airplane was cruising at an altitude of 8 kilometers, were located around the two engines and at one spot on the tail, rather than at the electrostatic discharge wicks. The events near the tail were measured with an accuracy of about 50 cm. 

The observation was made using the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope, an antenna network located mainly in the Netherlands and spanning seven other European countries. This telescope is primarily used for astronomy, but also for studying the formation of lightning. 

This would be of interest to the aviation industry, as static charges can create sparks that may damage the plane, say the researchers.

Olaf Scholten et al, Measuring location and properties of very high frequency sources emitted from an aircraft flying through high clouds, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65667-2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 14 hours ago

A new possibility for life: Study suggests ancient skies rained down ingredients

Earth's atmosphere might have contributed to the origin of life more than previously thought. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,  researchers  reveal that billions of years ago, Earth's early sky might have been producing sulfur-containing molecules that were essential ingredients for life. 

The finding challenges a long-held theory that these sulfur molecules emerged only after life had already formed. 

Just like carbon, sulfur is an essential element found in all life forms, from single-cell bacteria to humans. It is part of some amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. 

While the young Earth's atmosphere contained sulfur elements, scientists had long thought that organic sulfur compounds, or biomolecules like amino acids, emerged later as a product of the living system.

In previous simulations of early Earth, scientists either failed to detect meaningful amounts of sulfur biomolecules before life existed, or created the molecules only under specialized conditions that were unlikely to be widespread on this planet.

As a result, when the James Webb Space Telescope  detected dimethyl sulfide, an organic sulfur compound produced by marine algae on Earth, on another planet called K2-18b, many thought it was a possible sign of life on other planets.

Previously, these researchers  successfully created dimethyl sulfide in their lab using only light and common atmospheric gases. This suggested that this molecule could arise in places void of life.

This time,they set off to see what early Earth's sky could have contributed. They shone light on a gas mixture containing methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and nitrogen to simulate Earth's atmosphere before life emerged.

  Using a highly sensitive mass spectrometry instrument that can identify and measure different chemical compounds, the team found that the early Earth simulation produced a whole suite of sulfur biomolecules, including the amino acids cysteine and taurine, as well as coenzyme M, a compound critical for metabolism. 

When the team scaled their lab results to calculate how much cysteine an entire atmosphere could produce, they found that early Earth's sky might have brought cysteine to supply about one octillion—one followed by 27 zeros—cells. Currently, Earth boasts about one nonillion—one followed by 30 zeros—cells. 

The team said in their paper these biomolecules formed in Earth's atmosphere might have fallen onto the ground or oceans with rain, helping to get life started.

  An Archean atmosphere rich in sulfur biomolecules, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2516779122

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 14 hours ago

Why your faucet drips: Water jet breakup traced to angstrom-scale thermal capillary waves

The breakup of a water jet into droplets is primarily triggered by intrinsic thermal capillary waves—angstrom-scale surface fluctuations—rather than external disturbances or nozzle imperfections. These minute thermal oscillations are amplified by Rayleigh-Plateau instability, determining the breakup length across a wide range of jet sizes.

Stefan Kooij et al, What Determines the Breakup Length of a Jet?, Physical Review Letters (2025). DOI: 10.1103/jf6w-l5sy

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 14 hours ago

Fatty food smells during pregnancy may raise obesity risk in offspring

Exposure to fatty food odors during pregnancy and breastfeeding, even without maternal weight gain or high-fat intake, can alter offspring brain circuits related to reward and metabolism, increasing their risk of obesity and insulin resistance. Ingested flavoring agents with fatty odors were sufficient to trigger these effects in mice, highlighting potential implications for human metabolic health.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-fatty-food-pregnancy-obesity...

**

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 14 hours ago

Why dogs hide food and toys

No, they  aren't stockpiling their food due to anxiety about impending disaster. 

Instead, they're revealing how their evolutionary past still shapes modern behaviors. This forward-thinking strategy offers us a unique window into how we can help them live well. 

"Caching," is the scientific term for storing food in hidden places for later use. This behaviour is widespread across the animal kingdom, from squirrels, to crows, and wolves.

Caching behavior generally falls into one of two categories.

One is known as larder hoarding—think of a squirrel stashing nuts in just one or two places to draw from as they get through a long winter. 

 The other is known as scatter hoarding. It is where animals make smaller caches of surplus food in many different locations, reducing the chance of losing everything to a competitor or going hungry in lean seasons. It's mostly seen in wild canids such as foxes and wolves.  

This behavior in modern dogs is an instinctual remnant. It reflects the competitive feeding patterns of their ancestors who lived by hunting, for whom securing food was unpredictable, but crucial for survival. 

 Dogs appear to rely on a combination of scent and observational spatial memory to remember where they have cached special items, such as food, treats and toys.

https://theconversation.com/your-dog-is-not-a-doomsday-prepper-here...

**

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 14 hours ago

Images that require less neural energy to process are generally rated as more aesthetically pleasing, indicating that visual preference may be influenced by the brain's tendency to conserve energy. This suggests that aesthetic appreciation is linked to a balance between adequate visual stimulation and minimizing metabolic expenditure.

 

Beauty may be 'easy on the eyes' because it saves brain power

Humans may find images that take less energy to process aesthetically pleasing, suggesting that our attraction to beauty is at least partially an energy conservation strategy. 

Looking at something can feel effortless, but in energetic terms, it isn't cheap. The brain uses 20% of the body's energy, and the visual system accounts for about 44% of that expenditure. Looking at very simple stimuli, like a blank white room, is energy-efficient but boring. Looking at very busy or unusual images can feel tiring and unpleasant. 

Publishing in PNAS Nexus, researchers presented 4,914 images of objects and scenes to an in-silico model of the visual system to estimate the number of neurons needed to look at them. The authors compared these estimates to enjoyment ratings from 1,118 participants recruited using Amazon Mechanical Turk.

Next, they used blood oxygen level-dependent signal brain imaging to measure the energy costs of looking at images for 4 participants. In both experiments, study participants found images that took less energy to process more attractive. The authors asked for a quick response, meant to capture initial impressions, not the more complex pleasures that may arise from contemplating an image in a broader context by engaging with its meaning.

According to the authors, visual aesthetic appreciation may be a manifestation of an energy-conserving heuristic that creates a sweet spot between sufficient stimulation of the visual system and excessive metabolic cost.

Yikai Tang et al, Less is more: Aesthetic liking is inversely related to metabolic expense by the visual system, PNAS Nexus (2025). DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf347

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 14 hours ago

Cancer-promoting DNA circles hitchhike on chromosomes to spread to daughter cells

Extrachromosomal DNA circles (ecDNA) in cancer cells persist by attaching to chromosomes during cell division using specific retention elements, mimicking natural gene regulation mechanisms. Disrupting this attachment, such as by adding methyl groups to retention elements, leads to ecDNA loss and reduced cancer cell survival, highlighting a potential therapeutic target for cancer treatment.

Venkat Sankar et al, Genetic elements promote retention of extrachromosomal DNA in cancer cells, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09764-8

**

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 14 hours ago

Playing specific bat-like ultrasounds can suppress moth reproduction, offering a smart way to protect crops Exposure to bat-like ultrasonic pulses alters the behavior of Autographa nigrisigna moths, with higher pulse repetition rates causing erratic flight or flight cessation, especially in egg-bearing females. This response reduces egg-laying and suggests that ultrasonic cues can be used to suppress moth reproduction, offering a potential environmentally friendly method for crop protection.

Ming Siang Lem et al, Ultrasonic pulse repetition rates triggering escape responses of a moth pest, Pest Management Science (2025). DOI: 10.1002/ps.70204

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 14 hours ago

Scientists call for greater focus on conserving whole ecosystems instead of charismatic species

Conservation programs are often too focused on a single charismatic species.

 

With many species worldwide experiencing population declines, there is an urgent need for conservation initiatives to support their recovery. However, this urgency, combined with insufficient scientific knowledge about endangered species, means that conservationists have often relied on oversimplified measures of success. For example, historical conservation efforts often focused on the abundance of a single charismatic species as a proxy for overall ecosystem health.

 

Researchers highlight three examples from China where oversimplified conservation priorities led to negative outcomes. The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is known as a "cryptic species," because it has multiple, genetically distinct populations that look identical to the naked eye.

Unaware of this, conservationists began a large-scale captive breeding and reintroduction program, which led to genetic mixing that threatened native populations. In the case of the crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon) and Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus), intensive captive breeding and release programs with limited suitable habitat have resulted in overcrowding, inbreeding and increased mortality.

Although well-intentioned, these initiatives have caused unforeseen issues for the ecosystem, and have often failed to improve the conservation status of the target species.

To avoid repeating these mistakes, the researchers advocate for a more nuanced approach to conservation, focused on creating balanced ecosystems, restoring habitats and minimizing human intervention. Although there has recently been more emphasis placed on protecting whole ecosystems, charismatic species conservation is still prevalent in the world.

Conservation programs that aim to preserve and restore ecosystem functions are a more effective use of limited resources, and are less likely to have unintended consequences, the researchers say. 

Shi H-T, et al. Are we over-conserving charismatic species? PLOS Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003494

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa 14 hours ago

Cancer cells keep their chromosomes intact to continue dividing relentlessly

Cancer cells maintain their ability to divide by using telomerase to repair chromosome ends (telomeres). An internal actin protein network in the nucleus helps telomerase access damaged telomeres, supporting cell survival even after chemotherapy-induced DNA damage. Targeting telomerase or this actin network could enhance chemotherapy effectiveness and reduce side effects.

Ashley Harman et al, Nuclear actin and DNA replication stress regulate telomere maintenance by telomerase, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-66506-0

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• …
• 1158
• Next ›
• Page