ScienceDaily: Top News

The question of the causes of species extinction confronts science with complex tasks.

Since the discovery of quasicrystals (QCs), solids that mimic crystals in their long-range order but lack periodicity, scientists have sought physical properties related to their peculiar structure. Now, an international group of researchers report a long-range magnetic order in QCs with icosahedral symmetry that turn ferromagnetic below certain temperatures. This groundbreaking discovery opens doors to future research on these exotic materials.

By integrating multiple sensory inputs, a loop of mutual inhibition among a small set of neurons allows worms to switch between long-lasting behavioral states.

A combined experimental and computational study shows promising results for a new class of catalysts producing ammonia under mild conditions.

When it comes to your health, being willing to give social support to your spouse, friends and family may be just as important as receiving assistance, a new study suggests.

The gold complex auranofin has traditionally been used for treating rheumatism but is also being evaluated as a treatment for certain forms of cancer. Researchers now show that other molecules that inhibit the same biological system have a more specific effect than auranofin and therefore may have greater potential as cancer therapies.

Researchers have developed an innovative technique to track microbes and understand the various ways they process soil carbon, findings that add to our knowledge of how bacteria contribute to the global carbon cycle.

Eliminating old, dysfunctional cells in human fat also alleviates signs of diabetes, researchers report. The discovery could lead to new treatments for Type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

Quantum dots have many possible applications, but they are limited by their tendency to blink off at random intervals. Chemists have come up with a way to control this unwanted blinking without requiring any modification to the formulation or the manufacturing process.