Scientific Discoveries

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Latest Scientific Discoveries

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Climate change is literally altering the shape of our planet
Science News

Climate change is literally altering the shape of our planet

Climate change is making Earth progressively rounder, new research finds. The findings are a signal of human-caused climate change, however, and tracking the shape of the Earth can help reveal just how much impact people are having on its ice caps. Our planet is not a perfect sphere. Because of its rotation, it is a bit flatter at the poles and bulges in the middle. But the new study reveals that Earth is getting rounder at an accelerated rate, largely due to shifts caused by the melting polar ice caps. This finding applies only to the solid parts of the planet; the ocean continues to bulge outward at the equator. The study, published Sept. 9 in the journal JGR Solid Earth, used direct measu...

📅 2026-10-22 10:00:00    •    Live Science
Algae-powered soft robot arm uses light to grasp and lift small objects
Science News

Algae-powered soft robot arm uses light to grasp and lift small objects

Tiny underwater algae sway gently in the current. All of a sudden, a light shines on them and they form robotlike arms that start to pick up small rocks and put them in floating baskets. Sounds like science fiction, but researchers from Delft University of Technology (the Netherlands) have created a small soft robot arm covered with minuscule algae that can grasp and lift objects. And it's powered by light. This next step in biotechnology has been published in Nature Communications.

📅 2026-10-22 09:39:19    •    Phys.org
Surprising new pattern of groundwater loss may signal a turning point for the Colorado River Basin
Science News

Surprising new pattern of groundwater loss may signal a turning point for the Colorado River Basin

Western states that were thought to be resistant to prolonged drought may be more vulnerable than scientists previously believed, a new analysis of groundwater reserves in the Colorado River Basin finds.Researchers revealed the four states that together make up the Upper Basin — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — lost almost twice as much groundwater as the Lower Basin did during an intense drought in the southwestern U.S. between 2020 and 2022. The finding was unexpected and might signal a turning point for the region, because the Upper Basin has long been seen as more resilient to dry spells than the Lower Basin, said Esther Oyedele, a doctoral student in geosciences at Virginia Tech...

📅 2026-10-22 09:18:11    •    Live Science
Taiwan issues warnings as Typhoon Champi nears
Science News

Taiwan issues warnings as Typhoon Champi nears

A powerful typhoon headed toward Taiwan on Thursday, triggering the cancellation of dozens of flights and prompting warnings for locals to prepare for heavy rain, strong winds and giant waves.

📅 2026-10-22 08:38:06    •    Phys.org
Baby manta rays hunker down close to coasts before facing the open ocean's dangers
Science News

Baby manta rays hunker down close to coasts before facing the open ocean's dangers

Giant manta rays can grow up to nine meters (30 feet) long with a disk size of seven meters (23 feet) across and weigh up to 2,000 kg (4,400 pounds). This size leaves them with very few natural enemies once they reach adulthood at around eight to 10 years old. But giant manta ray babies, called pups, cannot rely on their size to protect them from predators that live in the open ocean, including several species of shark and orcas.

📅 2026-10-22 04:00:01    •    Phys.org
Natural compound could fight rheumatoid arthritis at its source
Science News

Natural compound could fight rheumatoid arthritis at its source

A natural compound extracted from a medicinal plant has shown surprising promise against rheumatoid arthritis. In rats, it reduced joint swelling, protected cartilage, and calmed the immune responses responsible for chronic inflammation. Scientists discovered that the compound works by targeting a specific protein and restoring balance to fatty acid metabolism, revealing a previously underexplored way to fight the disease.

📅 2026-10-22 03:37:25    •    ScienceDaily
A simple 15-minute treatment could help patients avoid carpal tunnel surgery
Science News

A simple 15-minute treatment could help patients avoid carpal tunnel surgery

A simple, steroid-free procedure could offer lasting relief for people struggling with carpal tunnel syndrome, potentially helping them avoid surgery. In a clinical trial involving 63 patients, researchers found that ultrasound-guided hydrodissection, which uses fluid to free a compressed nerve in the wrist, provided longer-lasting improvements in pain, numbness, and hand function than traditional steroid injections.

📅 2026-10-22 03:03:08    •    ScienceDaily
Illegal fishing is thriving in African waters—a satellite system could help change that
Science News

Illegal fishing is thriving in African waters—a satellite system could help change that

A patrol boat off the coast of Gabon intercepted three trawlers in July 2026, inside the Grand Sud Reserve. This is one of West and Central Africa's largest marine reserves, where industrial trawling is banned. None of the trawlers held a valid license. The patrol found them because analysts at the nonprofit Global Fishing Watch had studied satellite data and worked out where to look.

📅 2026-10-22 02:40:07    •    Phys.org
People are taking an unapproved weight-loss drug. AI found something surprising
Science News

People are taking an unapproved weight-loss drug. AI found something surprising

Researchers analyzing nearly 150,000 Reddit posts uncovered unexpected symptom reports linked by users to unapproved versions of retatrutide, including increased appetite, sleep disturbances, and elevated heart rates. The findings differ from clinical trial results and highlight how AI could help identify potential drug safety signals that warrant further investigation.

📅 2026-10-22 02:37:01    •    ScienceDaily