Size of Raindrops Help Identify Potentially Habitable Planets Outside Our Solar System
Raindrops Also Keep Fallin’ on Exoplanets One day, humankind may step foot on another habitable planet. That planet may look very different from Earth, but…
Harvard University
Methane Emissions From Oil and Natural Gas Production Higher Than Previously Thought
Research finds EPA underestimates methane emissions from oil and gas production. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is underestimating methane emissions from oil and gas production…
Highly-Selective New Tool to Dissect the “Undruggable”
Researchers design a new highly-selective tool to study “undruggable” proteins through the sugars they depend on. Sugar has been called “evil,” “toxic,” and “poison.” But…
Original Error: Retracing the History of the Mutation That Gave Rise to Cancer Decades Later
There is no stronger risk factor for cancer than age. At the time of diagnosis, the median age of patients across all cancers is 66….
Researchers Overturn Long-Standing Hypothesis: Mammal Ancestors Actually Moved in Their Own Unique Way
Researchers overturn the long-standing hypothesis that mammal ancestors moved like modern lizards and discover there is much more to the evolution of the mammal backbone….
The Comet That Killed the Dinosaurs: New Theory on Origin of the Chicxulub Impactor
It was tens of miles wide and forever changed history when it crashed into Earth about 66 million years ago. The Chicxulub impactor, as it’s…
Harvard Scientists Trilayer Graphene Breakthrough Opens the Door for High Temperature Superconductors
In 2018, the physics world was set ablaze with the discovery that when an ultrathin layer of carbon, called graphene, is stacked and twisted to…
Evolution From Fins to Limbs: How Forelimb Function Changed As Vertebrates Acquired Limbs and Moved Onto Land
When tetrapods (four-limbed vertebrates) began to move from water to land roughly 390 million years ago it set in motion the rise of lizards, birds,…
Harvard Scientists Reconstruct the Game-Changing Evolution From Fin-to-Limb in Early Tetrapods
It’s hard to overstate how much of a game-changer it was when vertebrates first rose up from the waters and moved onshore about 390 million…
A Closer Genetic Look at the Incredible, Variable Bacteria Living in Your Mouth
Researchers take a closer look at the genomes of microbial communities in the human mouth. Bacteria often show very strong biogeography — some bacteria are…
Surprising Connection Discovered Between Prehistoric Dinosaurs and Mammals in Their Teeth
When most people think of ferocious, blade-like teeth on prehistoric creatures they picture Smilodon, better known as the saber-toothed tiger. But in the world of dinosaurs,…
From Fins to Limbs and Water to Land: Evolution of Terrestrial Movement in Early Tetrapods
The water-to-land transition is one of the most important and inspiring major transitions in vertebrate evolution. And the question of how and when tetrapods transitioned…
Chromosomes Actually Look Far Different Than the Pictures From High School Textbooks
High-resolution, 3D images of human chromosomes in single cells reveal how DNA structure might influence its function. In high school textbooks, human chromosomes are pictured…
Zoonomia Project: Largest Set of Mammalian Genomes Reveals Species at Risk of Extinction
The Zoonomia Project has released this vast dataset to advance both biomedical research and biodiversity conservation. An international team of researchers with an effort called…
Bioinspired Architecture: Next Generation of Skyscrapers and Bridges Inspired by Marine Sponges
Bioinspired architecture could pave the way for stronger, lighter structures. When we think about sponges, we tend to think of something soft and squishy. But…
How Did We Get So Picky About Friendship As We Age? Ask the Chimps
New study shows evidence of nonhuman animals selecting who they socialize during aging. No new friends and no drama. When humans age, they tend to…
Significant Link Found Between Air Pollution and Neurological Disorders in U.S.
Air pollution was significantly associated with an increased risk of hospital admissions for several neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias, in…
Evolution of Reptiles Timeline: New Study Rebuts 75-Year-Old Belief About How and When Reptiles Evolved
New study by a team of Harvard-led researchers rebuts 75-year-old belief in reptile evolution. Challenging a 75-year-old notion about how and when reptiles evolved during…