Science

Male nipples. Whale pelvic bones. Vestigial hind limbs in snakes. Evolution is full of features that look purposeful but are actually by-products with no explicit function. New research suggests the human chin may be one such evolutionary side effect.

In the late 1990s researchers identified the key gene responsible for producing the bitter compounds in grapefruit. Now, using the genome editing technology CRISPR/Cas9, the team has inactivated the gene in grapefruit to eliminate that bitter taste.

For two decades giant viruses have unsettled one of biology’s most fundamental boundaries forcing scientists to rethink how cellular complexity emerged. A newly discovered giant virus sharpens that debate, offering clues about how a key feature of most complex life may have evolved.

Among the many problems posed by the rapid proliferation of data centers is the strain on local water supplies. Google says it's building a better data center that won't require water to keep its servers and computing equipment cool.

Oil spills in oceans can spell disaster for ecosystems, but options for mitigating them are limited and can come with their own environmental challenges. A new "fire tornado" from Texas A&M University might soon be able to come to the rescue.

Researchers have discovered a certain kind of sugar that is only found on the surface of bacteria. Targeting it could lead to an entirely new class of immunotherapeutic drugs designed to target and eliminate at least one deadly, drug-resistant bug.

We generally associate the origins of mathematical thinking with the emergence of writing but a new study challenges this assumption looking at floral designs found on the pottery sherds across northern Mesopotamia, dating back 8000 years.

New research has found when plant leaves physically touch each other, they seem to form a biological signalling network to warn each other about upcoming stress. This boosts resilience to intense light, a common environmental challenge.

Nowadays, wood is rapidly becoming a valuable material in the renewable tech industry, replacing many harmful materials. Recent research shows that wood-derived compounds can serve as an alternative to the toxic chemicals used in paper receipts.

Okay, CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) might have uncovered the Higgs boson and helped redefine our concept of physical reality, but what has it done for us lately? How about a side hustle heating several thousand homes in the neighborhood?