Новости за 13.02.2026

Rice tiller angle is an important trait affecting population structure, light utilization, planting density, and yield potential. Although several genes affecting tiller angle have been reported, the upstream regulatory networks connecting gravity sensing and hormone distribution have remained largely unknown. Researchers from the Hefei Institute of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have identified a key molecular module that regulates rice plant architecture. Their study is published in Plant Communications.

Parents looking to support their children's learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) will find no shortage of branded STEM sets, subscription science boxes, private coding programs or educational toys for kids.

In the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, dating apps typically see a spike in new users and activity. More profiles are created, more messages sent, more swipes logged.

About 3 million people visit Red Rock Canyon outside of Las Vegas every year, but few have noticed the tiny yellow sunflower that has called it home for centuries. It may face extinction without federal protection, two groups say.

The most effective conservation strategies for protecting vertebrates on a global scale are those aimed at mitigating the effects of overexploitation, habitat loss and climate change, which are the most widespread threats with the greatest impact across the planet. This is one of the main conclusions of an article led by researchers Pol Capdevila, from the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) at the University of Barcelona, and Duncan O'Brien, from the University of Bristol (United Kingdom).

British company Skyrora, which designs and builds rockets to carry small satellites into space, announced Thursday it could acquire "select" assets from its stricken rival Orbex, including its spaceport in Scotland.

Ammonia (NH3)—the second-most-produced chemical globally—has proven to be highly important in furthering human civilization over the centuries, both in terms of technological capabilities and innovation potential. It is widely utilized in fertilizers, refrigerants, biomarkers, and next-generation fuel. Unfortunately, NH3 is highly toxic, resulting in complications such as respiratory irritation, chest pain, pulmonary edema, and even death. This makes effective and rapid NH3 sensing and detection... Читать дальше...

After nearly 40 years of research on how Listeria bacteria manipulate our cells and battle our immune system to cause listeriosis, Daniel Portnoy and his colleagues have discovered a way to turn the bacteria into a potent booster of the immune system—and a potential weapon against cancer.

It was the image that launched a cultural icon. In 1967, in the northern Californian woods, a seven foot tall, ape-like creature covered in black fur and walking upright was captured on camera, at one point turning around to look straight down the lens. The image is endlessly copied in popular culture—it's even become an emoji. But what was it? A hoax? A bear? Or a real-life example of a mysterious species called the Bigfoot?

How well we pay attention while learning is influenced not only by external distractions like background noise but also by internal factors such as how interesting we find the material, according to a study recently published by researchers at Bar-Ilan University. The research recorded brain activity (EEG) and physiological arousal (skin conductance) from 32 participants as they watched a 35-minute educational video lecture. Segments were presented either in quiet or with background construction sounds... Читать дальше...

As Canada experiences record snowfall, new research from the University of Waterloo suggests that tiny amounts of industrial pollution trapped in snow can change how sunlight reaches the ground below and significantly alter fragile environments.

National parks are public conservation assets, created to protect biodiversity and provide affordable access to nature for all. But, new research published in npjBiodiversity highlights a growing global issue: According to the authors, political decisions are increasingly favoring private tourism development inside national parks, undermining conservation, equity and public benefit.

Centuries after they were wiped out, the reintroduction of beavers to the UK is gathering pace. Following a government announcement allowing beavers to be released in the wild, a flurry of reintroductions are planned for 2026 and beyond. Beavers could soon be coming to a river near you.

Researchers in the School of Psychology at the University of Kent have found that sharing conspiracy theories on their dating profiles can seriously damage first impressions and reduce romantic interest, but this reaction depends on the political views of the person viewing the profile. In particular, the study, which involved more than 1,600 participants from the U.S., found that liberals were less willing to engage romantically with someone whose profile endorsed conspiracy theories—especially right-wing conspiracy theories... Читать дальше...

The rain hasn't stopped for hours. Wind rattles the shelter's windows as the storm outside swells, flooding the streets they used to call home. In a crowded gym, a family of four sit huddled together on makeshift beds pushed side by side each other. The parents wrap donated blankets around their shoulders; the teenagers lean against each other. Someone suggests a movie: something light, something old. They settle on a childhood favorite, a worn-out Pixar film, its colors flickering softly on the phone screen. Читать дальше...

Devices that can confine individual electrons are potential building blocks for quantum information systems. But the electrons must be protected from external disturbances. RIKEN researchers have now shown how quantum information encoded into a so-called quantum dot can be negatively affected by nearby quantum dots. This has implications for developing quantum information devices based on quantum dots.

Keeping amphibians as pets offers hobbyists an opportunity to connect with the non-human world, often increasing interest in conserving animals in the wild. But there's a dark side to the amphibian trade, according to a study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, published in the journal Biological Conservation. The study is titled "Tracking the hidden trade of non-native pet amphibians in the United States."

Physicists have long recognized the value of photonic graph states in quantum information processing. However, the difficulty of making these graph states has left this value largely untapped. In a step forward for the field, researchers from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have proposed a new scheme they term "emit-then-add" for producing highly entangled states of many photons that can work with current hardware. Published in npj Quantum Information... Читать дальше...

Researchers from the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have conducted a new study on the temporal evolution of the afterglow from gamma-ray burst GRB 240825A. The study offers new evidence to better understand the physical environment surrounding gamma-ray bursts and provides insights into the mechanisms that govern their afterglow emission. The findings were recently published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Although modern science has only been around for a few centuries, we've become quite adept at training students in the scientific method. But learning how to translate research insights into practical actions often isn't part of a budding scientist's curriculum.

How do people's attention and actions change when a drought affects the whole country compared to when it is concentrated in one region? A research team led by Professor Jong-Hoon Kam from the Department of Environmental Engineering at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) analyzed news reports, social media posts, and internet search data using artificial intelligence (AI) during the 2022–2023 drought period. The team found that public views of disasters change depending on the size of the problem and its distance from people. Читать дальше...

Technologies for energy storage as well as biological systems such as the network of neurons in the brain depend on driven electrolytes that are traveling in an electric field due to their electrical charges. This concept has also recently been used to engineer synthetic motors and molecular sensors on the nanoscale or to explain biological processes in nanopores. In this context, the role of the background medium, which is the solvent, and the resulting hydrodynamic fluctuations play an important role. Читать дальше...

Minerals form the building blocks of almost everything on Earth. They are made up of crystals—regular, repeating atomic structures that fit together like a three-dimensional pattern. When minerals deform, their normally ordered crystal lattices develop linear imperfections known as dislocations. These are small breaks or shifts in the atomic arrangement that allow crystals to change shape under stress. Some deformed crystals contain large numbers of dislocations, while in others they are sparse and... Читать дальше...

Even as farmers shift toward less water-intensive crops, climate change is pushing agricultural water consumption upward in Central Asia. A new study by IAMO researchers shows that rising temperatures and atmospheric water demand now outweigh land-use changes. As a result, the pressure on already scarce water resources is growing in one of the world's most water-stressed regions. The study is published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.

Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS has developed a new technology that makes pH measurements significantly more robust, simple, and reliable. Instead of the traditional, often error-prone reference electrodes, a durable chip is now used. This chip can be stored dry, is pressure-resistant, and easily integrated into compact devices. Initial test kits are already available for rapid use in medical, biological, agricultural, and environmental applications.