A new study from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography finds that marine microbes had mostly positive interactions with one another during a six-year study. These positive interactions became even more common during times of environmental stress. 

In a paper published January 21 in Nature, a team led by scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have run complex numerical simulations of plasma flows that, while leading to turbulence, also develop structured flows due to the formation of large-scale jets.

A UCLA-led, multi-institution research team has discovered a metallic material with the highest thermal conductivity measured among metals, challenging long-standing assumptions about the limits of heat transport in metallic materials. Thte team reported that metallic theta-phase tantalum nitride conducts heat nearly three times more efficiently than copper or silver, the best conventional heat-conducting metals. The study was published in Science.

Most coral disease detection today relies on visual surveys by divers, often identifying disease only after significant damage has occurred. This limits the ability of scientists and reef managers to intervene early, when treatments are most effective.

This WHOI-led study shows that microorganisms in seawater surrounding corals provide a clear, non-invasive signal of disease, offering a new way to detect reef health threats without physically disturbing corals.

New research from the University of Rochester suggests that molten rock deep inside so-called super-earths may generate powerful magnetic fields necessary for sustaining life.

Active metasurfaces that dynamically control light at subwavelength scales hold promise for compact and intelligent photonic systems, yet achieving high tunability has long been a challenge. Researchers from the University of Chicago developed a dynamic optical platform via reversible metal electrodeposition, enabling high-efficiency, broadband, and durable active metasurfaces. By electrically depositing and removing copper at the nanoscale, the device dynamically steers light with record-high signal-to-noise ratios across visible, near- and mid-infrared regimes. This breakthrough offers a new route for high-performance dynamic optics.

By tracking swarms of very small earthquakes, seismologists are getting a new picture of the complex region where the San Andreas fault meets the Cascadia subduction zone, an area that could give rise to devastating major earthquakes.

Long-term exposure to low levels of a common agricultural pesticide can accelerate physiological aging and shorten lifespan in fish — a finding from new research led by University of Notre Dame biologist Jason Rohr with potentially far-reaching implications for environmental regulations and human health.