The first analysis of recent extinctions across plants and animals finds that, contrary to previous studies, the rate at which many groups of organisms have gone extinct has declined over the last 100 years. The research also revealed that the patterns and causes of these past extinctions differed from current and future threats, making it problematic to extrapolate them into the future: While past extinctions were predominantly due to invasive species on islands, habitat destruction presents the greatest threat currently.

Researchers at the UW have created a recyclable, flexible and self-healing composite material that could replace traditional circuit boards in future generations of wearable electronics. 

A dry season can be devastating to harvests, putting both farmers' livelihoods and communities' food security at risk. Identifying the traits that make crops more drought-resistant is critical for developing hardier hybrids. Researchers at Purdue University's College of Agriculture are using cutting-edge technology and international partnerships to determine what makes certain varieties of corn more resilient than others. With Michael Mickelbart, professor of botany and horticulture, as principal investigator, the project brings together researchers from the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom.

WPI Assistant Professor Nitin Sanket has received a $704,908 National Science Foundation (NSF) Foundational Research in Robotics grant to develop sound-based navigation systems that enable tiny aerial robots to operate in environments where cameras and light sensors fail, such as smoke, dust, or darkness. Drawing inspiration from how bats use echolocation, Sanket’s project combines bio-inspired design, deep learning, and sensor fusion to create lightweight, energy-efficient drones capable of autonomous navigation in challenging conditions—advancing robotics for applications in disaster response, environmental monitoring, and search and rescue.

Dust that grows inside glowing plasma may sound like science fiction, but Auburn physicists have shown it’s real—and controllable. Their new research reveals that weak magnetic fields can act like steering wheels for electrons, dramatically changing how tiny carbon nanoparticles form and grow. The findings open the door to new plasma-based methods for building advanced nanomaterials, while also offering clues to how cosmic dust evolves in space.