A mussel bed in Northern California is as healthy and biodiverse as it was about 80 years ago, when two young students surveyed it shortly before one was sent to fight in World War II. Resampling the site reveals a thriving mussel bed community that also shows the mark of climate change.

A mussel bed in Northern California is as healthy and biodiverse as it was about 80 years ago, when two young students surveyed it shortly before one was sent to fight in World War II. Resampling the site reveals a thriving mussel bed community that also shows the mark of climate change.

In 2018, a galaxy about 270 million light-years away from Earth exhibited a major increase in activity. It quieted down again by 2020—only to dramatically increase its output again in 2023. At that time, it began emitting radio waves at 60 times the previous intensity over just a few months, behavior which has never been monitored in real time for a supermassive black hole. Imaging also clearly shows a pair of oppositely directed plasma jets forming near the black hole and expanding outward over the course of 2023 – 2024. The observation of jet formation in real time is another first. The data will help scientists understand how and under what conditions black holes produce jets.

As climate change drives increasingly severe hurricanes, U.S. coastal communities are bearing the brunt of mounting losses. With regulations failing to curb the damage, homeowners have become the front line of defense — but their efforts often fall short, according to research from the University of Notre Dame.

Astronomers have struggled with finding ultra-faint dwarf galaxies far enough from the Milky Way's influence, making these faintest galaxies in the cosmos difficult to study. Three newly discovered dwarf galaxies in an isolated region of space show evidence of star formation being cut short by events in the early universe. 

Researchers have demonstrated new wearable technologies that both generate electricity from human movement and improve the comfort of the technology for the people wearing them. The work stems from an advanced understanding of materials that increase comfort in textiles and produce electricity when they rub against another surface.

New proteins not found in nature have now been designed to counteract certain highly poisonous components of snake venom. The deep learning, computational methods for developing these toxin-neutralizing proteins offer hope for creating safer, more cost-effective and more readily available therapeutics than those currently in use.  Each year more than 2 million people suffer snakebites. More than 100,000 die, and 300,000 suffer disabling complications. Snakebites pose a significant public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Papua New Guinea, and Latin America. Treatments for bites from elapid snakes currently depend on immunizing animals againt the venom and recovering antibodies. Computationally designed antivenom proteins could offer such advantages as simpler manufacturing requirements and the ability to more quickly counteract toxins and reduce damage. 

Scientists have developed a tool to narrow down potential host species of filoviruses like Ebola and better prioritize wildlife surveillance.