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Phys.org / One overlooked mineral may have quietly powered a crucial step toward life on early Earth

Manganese dioxide can convert amino acids into hydrogen cyanide (HCN) without requiring methane, a finding that solves a long-standing puzzle about the origin of this key prebiotic molecule on early Earth. Although HCN is ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Lithium in the Appalachians could replace imports for a century or more, estimates suggest

The southern Appalachians hold an estimated 1.43 million metric tons of lithium oxide, concentrated in the Carolinas, and the northern Appalachians hold an estimated 900,000 metric tons, concentrated in Maine and New Hampshire, ...

17 hours ago
Phys.org / Why real-time teamwork dashboards can backfire instead of improving collaboration

As digital tools become more common in teamwork, many organizations hope they can help teams collaborate more effectively. But a new study suggests that some uses of tools—such as providing real-time feedback on collaboration ...

8 hours ago
Tech Xplore / Extended reality tool lets dancers analyze movement

It's been said that "writing about music is like dancing about architecture." Writing, or talking, about dancing can be similarly futile. A Cornell doctoral student has helped develop a tool that lets dancers use video and ...

14 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Genetic discovery may explain why pancreatic cancer is so difficult to treat

Pancreatic cancer can remain quiet for years, developing undetected before causing symptoms that lead to a diagnosis. Even after a surgeon removes a pancreas tumor, other cells often hide and erupt later. But University of ...

15 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Treatment of rare childhood epilepsy could begin before birth

Research has shown early diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy disorders can improve outcomes. The question of when to administer treatment so it gets ahead of the disease, however, has remained stubbornly elusive. A new Northwestern ...

12 hours ago
Tech Xplore / What skills do people need to successfully program with AI?

The new trend of "vibe coding" allows people to program software without writing a single line of code. Now, a new study by ETH Zurich published in the Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing ...

17 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Blocking energy metabolism may help treat an aggressive pediatric brain tumor

Blocking energy production pathways in an aggressive type of brain cancer in children could be a promising new therapeutic strategy, according to research in mice by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigators. The paper ...

8 hours ago
Phys.org / Captured mid-reaction, RNA polymerase reveals universal blueprint for gene transcription

The enzyme RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out transcription, copying DNA into RNA. It's the first step in gene expression, and a process fundamental to all life. But the inner workings of this essential enzyme have long baffled ...

17 hours ago
Phys.org / A hidden food boom across Central Africa is pushing wildlife and rural diets toward a precarious edge

The total annual biomass of wild meat consumed across Central Africa has increased from an estimated 0.73 million metric tons in 2000 to 1.10 million metric tons in 2022. This increase is threatening wildlife populations ...

16 hours ago
Phys.org / Buried in soil, a 100-million-year-old bacterial toxin could reshape pest control and antibiotic discovery

In every backyard, park, and playground on Earth, the ground is teeming with a type of bacteria called Streptomyces—one of the most abundant organisms on the planet. While these dirt-dwelling microbes are known for producing ...

23 hours ago
Science X / Wild parrots quickly learn to eat new foods by copying their friends

Wild parrots learn whether new types of food are safe to eat by observing other members of their social group, allowing dietary knowledge to spread rapidly through the community, according to a study by Julia Penndorf at ...

14 hours ago