Newswise: SciNews

Cuando Kitt Peak llego al espacio: la historia olvidada de su Programa de Cohetes

NSF's NOIRLab — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:20:04 EST

En la Biblioteca de la Sede Central de NOIRLab de NSF, en Tucson (Arizona) se conserva la coleccion The Lloyd Vincent Wallace Rocket Program Papers, que documenta la historia de la Division Espacial de Kitt Peak, activa desde 1959 hasta 1973. Acompanados de fotografias historicas, los Rocket Program Papers cuentan como el Observatorio Nacional Kitt Peak, de la Fundacion Nacional de Ciencias de EE. UU. (NSF), llevo a cabo investigaciones en astronomia y aeronomia mediante cohetes sonda durante la Guerra Fria.

Remembering the NSF Kitt Peak National Observatory Rocket Program

NSF's NOIRLab — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:15:53 EST

At the NSF NOIRLab Headquarters Library in Tucson, Arizona, The Lloyd Vincent Wallace Rocket Program Papers document Kitt Peak's Space Division, which ran from 1959 until 1973. Complete with historical photos, the Rocket Program Papers tell the story of how U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Kitt Peak National Observatory conducted astronomy and aeronomy research using sounding rockets during the Cold War-period.

Grid Disturbance Detection Tool Wins R&D100 Market Disruptor Award

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:15:29 EST

A grid intelligence platform for wildfire prevention, developed by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory with industry partner Southern California Edison, received a special Market Disruptor award in the 2026 R&D100 Awards, often called "the Oscars of innovation."

Researchers Differentiate New Species of Endangered Baobab Tree in Madagascar

University of Wisconsin-Madison — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 17:30:36 EST

Careful genetic analysis revealed the new baobab species. This discovery could have implications for conservation efforts for the endangered trees.

Curious by Nature | Are You Talking to ME?

Newswise — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 10:35:43 EST

Effective science communication isn't just about sharing research, it's about understanding who you're trying to reach and how different audiences engage with information.

Gene Editing Produces Drought- and Salt-Tolerant Tomatoes

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 10:30:26 EST

A research team has generated tomato germplasm with improved tolerance to drought and salinity by disrupting SlERF.J2, a gene encoding an ethylene response factor. Compared with wild-type plants, the edited tomatoes germinated more successfully, maintained stronger root growth, retained more water, and suffered less oxidative and cellular damage under environmental stress. Molecular analyses indicated that SlERF.J2 normally acts as a negative regulator of stress resistance by suppressing antioxidant, metabolic, and hormone-related pathways. The findings identify SlERF.J2 as a promising target for molecular breeding and could support the future development of climate-resilient tomato cultivars for water-limited or salt-affected agricultural regions.

Minnesota Iron Ore Could Be Key to Sustainable and Lower-Cost Semiconductor

University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:00:51 EST

For the first time, researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have demonstrated that the low-purity iron ore prevalent in Minnesota can be used to create semiconductor-quality iron sulfide, also known as "fool's gold" or pyrite.

Europe's Mountain Summits Are Warming - Vegetation Is Responding in Surprisingly Different Ways

University of Vienna — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 05:40:54 EST

Decades of climate change have not left Europe's mountain vegetation unscathed. However, the changes observed do not always match expectations. As a new international study by a research team led by researchers from the University of Vienna, the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the BOKU University shows, alpine vegetation has shifted significantly towards warmth-associated species. However, the direct link between this so-called thermophilisation and local warming is surprisingly weak. The study has recently been published in the prestigious journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.

A New Approach to Drive Batteries: Safe, Repairable, Sustainable

Newswise Review — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 02:15:16 EST

A research team led by TU Graz is providing new design guidelines for batteries in electric vehicles. The concepts increase safety, make repairs easier and improve sustainability throughout the entire life cycle.

Adding Iron To The Ocean Can Remove CO2 - But At What Cost To Nature?

Newswise Review — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 02:10:10 EST

Adding iron to the ocean can cause plankton to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere. However, the effect depends on where in the world the method is used, and it can have far-reaching consequences for marine ecosystems and food chains, according to a new study in Nature.

When Important Knowledge About Nature And Climate Is Not Put To Use

Newswise Review — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 02:05:46 EST

Climate change and biodiversity loss require us to base our decisions on the best possible knowledge. Yet a new study conducted by Dr. Roxana Roos at the University of Bergen shows that valuable knowledge about local nature and climate conditions often does not become part of the decision-making basis.

A Mystery Kept In London Led To The Discovery Of A New Ecuadorian Frog

Newswise Review — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 01:50:04 EST

Scientists from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador officially described Pristimantis milpe, an abundant and widely distributed species that had been confused with another species for over a century. To solve the mystery, researchers reviewed specimens collected in Ecuador during the 19th century and preserved at the Natural History Museum in London.

Wild Genomes Reveal Apricot's Hidden Structural Diversity

Newswise Review — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 01:50:02 EST

Cultivated apricot, Prunus armeniaca, emerged through at least two domestication routes from Central Asia before spreading toward China and the Mediterranean. Yet most population studies still compare diverse plants with one reference sequence, creating reference bias and obscuring structural variants, copy-number variants, and lineage-specific DNA.

Expert on Consumer Response to AI-Generated Content Available to Discuss Anthropic's New Watermark Policy

New York Institute of Technology, New York Tech — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 21:50:53 EST

Gluons May Play Central Role in Baryon Number Conservation

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:00:01 EST

'New results from the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) suggest that gluons, the gluelike particles that hold quarks together inside protons, play a central role in the conservation of baryon number -- an essential part of a particle's quantum identity.

UT MD Anderson Shares Latest Research Breakthroughs

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:45:51 EST

* New biomarkers may help monitor treatment responses to perioperative immunotherapy for patients with lung cancer * Researchers demonstrate that donor cord blood composition could influence outcomes of CAR NK cell therapy * Immune cell signaling plays important roles in skin cancer development, arthritis following immunotherapy treatment, and responses to rapid-acting antidepressants * The gut microbiome and tumor microenvironments are emerging treatment targets to improve chemotherapy delivery and overcome drug resistance

Computationally Designed Peptide Illuminates Coronavirus Protease Activity

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:30:47 EST

A research team has computationally designed a synthetic peptide that enables modular detection of the enzymatic activity of coronavirus 3C-like protease (3CLPro), an enzyme essential for viral replication and maturation. When incorporated into bioluminescent or fluorescent reporter proteins, the optimized peptide produced clear loss-of-signal or gain-of-signal responses corresponding to different 3CLPro expression levels. Unlike conventional tests that primarily indicate whether viral molecules are present, this proof-of-concept strategy measures protease activity, which may more closely reflect functional viral processes.

New Study Widens the Hunt for Dark Photons

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:20:48 EST

Cross-disciplinary research at Perimeter Institute and University of Maryland shows that dark photons could be lurking in more places than previously thought.

Wild Genomes Reveal Apricot's Hidden Structural Diversity

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:35:27 EST

Apricot breeding has long depended on a narrow genomic view, leaving much of the variation preserved in wild relatives outside the frame. A phylogeny-guided pangenome now brings that hidden diversity into focus across domesticated and wild members of the Armeniaca section.

Decoding the North American Bison's Genome to Better Inform Conservation Efforts

University of California, Santa Cruz — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:35:06 EST

A new study by leading ancient DNA researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, used paleogenomics to create a genetic roadmap to help guide the restoration of another iconic species once on the brink of extinction: the North American bison.

A Decade of Discovery: The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory Begins Survey of the Sky

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:35:01 EST

The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory marked a major milestone with the beginning of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), a 10-year effort to capture the universe in unprecedented detail.

Reporter Boot Camps, In-Person Visits, and Science Comms Training Programs: A Newswise Best Practices Webinar

Newswise — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 18:00:25 EST

Discussion panel on best practices for reporter boot camps, in-person visits, and science communications training programs.

Extracting Magnesium Salt From Seawater with Electricity

American Chemical Society (ACS) — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:50:49 EST

Magnesium supplements are gaining popularity to treat conditions such as insomnia, migraines, and constipation. Most magnesium salts are extracted from rocks by crushing and heating them, which requires a lot of energy. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Energy Letters have developed bismuth electrodes that selectively pull magnesium ions from seawater, another abundant source of the element. They say their electrochemical approach could be more sustainable and less expensive than current methods.

Scientists Develop Innovative Hybrid Material for Hydrogen Peroxide Production

Argonne National Laboratory — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:50:31 EST

Recently published research from a team led by scientists at Argonne National Laboratory demonstrates how a hybrid of biological components and technology can be used to efficiently produce hydrogen peroxide and other chemicals.

Florida State University Launches Florida's First Graduate Credential in Quantum Information Science and Engineering

Florida State University — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 09:15:16 EST

New FSU Quantum Initiative certificate will prepare students and professionals for careers in the rapidly expanding quantum workforce Florida State University is launching Florida's first formal graduate-level credential in quantum information science and engineering, opening a new pathway for students and professionals to enter one of the world's fastest-growing technology fields.