Engineered soil bacterial protein kills colorectal cancer cells by targeting their mitochondria

April 26 marks the 40th anniversary of the explosion at Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. The accident caused the largest ever release of radioactive material into the environment, and at the time people predicted that the affected area would be rendered uninhabitable, devoid of life for thousands of years. But the reality is quite different.

Archaeologists have found evidence that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens not only lived side by side during the mid-Middle Paleolithic era, but may have also influenced each other’s ways of life.

The strange quantum nature of time moves one step closer to being untangled, thanks to new research on optical ion clocks.

A new “gold standard” for soil analysis and microplastic extraction has been developed at the University of New England (UNE), unlocking vital capabilities to safeguard agricultural soils and protect human health. Led by Ph.D. candidate Nivetha Sivarajah, the research team developed a new multi-criteria framework to identify the most effective method to extract six common plastic types from different soil textures. The study is published in the journal Soil Advances.

Unusual patches of black Amazonian soil rich in nutrients known as “dark earth,” which rapidly accelerates plant growth, remain one of the region’s greatest mysteries.

Last week news headlines from outlets across the globe announced that a mundane explanation had been found for haunted houses: infrasound (ie. sounds of a frequency beneath the typical threshold of conscious human hearing, which roughly spans 20Hz to 20KHz). The titles of these articles were convincing: “Study: Infrasound likely a key factor in alleged hauntings” (Ars Technica); “Haunted by Ghosts? New Study Provides a Surprising Explanation” (Gizmodo); “Spooky feelings in old houses may be caused by boiler sounds, study […]