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Pentasilacyclopentadienide is a stable aromatic molecule that could open the door to a new world of chemical possibilities. Credit: Thorsten Mohr/Saarland University Major scientific advances often require patience, and this discovery is a prime example. After nearly 50 years of theory and repeated failed attempts by research groups around the world, David Scheschkewitz, Professor of General and Inorganic Chemistry at Saarland University, and his doctoral student Ankur -- collaborating with Bernd Morgenstern from Saarland University's X-Ray Diffraction Service Centre -- have achieved a long sought breakthrough. Their findings have been published in the prestigious journal Science. So what exactly did the team accomplish? They successfully synthesized pentasilacyclopentadienide, a compound that chemists have tried to create for decades. While the name may sound obscure, the achievement is significant. The researchers replaced the carbon atoms in an aromatic compound -- a class of exceptionally stable molecules in organic chemistry -- with silicon atoms. Aromatic molecules are essential in modern industry, particularly in plastics manufacturing. "In
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A new study documents monkeypox jumping between wild species for the first time In 2023, an outbreak of mpox erupted among a group of sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys) in Côte d’Ivoire’s Taï National Park. Roughly a third of the group, including infants (one shown) fell ill. A new study suggests a fire-footed rope squirrel eaten by one of the monkeys may have been the source. Chimpanzee Project, Carme Riutord-Fe/HIOH A monkey making a meal of a squirrel may have sparked an outbreak. In early 2023, mpox broke out among a group of a few dozen sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys) living in Côte d’Ivoire’s Taï National Park. Roughly one-third of the monkeys developed symptoms such as skin lesions and four infants died. Surveys of the park’s wildlife revealed that the outbreak began after a member of the group ate a fire-footed rope squirrel (Funisciurus pyrropus), researchers report February 11 in Nature. The findings suggest a rope squirrel was the source of the outbreak and for the first time show the monkeyp
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Solar storms might not just dazzle the skies—they could help nudge vulnerable faults toward earthquakes. A bold new model from Kyoto University suggests that the Sun may play a subtle role in triggering earthquakes. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com Scientists at Kyoto University have developed a theoretical model examining whether disturbances in the ionosphere could apply electrostatic forces deep within the Earth's crust. Under certain conditions, these forces might contribute to the start of large earthquakes. The research is not designed to forecast earthquakes. Instead, it outlines a possible physical mechanism showing how shifts in ionospheric charge levels -- triggered by intense solar activity such as solar flares -- might interact with already weakened areas of the crust and influence how fractures develop. How the Ionosphere Could Affect Fault Zones In this model, cracked regions of the crust are thought to contain water at extremely high temperatures and pressures, possibly in a supercritical state. Electrically, these fractured zones may act like capacitors. T
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Some people seem born to pack up and go — and their genetics may help explain why Inherited traits may explain a small but measurable share of why some people relocate far from where they were born. Listen to this article This is a human-written story voiced by AI. Got feedback? Take our survey . (See our AI policy here .) From ancient nomads to modern job-hoppers, the urge to move may be written partly into our DNA. People’s tendency to set down roots far from where they were born is partly inherited and grounded in early brain development, researchers report February 6 at bioRxiv.org. What’s more, the underlying genetic signatures appear both in modern populations and in ancient human genomes dating back thousands of years. The findings, based on a large genetics study, suggest that long-distance migration is shaped not only by jobs, housing and politics but also by biological traits l
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A hidden mantle plume helped the Atlantic seafloor rip open, creating an underwater canyon system bigger than the Grand Canyon. The enormous King’s Trough Complex beneath the Atlantic formed when tectonic plates between Europe and Africa pulled apart like a zipper millions of years ago. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com On land, dramatic canyons such as the Grand Canyon are carved over time by flowing rivers. The ocean does not have rivers capable of cutting into rock on that scale. Even so, the seafloor hosts enormous features that surpass the size of the largest land canyons. About 1,000 kilometers off the coast of Portugal lies one of the most striking examples. Known as the King's Trough Complex, this vast underwater structure stretches roughly 500 kilometers and includes a series of parallel trenches and deep basins. At its eastern edge is Peake Deep, one of the deepest locations in the Atlantic Ocean. What created such an immense formation? A team of international researchers led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel has uncovered new clues. Their f
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These tiny reef fish may be far more self-aware than anyone imagined. Cleaner fish have been found to exhibit mammal-like cognitive abilities in the presence of their own reflection. Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University Scientists at Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan have identified a newly documented behavior in cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus). When the small reef fish were given access to a mirror, they did more than simply recognize their reflections. They also began experimenting with the mirror using bits of food. The findings suggest these highly social fish are capable of a sophisticated cognitive process known as 'contingency testing,' a level of intelligence more commonly associated with marine mammals such as dolphins. The research team was led by Specially Appointed Researcher Shumpei Sogawa and Specially Appointed Professor Masanori Kohda at the Graduate School of Science. In earlier work, the team demonstrated that cleaner wrasse could recognize themselves in photographs. This new behavior emerged during mirror test experiments, a widely used
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The 150-million-year-old Archaeopteryx had mouth features similar to those of birds today Fleshy “teeth” on the roof of Archaeopteryx’s mouth, a sensory organ at the end of the beak and a highly mobile tongue (all illustrated) may have helped the ancient bird get the energy it needed to fly. About 150 million years ago, in a coastal lagoon in what is now southern Germany, the oldest known bird gobbled up food with a beak built for efficient eating. It’s finely tuned mouth anatomy, revealed in a newly analyzed fossil, may have helped it generate the energy required to fly, researchers report February 2 in The Innovation. Called Archaeopteryx, the animal had a toothed beak, hooked claws for grasping or climbing and feathered wings that it used for gliding and short bursts of flight. It is the earliest dinosaur that scientists also classify as a bird. “Archaeopteryx is the oldest dinosaur that we know of to fly using feathered airfoils,” says Jingmai O’Connor, a paleontologist at the Field Museum in Chicago. “Because flying takes more energy tha
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