Social responsibility audits can bias financial ones
During the past decade, auditors have found a booming new business: reviewing reports on companies’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities. ESG reporting among S&P 500 companies grew 80% from 2010 to 2020, with nearly half the companies hiring auditors to give seals of approval. ⌘ Read more

A more varied diet would help the world’s economy as well as its health
More than 75% of the food consumed in the world today comes from just 12 plant and five animal species. The over-dependence on this small selection, which includes rice, maize and wheat, damages the environment and human health, and it makes our globalized food system vulnerable to shocks. But on top of all this, it also has negative economic impacts. ⌘ Read more

Rocket engine explodes during test at UK spaceport
A rocket engine exploded during a test launch at Britain’s new spaceport in northern Scotland, officials said Tuesday, in a setback for the UK’s fledgling space sector. ⌘ Read more

August’s supermoon is the first of four lunar spectacles
Monday’s supermoon is the first of four this year. ⌘ Read more

Ocean salinity affects Earth’s climate—how about on exoplanets?
There’s a link between Earth’s ocean salinity and its climate. Salinity can have a dramatic effect on the climate of any Earth-like planet orbiting a sun-like star. But what about exoplanets around M-dwarfs? ⌘ Read more

Ice Age Europeans: Climate change caused a drastic decline in hunter–gatherers, fossil study shows
A large-scale study of fossil human teeth from Ice Age Europe shows that climate change significantly influenced the demography of prehistoric humans. ⌘ Read more

Energy companies pressure landowners into fracking, study shows
Energy companies use persistent and personalized pressure to get landowners to give permission for hydraulic fracturing (fracking), and even when landowners decline, companies use legalized compulsion to conduct fracking anyway, according to a new study led by researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York and UNLV. ⌘ Read more

New insights on how bird flu crosses the species barrier
In recent years, public health measures, surveillance, and vaccination have helped bring about significant progress in reducing the impact of seasonal flu epidemics, caused by human influenza viruses A and B. However, a possible outbreak of avian influenza A (commonly known as ‘bird flu’) in mammals, including humans, poses a significant threat to public health. ⌘ Read more

Learning a language? Four ways to smash through the dreaded ‘intermediate plateau’
How can I improve my English? This was a question frequently posed by my students in South Korea. My initial advice was straightforward—dedicate time and effort. ⌘ Read more

How researchers determined that Stonehenge’s giant Altar Stone came all the way from northeast Scotland
No one is certain why Stonehenge was built. This world-famous monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire is thought to commemorate the dead, and is aligned with movements of the sun and moon. ⌘ Read more

Peering into the mind of artificial intelligence to make better antibiotics
Artificial intelligence (AI) has exploded in popularity. It powers models that help us drive vehicles, proofread emails and even design new molecules for medications. But just like a human, it’s hard to read AI’s mind. ⌘ Read more

Evidence stacks up for poisonous books containing toxic dyes
If you come across brightly colored, cloth-bound books from the Victorian era, you might want to handle them gently, or even steer clear altogether. Some of their attractive hues come from dyes that could pose a health risk to readers, collectors or librarians. ⌘ Read more

Researchers develop an instant version of trendy, golden turmeric milk
If you’ve visited a trendy cafe in the past few years, you might have noticed “golden” turmeric milk on the menu. Though recently advertised as a caffeine-free, healthy coffee alternative, the drink is a fancified version of haldi doodh—a traditional Indian beverage often used as an at-home cold remedy. ⌘ Read more

Stonehenge’s ‘altar stone’ originally came from Scotland and not Wales, new research shows
The ancient ritual meaning of Stonehenge is still a mystery, but researchers are one step closer to understanding how the famous stone circle was created. ⌘ Read more

Saturday Citations: Citizen scientists observe fast thing; controlling rat populations; clearing nanoplastic from water
Good morning! Here are a few of this week’s most interesting science stories to read while you’re settling into the couch with your cup of General Foods International French Vanilla Cafe. ⌘ Read more

The bee’s knees: New tests created to find fake honey
Researchers led by Cranfield University have developed new ways to detect sugar syrup adulteration in honey, paving the way for fast and accurate tests to discover fake products. ⌘ Read more

Quantifying potential impact of feral hog predation on coastal American alligator nests
Researchers with the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management are keeping a watchful eye on American alligator nests to shed light on the potential impacts of feral hog predation and to understand how these reptiles use habitat across an ever-changing Texas landscape. ⌘ Read more

Plant-microbe interactions underpin contrasting enzymatic responses to wetland drainage
Researchers led by Professor Feng Xiaojuan from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IBCAS) have analyzed the divergent responses of carbon-degrading enzymes to wetland drainage and found that enzymatic response to long-term drainage diverges in Sphagnum versus non-Sphagnum wetlands due to varied vegetational shifts. ⌘ Read more

Combining genetic diversity data with demographic information reveals extinction risks of natural populations
Genetic diversity, a key pillar of biodiversity, is crucial for conservation. But can snapshot estimates of genetic diversity reliably indicate population extinction risk? New research shows that genome-wide genetic diversity is a strong predictor of extinction risk, but only when confounding factors are accounted for. ⌘ Read more

Why isn’t Colorado’s snowpack ending up in the Colorado River? Research suggests it might be the lack of spring rainfall
The Colorado River and its tributaries provide water for hydropower, irrigation and drinking water in seven U.S. states and Mexico. Much of this water comes from the snowpack that builds up over the winter and then melts each spring. Every year in early April, water managers use the snowpack to predict how much water will be available for the upcoming year. ⌘ Read more

Large Hadron Collider pipe brings search for elusive magnetic monopole closer than ever
New research using a decommissioned section of the beam pipe from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN has brought scientists closer than ever before to test whether magnetic monopoles exist. ⌘ Read more

New research shows unprecedented atmospheric changes during May’s geomagnetic superstorm
On May 11, a gorgeous aurora surprised stargazers across the southern United States. That same weekend, a tractor guided by GPS missed its mark. ⌘ Read more

Study of Earth’s rotation history shows deceleration has been in a staircase pattern
A multi-institutional team of geoscientists has found evidence that the Earth’s rotation slows in a staircase pattern, with two stable periods that stand out. In their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group analyzed sediment sample data going back more than a half-billion years. ⌘ Read more

Fijian coral reveals new 627-year record of Pacific Ocean climate
An international team of climate scientists have used a 627-year coral record from Fiji to reveal unprecedented insights into ocean temperatures and climate variability across the Pacific Ocean since 1370. ⌘ Read more

Study finds impacts of 4.2 ka climate event no big deal, actually
A megadrought that occurred 4,200 years ago had catastrophic impacts, potentially wiping out early empires and leading to large-scale changes worldwide. It was so significant it marked a turning point in the Earth’s geologic history. ⌘ Read more

Photon entanglement could explain the rapid brain signals behind consciousness
Understanding the nature of consciousness is one of the hardest problems in science. Some scientists have suggested that quantum mechanics, and in particular quantum entanglement, is the key to unraveling the phenomenon. ⌘ Read more

‘Very strong’ typhoon buffets Japan’s Pacific coast
A “very strong” typhoon buffeted Japan’s Pacific coast with fierce winds and heavy rain on Friday, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights and trains in the Tokyo area and leaving over 4,000 homes without power. ⌘ Read more

Scientists pinpoint dino-killing asteroid’s origin: past Jupiter
An intense debate surrounding the cosmic rock that killed the dinosaurs has stirred scientists for decades, but a new study has revealed some important—and far-out—data about the impactor’s origin story. ⌘ Read more

Seoul residents sweating with record ‘tropical nights’ weather
Residents of South Korea’s capital are resorting to novel ways to beat the heat as a century-old weather record fell Friday following a 26th “tropical night” in a row—when the temperature stays above 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit). ⌘ Read more

Massachusetts governor signs law phasing out toxic PFAS in firefighters’ gear
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed into law Thursday a bill that would phase out the use of PFAS, a group of toxic industrial compounds, in firefighters’ protective gear. ⌘ Read more

The collapse of an iconic arch in Utah has some wondering if other famous arches are also at risk
A common line of questions has emerged from visitors to Utah’s Arches National Park in the week since an iconic rock arch at Lake Powell known as the “Toilet Bowl” collapsed. ⌘ Read more

A rarely seen deep sea fish is found in California, and scientists want to know why
A rarely seen deep sea fish resembling a serpent was found floating dead on the ocean surface off the San Diego coast and was brought ashore for study, marine experts said. ⌘ Read more

New poll finds 50% of parents believe too much time on technology keeps kids from forming connections in the classroom
Building positive connections with teachers and peers in the classroom can be critical to the mental health and academic success of children and adolescents. Yet a new national poll from The Kids Mental Health Foundation, conducted by Ipsos, finds half of parents believe that spending too much time on technology and social media keeps children from making meaningful connections … ⌘ Read more

Scottish and Irish rocks confirmed as rare record of ‘snowball Earth’
A rock formation spanning Ireland and Scotland may be the world’s most complete record of “snowball Earth,” a crucial moment in planetary history when the globe was covered in ice, finds a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers. ⌘ Read more

As human activities expand in Antarctica, scientists identify crucial conservation sites
A team of scientists led by the University of Colorado Boulder has identified 30 new areas critical for conserving biodiversity in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica. In a study published Aug. 15 in the journal Conservation Biology, the researchers warn that without greater protection to limit human activities in these areas, native wildlife could face significant population declines. ⌘ Read more

Dutch bluetongue cases accelerating: official
Cases of bluetongue, a viral disease affecting sheep and cows, have shot up in the Netherlands according to official figures published Thursday, as the virus spreads also in France and Germany. ⌘ Read more

Zebrafish use surprising strategy to regrow spinal cord: Findings could help identify ways to heal spinal cord damage
Zebrafish are members of a rarefied group of vertebrates capable of fully healing a severed spinal cord. A clear understanding of how this regeneration takes place could provide clues toward strategies for healing spinal cord injuries in people. Such injuries can be devastating, causing permanent loss of sensation and movement. ⌘ Read more

Venting your frustrations can make friends like you better—if you do it right
Venting about your frustrations with one friend to another isn’t necessarily cathartic, but it can make the friend you’re talking to like and treat you better, UCLA psychologists say. Their experiments show that under certain conditions, it can be an effective form of competition that makes listeners feel closer to the person venting and like the target less. ⌘ Read more

‘Monster plants’: An expert guide to alien invasive species and the epic battles they win
A lot of people think of plants as pretty to look at, but defenseless and passive as far as organisms go. However, the many alien species—or “monster plants”—around us show we should never underestimate plants and the fascinating battles that go on beneath our feet. ⌘ Read more

Municipal politicians claim to be ideological moderates. Is it true?
Municipal politicians often argue that local government is the part of the political world where things actually get done. Other levels of government might be plagued by partisan factionalism and ideological radicalism, they like to say, but municipal government continues to chug along, effective but unrecognized. ⌘ Read more

Revealing the mysteries within microbial genomes with a new high-throughput approach
A new technique developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will make it much easier for researchers to discover the traits or activities encoded by genes of unknown function in microbes, a key step toward understanding the roles and impact of individual species. ⌘ Read more

Characterizing the impact of 700 years of Inuvialuit subsistence hunting on beluga whales
An international team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of Copenhagen and University of Toronto, analyzed beluga whale bones retrieved from archaeological sites in the Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada, to shed light on the sustainability of centuries of Inuvialuit beluga whale subsistence harvests. ⌘ Read more

Scientist performs the first nonlinear study of black hole mimickers
In recent research, a scientist from Princeton University has performed the first nonlinear study of the merger of a black hole mimicker, aiming to understand the nature of gravitational wave signals emitted by these objects, which could potentially help to identify black holes more accurately. ⌘ Read more

Study finds rains that led to deadly Indian landslides were made worse by climate change
The heavy rains that resulted in landslides killing hundreds in southern India last month were made worse by human-caused climate change, a rapid analysis by climate scientists found Tuesday. ⌘ Read more

A hopper could explore more than 150 km of Triton’s surface in two years
Neptune’s largest moon, Triton, is one of the most biologically interesting places in the solar system. Despite being hard to reach, it appears to have active volcanoes, a thin atmosphere, and even some organic molecules called tholins on its surface. However, Voyager only visited it once, in passing, 35 years ago. ⌘ Read more

The atmosphere in the room can affect strategic decision-making, study finds
The atmosphere within a group can influence the outcome of strategic decision-making, according to a new study co-authored by Bayes Business School (formerly Cass). The research is published in the Academy of Management Journal. ⌘ Read more

Common equine painkiller disrupts assisted reproduction technique efficiency in mares
Researchers at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have discovered that phenylbutazone, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) commonly prescribed in horses, can affect the ability of a mare’s egg cells—called “oocytes”—to become viable embryos, which is a crucial step in assisted reproduction in horses. ⌘ Read more

Teams forge communication shortcuts across large organizations to keep information flowing
When it comes to successful organizations, communication is key. But what does successful communication look like? A new study from North Carolina State University examines communication dynamics within a successful organization, uncovering the crucial role of position and discovering the prevalence of “shortcuts” across the hierarchy. ⌘ Read more

Why are child caregivers still paid less than retail workers? And how can Australia help fix it?
So certain is the Australian government that childcare workers are being poorly paid that it is handing them an extra 15%—10% this December, followed by a further 5% in December 2025—and speaking as if there’s more to come. ⌘ Read more

LGBTQ people have a troubled relationship with police—survey shows harassment, abuse and distrust
The LGBTQ community’s long history with law enforcement is so troubled and violent that organizers at some recent Pride parades decided to ban police from marching in the parade. ⌘ Read more