Science

Cell type-specific early hallmarks of Down syndrome are uncovered.

Miniature leaping robots are desired to perform fast, programmable, and versatile motions. In this study, we present our approach for harnessing the impulsive unknotting process triggered upon heating millimeter-sized knots made from Kevlar-reinforced liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) composite fibers. The LCE shell with twisted mesogens undergoes torsional deformation, generating an actuation force…

Whistleblower alleges Finnish startup's vaunted solid-state battery isn't what it claims.

Ugandan children who survived a severe infection do worse on cognitive tests many years later.

Analysis of recent in situ data reveals a persistent mode of organic-rich aerosol particles in the stratosphere below 19 kilometers at nitrous oxide (N₂O) > 270 parts per billion by volume, with a number geometric mean diameter of ~0.03 to 0.11 μm (0.08 to 0.2 μm in surface and 0.11 to 0.3 μm in volume). This mode, composed mostly of organic-rich particles transported from the troposph…

An in vivo approach combining high-throughput screening with cell type-specific readouts could enable elucidation of genotype-phenotype relationships in complex tissues. We developed an in vivo gain-of-function Perturb-seq platform, termed iGOF-Perturb-seq, to build a functional atlas of ~1000 transcription factors (TFs) in astrocytes, a cell type essential to many brain functions. We then identi…

Current climate goals, largely focused on energy supply, should be complemented by targeting demand.

First Arctic trials of climate fix show pumped seawater adds and brightens ice, but gains did not last.

The synthesis of a carbon-free analog of ferrocene has been a long-standing goal in inorganic chemistry. We report here the preparation and crystallographic characterization of the carbon-free sandwich complex [Os(η⁵-B₅H₁₀)₂], which is qualitatively similar to ferrocene in structure and bonding. The metal-ring bonding is much stronger in [Os(η<sup>5</su…

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) causes substantial morbidity and mortality and has few effective therapies. Its phenotype has changed over time, with morbid obesity and metabolic defects supplanting hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy. We reveal that cardiomyocytes from patients with severe obesity and HFpEF have very depressed contractile reserve, including reduced calciu…

Earthquake magnitude is controlled by where and when rupture propagation stops. Yet rupture arrest has rarely been directly observed in near-field seismic records of natural earthquakes. Here we present systematic near-field observations of ground-motion stopping phases from large strike-slip earthquakes. Analysis of 12 global events shows that transient overshoot in fault-parallel ground surface…

A push to expand mines that use fluids to extract uranium from aquifers is raising concerns about groundwater pollution.

New investigation of ads for paper mills puts numbers to shady practice.

A silver complex catalyzes formation of carbon-nitrogen bonds in compounds of industrial interest.

Color resists simple description—that has not stopped dictionary lexicographers from trying

Editors' selections from the current scientific literature.