#Science104

31 Dec 2025

How UV Light Changes Ice Chemistry

Scientists used quantum simulations to see how ultraviolet (UV) light alters the chemistry of ice. The results help explain old experiments and could affect predictions about greenhouse gas release from thawing permafrost and icy moons.

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Photo by Una Miller, Unsplash

31 Dec 2025

Futurity’s top 10 research stories of 2025

At the end of 2025 Futurity listed its top ten research news posts. The selection included stories on pet health, batteries, ancient peoples, brain and sleep research, materials and a possible way to lower PFAS in people.

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30 Dec 2025

Microbes help tell how old termite pellets are

A University of California, Riverside study found that microbes in termite pellets change after exposure to air. Measuring bacterial DNA over time can distinguish fresh from old pellets and could enable a quick on-site test.

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30 Dec 2025

Jaw membrane in ancient Thrinaxodon may be an early eardrum

Researchers used CT scans and engineering simulations on a Thrinaxodon fossil. Their models show a membrane in the jaw could work as an eardrum, pushing the origin of sensitive mammal hearing back by nearly 50 million years.

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30 Dec 2025

Foot bones show a species lived with Lucy

Researchers linked a set of foot bones found in Ethiopia to Australopithecus deyiremeda, a species that lived at the same time as Lucy. The fossils and tooth studies give new clues about walking and diet.

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30 Dec 2025

Rats with higher stress levels use cannabis more

A study found that rats with higher natural stress hormone levels were more likely to self-administer cannabis vapor. Researchers measured behaviour, stress hormones and cognitive traits to find links with cannabis-seeking.

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29 Dec 2025

Virtual reality near‑death simulation reduces fear of death

A small pilot study found a single short virtual reality simulation of a near‑death experience sharply reduced death anxiety in architecture students. Most participants reported lower stress, though a few felt more anxious.

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28 Dec 2025

Algae-based synthetic gel supports mammary tissue growth

In 2020 a PhD student and her adviser at UC Santa Barbara developed an algae-based synthetic membrane to support mammary epithelial cells. Their tunable gel, reported in Science Advances, can direct cell growth by changing mechanical and biochemical cues.

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28 Dec 2025

Light tool measures activity inside living brain cells

Researchers developed a bioluminescent calcium sensor called CaBLAM to record activity inside living brain cells without external light. The tool works in mice and zebrafish and enables long recordings that avoid damage from bright light.

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28 Dec 2025

Hunting linked to more female wild turkey chicks

A study found that wild turkey offspring sex ratios differ where hunting occurs. In hunted areas more males die and researchers saw more female chicks, which could change how populations grow and reproduce.

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26 Dec 2025

Climate shifts shaped carnivoran bodies

New research finds that ancient climate changes helped shape the bodies of carnivorans, which evolved from mongoose-like ancestors. Two major transitions — about 34 million and 15–13 million years ago — influenced body-shape diversification.

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26 Dec 2025

Molecules in million‑year‑old fossils show a warmer, wetter past

Researchers extracted metabolism molecules from fossil bones aged 1.3–3 million years. Analyses of animal and plant metabolites reveal diets, infections and local environments and suggest the study sites were warmer and wetter than today.

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24 Dec 2025

Hub cells in the brain keep the body clock on time

Researchers used a new computational method called MITE to map how cells in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) talk to each other. They found a small group of hub cells that are essential for network synchrony and for the body clock.

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