Supermassive black holes could be the universe's biggest planet nurseries

Scientists have uncovered how the interplay between cell shape and mechanical stress influences the orientation of stomata (microscopic pores on the leaf surface) during early plant development.

How was iron produced 2,000 years ago in Senegal? A recent study at the Didé West 1 archaeological site, in the Falémé Valley in eastern Senegal, sheds light on an ancient iron production technique.

Discovering new catalysts is one of the central challenges in developing clean-energy technologies such as green hydrogen production. Yet catalyst discovery has traditionally remained confined within individual material families, limiting researchers' ability to transfer knowledge across chemically distinct systems.

Legal reforms designed to curb the abusive use of "SLAPPs" are insufficient to stop the rich and powerful trying to block freedom of speech, a new study warns. Measures in the U.S., U.K. and the EU to stop strategic lawsuits against public participation do not address the deep-seated inadequacies in the law which have a chilling effect on journalists and whistleblowers, the research says.