ScienceDaily

America already mines all the critical minerals it needs for energy, defense, and technology, but most are being wasted as mine tailings. Researchers discovered that minerals like cobalt, germanium, and rare earths are discarded in massive amounts, even though recovering just a fraction could eliminate U.S. dependence on imports....

The Dead Sea isn’t just the saltiest body of water on Earth—it’s a living laboratory for the formation of giant underground salt deposits. Researchers are unraveling how evaporation, temperature shifts, and unusual mixing patterns lead to phenomena like “salt snow,” which falls in summer as well as winter. These processes mirror what happened millions of years ago in the Mediterranean, leaving behind thick salt layers still buried today....

A team from the University of Illinois has uncovered surprising evolutionary links between the genetic code and tiny protein fragments called dipeptides. By analyzing billions of dipeptide sequences across thousands of species, the researchers revealed that these molecular pairs trace the earliest steps in the origin of life....

Nitazenes, a powerful and largely hidden class of synthetic opioids, are quickly becoming a deadly factor in the overdose crisis. Over 20 times stronger than fentanyl, these drugs often go undetected on routine drug tests, making overdoses harder to diagnose and reverse. Cases from Tennessee reveal a disturbing pattern of fatalities, with nitazenes frequently mixed into counterfeit pills alongside fentanyl and methamphetamine....

Why do some people stay protected after vaccination while others quickly lose immunity? Researchers in Japan tracked over 2,500 people for 18 months and found four distinct immune response patterns. The so-called “rapid-decliners” looked strong at first but lost antibodies quickly, leaving them more vulnerable to infection....

Using laser light instead of traditional mechanics, researchers have built micro-gears that can spin, shift direction, and even power tiny machines. These breakthroughs could soon lead to revolutionary medical tools working at the scale of cells....

Jezero Crater’s rocks reveal three stages of water activity, shifting from hostile acidic fluids to more life-friendly alkaline ones. Perseverance’s discoveries guide future sampling and strengthen the hunt for past life on Mars....

Faint hydrogen signals from the cosmic Dark Ages may soon help determine the mass of dark matter particles. Simulations suggest future Moon-based observatories could distinguish between warm and cold dark matter, providing long-sought answers about the invisible backbone of the Universe....

Astronomers have detected the chemical fingerprint of a frozen, water-rich planetary fragment being devoured by a white dwarf star, offering the clearest evidence yet that icy, life-delivering objects exist beyond our Solar System. The find suggests fragments like comets and dwarf planets may be common ingredients of planetary systems....