Universal scheme efficiently generates arbitrary two-qubit gates in superconducting quantum processors

Spider-inspired magnetic soft robots could perform minimally invasive gastrointestinal tract procedures

MicroBooNE detector excludes electron neutrino cause of MiniBooNE anomaly

Astronomers detect a new black-widow pulsar

New light-powered gears fit inside a strand of hair

People with conservative political leanings more likely to believe in health disinformation, study finds

The AI model that teaches itself to think through problems, no humans required

Jaguar swims over a kilometer, showing dams are not absolute barriers to large carnivores

Carbon credits have little to no effect on making companies greener, study reveals

Primordial black hole’s final burst may solve neutrino mystery

Dogs can extend word meanings to new objects based on function, not appearance

ChatGPT appears to improvise when put through ancient Greek math puzzle

Flexible optical touch sensor simultaneously pinpoints pressure strength and location

Discovery of insects trapped in amber sheds light on ancient Amazon rainforest

Oil rig study reveals vital role of tiny hoverflies

U.S. faces rising death toll from wildfire smoke, study finds

Wildfires burning across Canada and the Western United States are spewing smoke over millions of Americans—the latest examples of ashy haze becoming a regular experience, with health impacts far greater than scientists previously estimated.

Droughts sync up across India’s major rivers as the climate changes, 800 years of streamflow records suggest

Streamflow drought—when substantially less water than usual moves through rivers—can seriously disrupt the welfare of nearby communities, agriculture, and economies. Synchronous drought, in which multiple river basins experience drought simultaneously, can be even more severe and far-reaching.

A major shift in the US landscape: ‘Wild’ disturbances are overtaking human-directed changes

If it feels like headlines reporting 100 or 1,000-year floods and megafires seem more frequent these days, it’s not your imagination.

Meet the microbes: What a warming wetland reveals about Earth’s carbon future

Between a third and half of all soil carbon on Earth is stored in peatlands, says Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor Joel Kostka. These wetlands—formed from layers and layers of decaying plant matter—span from the Arctic to the tropics, supporting biodiversity and regulating global climate.

Warming climate—not overgrazing—is biggest threat to rangelands, study suggests

More than half of Earth’s terrestrial surface is rangeland—vast open areas of native vegetation, suitable for grazing. These areas feed 50% of the world’s livestock and support the livelihoods of more than 2 billion people. The continental U.S. is about one-third rangeland.

Europe, Mediterranean coast saw record drought in August: EU data

Europe and the Mediterranean basin saw record drought in August, with more than half of the land affected, according to AFP analysis of EU data.

Climate change linked to landslide that buried Swiss village

In May, a landslide above Blatten in the canton of Valais buried most of the village under a mass of ice, mud and rock, an event that has prompted in-depth research. At a recent conference in Innsbruck, UZH researcher Christian Huggel presented his findings on the link between the landslide and climate change.

Arctic sea ice reaches annual low

With the end of summer approaching in the Northern Hemisphere, the extent of sea ice in the Arctic shrank to its annual minimum on Sept. 10, according to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center. The total sea ice coverage was tied with 2008 for the 10th-lowest on record at 1.78 million square miles (4.60 million square kilometers). In the Southern Hemisphere, where winter is ending, Antarctic ice is still accumulating but remains relatively low compared to ice levels recorded before 2016.

Cut emissions 70% by 2035? There’s only one policy that can get us there

Australia’s new emission reduction target of 62–70% by 2035 is meant to demonstrate we are doing our part to hold climate change well below 2°C.

Climate inequity in natural flood management solutions

A new study co-authored by the University of Lincoln, U.K., reveals that competitive funding schemes designed to support nature-based solutions (NbS) for flood management may be unintentionally deepening inequalities—with deprived communities at greater flood risk missing out on crucial protection.

Either too little or too much: Report finds world’s water cycles are getting more erratic

The water cycle has become increasingly erratic and extreme, swinging between deluge and drought, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). It highlights the cascading impacts of too much or too little water on economies and society.

A walk across Alaska’s Arctic sea ice brings to life the losses that appear in climate data

As I walked out onto the frozen Arctic water off Utqiagvik, Alaska, for the first time, I was mesmerized by the icescape.

Quantifying the economic cost of climate change for Europe’s forests

Wildfires, storms, and bark beetles are putting increasing pressure on Europe’s forests. Beyond their ecological toll, these events also carry major economic consequences. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now quantified the potential financial losses climate change could cause for European forestry. Their findings reveal significant regional differences: while Northern Europe may even benefit, Central and Southern Europe will need to adapt quickly.

New flood maps and data aim to protect Texas communities

The catastrophic floods that hit the Texas Hill Country in July left residents and officials scrambling for answers. In response, the Hydrology & Hydroinformatics Innovation (H2I) Lab at The University of Texas at Arlington, led by civil engineering assistant professor Adnan Rajib, developed real-time, time-stamped flood maps showing how quickly the Guadalupe River rose. The visual data, later featured by CBS News Texas, helped residents and local and state officials better understand how the disaster unfolded.

Australia unveils ‘anti-climactic’ new emissions cuts

Australia pledged on Thursday to slash planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70% from 2005 levels over the next decade, a target activists warned was not ambitious enough.

Only 40% of countries have booked lodging for Amazon climate meet

Less than two months before the COP30 UN climate conference in Brazil, only 40% of nations have booked accommodation in the Amazon city of Belem, where prices have soared, organizers said Wednesday.

EU seeks ‘face-saving’ deal on UN climate target

EU countries sought Thursday to settle on an emissions-cutting plan to bring to a key UN conference in Brazil, as divisions on the bloc’s green agenda threaten its global leadership on climate.

The climate policies that EU citizens like (and those they don’t)

A new survey—implemented within the research project CAPABLE—finds that several climate change mitigation policies are supported by a majority of the respondents across the European Union. For instance, 70% of the European population would support the creation of an EU Rail Fund, while 55% would support both household insulation mandates and banning private planes.