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Feature Stories

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 10-Jan-2026 05:11 ET (10-Jan-2026 10:11 GMT/UTC)

Pure mathematics reduces ships' fuel consumption

Technical University of Denmark

Collaboration between DFDS and universities is creating digital solutions with potential for a more sustainable maritime freight transport.

Funder: Innovation Fund Denmark

The heartbeat of progress: Teamwork fuels first-of-a-kind reactor design test

DOE/Idaho National Laboratory

When asked to describe her job within the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE), Kristy Spencer smiled.

Rains, mild temperatures set the stage for strong fall hunting outlook

Texas A&M AgriLife Communications

Thanks to timely spring rains and relatively mild summer temperatures, hunters have reason to be optimistic as they take to the field this fall, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.

Although portions of the Trans Pecos, Edwards Plateau and South Texas Plains continue to experience some form of drought, more than 60% of the state is drought-free, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Not just big cities: Heat island effect plagues small communities too

University of Vermont

In the dog days of summer, the blacktop is sizzling, fans are set to high, and cooling centers are open. Research has found cities are often warmer than more rural communities because of the "heat island effect." That's when the built environment exacerbates summer’s hottest days—in fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that, with fewer plants and lots of manmade structures and materials, cities can be several degrees hotter than their surrounding areas.

But these effects are not confined to the largest cities. As the climate continues to warm, people living in small and medium sized cities and even towns are increasingly recognizing the heat island effect in their communities. University of Vermont (UVM) researcher Elizabeth Doran says community planners and public works officials have an opportunity to come to the table and do a lot to reduce temperatures.

Together with colleagues from UVM and the Georgia Institute of Technology, Doran, a professor in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, authored a 2025 report that digs into some of the solutions.

Forensics team from NJIT uses cellphone location data to help free wrongly accused

New Jersey Institute of Technology

For more than a year, Ray Wooden sat in a Pennsylvania jail for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, he’s free after two recent graduates and a current student of NJIT’s forensic science program uncovered key digital evidence that helped clear his name.

Neutron research helps find ways to boost oil recovery

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Research using neutrons at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s High Flux Isotope Reactor is helping scientists better understand how to extract oil from unconventional reservoirs, serving to reinforce America’s energy independence.

This scientist’s side hustle is creating crosswords for The New York Times

University of British Columbia

If you’re feeling unaccomplished, stop reading. It’s only going to get worse.

In his day-to-day life, Dr. Mark MacLachlan is a professor of chemistry researching something called ‘supramolecular materials’ (don’t ask) and dean of science at the University of British Columbia. His days are filled with unpronounceable chemicals and long meetings.

For the average reader, relaxing after work might involve scrolling through Instagram, reading a book, watching some junk television, say.

Dean MacLachlan creates crosswords. For The New York Times, LA Times, and The Wall Street Journal, no less. And no, he doesn’t watch Love Island.

ETRI leads creation of International Metaverse Standardization Advisory Group

National Research Council of Science & Technology

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced that the Metaverse Advisory Group was established at the ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 6 meeting in London, Great Britain this June following a proposal of Korea. The group is responsible for overseeing international standardization in the field of Metaverse communications and is chaired by principal researcher Hyun Wook.

Funder: Ministry of Science and ICT

iNaturalist: the ultimate partnership between people and planet

University of Victoria

UVic professor Brian Starzomski explains iNaturalist, an international program run out of California with many programs under that umbrella. One program is the partnership between UVic, Simon Fraser University, and BC Parks. Since the partnership launched in 2019, almost 16,000 people have uploaded well over a million observations of 14,000 species from the province’s 1,000-plus parks and protected areas.

UTA student’s research earns international recognition

University of Texas at Arlington

Maria Olds, a doctoral student at The University of Texas at Arlington, had her research on chromatography and blood alcohol recently featured in LCGC International, an internationally recognized magazine.

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