Researchers re-examine the fossil record, proposing that animals may have originated between 800 and 700 million years ago, predating some of Earth's most extreme ice ages. This new timeline transforms our understanding of animal evolution and challenges existing assumptions about the origins of life on Earth.
A University of Oxford-led study identified 20 priority areas for new respiratory health technology to improve care for people with chronic lung disease. The study found that existing solutions often lack equity, accessibility and usability, and that patients' needs should be built into technology development from the start.
Rapid economic growth in India has led to a significant increase in coal-fired power generation, resulting in worsening outdoor air pollution and a sharp rise in urban air-pollution-related deaths. The study found that a 1% increase in GDP per capita was associated with a 1.14% increase in electricity demand.
Researchers analyzed data from 1.4 million adults in England and found that nearly two-thirds of those with high blood pressure were unaware of their condition. The study highlights the need for more proactive approaches to detecting and treating hypertension, particularly among younger adults.
The University of Oxford has been awarded €8m to develop an AI model for pandemic detection, assessment and response. The PANDAI project aims to transform the detection, assessment, prediction and response to global disease threats by combining epidemiology expertise with artificial intelligence tools.
A recent study by Oxford researchers found that food manufacturers can significantly improve the sustainability and healthiness of their products by making small changes to their product portfolios. For example, swapping out the least nutritious and sustainable products with more average-scoring alternatives can lead to substantial imp...
Researchers found older infants carried for longer periods, suggesting strong social bond drives ICC. Cause of death, maternal bond, and maternal investment also played a role in ICC duration, with disease-related deaths being carried for longest.
Researchers have captured the step-by-step assembly of virus-like particles, revealing how simple molecular interactions can reliably build complex biological structures. The study provides a molecular-level view of how protein shells assemble, allowing for the design of novel antiviral treatments and vaccines.
A new global study finds nearly half of children under 5 in developing regions are poor, undernourished, or both. The report highlights the urgent need for multisectoral approaches to address child poverty, with over 96 million children experiencing four to five deprivations, including undernutrition and out-of-school status.
Researchers at the University of Oxford have confirmed the existence of quantum entanglement in particles produced in the Large Hadron Collider. The discovery, published in Physical Review Letters, provides strong evidence for entanglement among the heaviest and most fleeting particles ever created.
Anhedonia, a common symptom of depression and other mental health conditions, may not be solely explained by dopamine pathways, according to a new international expert report. The report calls for more precise definitions, biological markers, and clinical trials targeting anhedonia as a primary outcome.
An international team has observed a distinctive change in the quantum properties of atoms as they fell under gravity, measuring a tiny difference in quantum phase accumulated while one was falling and the other was held still. This result provides an experimental connection between quantum physics and Einstein's theory of gravity.
A study of over 2,000 people in the US and China found that the distinction between medical and non-medical traits does not match public preferences. When given information, people decide not to implant embryos with a raised chance of low IQ or antisocial behavior about as often as they decide not to implant embryos with a raised chanc...
A randomised trial of 510 parents in wartime Ukraine found that support groups halved violence against children and decreased depression and anxiety symptoms. The programme, called 'Hope Groups', was designed to provide safety, trust, and hope to families during the war.
Researchers developed a new technique to estimate tides at the scale of individual beaches, revealing significant variations between beaches. This approach uses satellite images of shorelines to measure tidal patterns, enabling more accurate predictions of tide levels and coastal flooding risk.
A study by the University of Oxford has identified the brain mechanisms that help us work out whether the consequences we experience are caused by our own actions or by circumstances beyond our control. The study found that confidence in our own decisions and estimates of external circumstances provide important clues.
The Oxford Smith School and Bank of America will examine how energy storage and next-generation fuels can reshape global energy markets and strengthen UK energy resilience. The research will also identify where bottlenecks may emerge, which technologies have the greatest commercial potential, and where investment could deliver the grea...
A new study finds that beef and dairy production are the dominant drivers of both carbon loss and biodiversity loss on farmland, accounting for 41% of total biodiversity damage. Targeting these areas could deliver gains for climate and nature simultaneously.
Researchers at University of Oxford have invented a novel potassium fluoride-based Appel fluorination method that converts alcohols into alkyl halides, including fluorides. The new technology uses simple and inexpensive fluoride sources, minimizes waste, and recycles catalysts and by-products.
Researchers found that primates play, groom and care for animals from different species, hinting at social curiosity and readiness to form cross-species bonds. These behaviors may represent evolutionary building blocks for human-animal companionship.
Research highlights trade-offs between animal welfare, environmental impact, and food production in the egg industry. Shifting to entirely free-range and organic methods may increase emissions by 60% and land occupation, while cage-free systems could require larger hen populations and increase environmental pressures.
A new study reveals that industrial poultry farming has led to a 100-fold increase in Campylobacter movement, allowing strains to mix extensively in commercial poultry populations. This has resulted in more than 3.5 times as many gastroenteritis cases in the UK each year compared to other foodborne bacteria.
A global database, MATILDA, links individual dietary surveys with country-level food supply chains and population data, revealing how diets differ within countries and their environmental impacts. The study suggests tailored policies targeting specific populations can reduce emissions by up to 7.7% and improve health.
A new study reveals that many influential companies make biodiversity pledges but lack transparency and specificity, hindering accountability. Researchers identified keystone corporations across multiple sectors making commitments, but only 13% met the criteria for robustness.
New review highlights remote sensing's role in monitoring global biodiversity, with satellites capturing forest structure and function. However, field data remains essential for species-level, evolutionary, and genetic dimensions of biodiversity.
Researchers applied bioenergetic approach to evaluate competing theories about Hannibal's crossing, focusing on war elephants' energy demands. The study supports the Col de la Traversette as the more likely route, with an estimated energy cost of 5.42 TJ for the whole army.
A new study reveals that large language models can systematically alter the direction of users' messages on contested topics, even when instructed to preserve the original meaning. The researchers show how these small changes can accumulate and gradually influence broader public opinion over time.
A new study published in Communications Earth & Environment found that disease patterns in the Amazon are not random but follow distinct regional patterns linked to land use and rural economies. The study analyzed over 1.28 million reported cases of malaria, dengue, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis between 2015 and 2019.
Researchers from the University of Oxford have found evidence that Mars once had enormous magmatic systems deep beneath its surface, which could have produced complex crust and supported life. The discovery suggests that planets may not need plate tectonics to build habitable environments.
The new calculator predicts that over 98% of people eligible for statin treatment are at low risk of serious muscle disorders. The tool aims to support informed treatment decisions by providing personalized risk estimates, helping patients and clinicians weigh benefits and risks.
Researchers have discovered two rare 'super-puff' planets with densities lower than candy floss, orbiting an F7-type dwarf star. The study provides a unique laboratory for understanding how these planets form and evolve, offering insights into their extremely low densities.
A recent study challenges the widely accepted argument that the universe's expansion rate is accelerating, driven by 'dark energy' from the quantum vacuum. The research finds that cosmic expansion may be slowing down rather than speeding up.
The top 10% of global consumers are responsible for $1.7-$5.7 trillion in annual environmental damage, exceeding current climate and biodiversity financing commitments. Biodiversity loss accounts for 47-56% of total damages, while climate change accounts for 36-45%.
A new study reveals that bees can adjust their feeding to avoid over-consuming certain essential nutrients. The findings suggest that honeybees make a specialist 'baby food' that gives their larvae a better-balanced diet, and that pollen mixing and processing by nurse bees may help overcome nutritional limitations.
A new study has found that kneecap resurfacing during total knee replacement is likely to be the most cost-effective approach for patients and healthcare systems over the long term. The study, which followed over 1,700 patients for 20 years, showed that resurfacing the kneecap produced more health benefits than not doing so.
A new Oxford study documents the hidden systems of emotional control sustaining Georgia's transnational surrogacy market, where intermediaries govern emotions and discipline conduct. Most women enter surrogacy through advertising on Instagram and TikTok, while staged payments reinforce financial control over their mobility.
Researchers identified a driver of inflammatory bowel disease, a group of biologically distinct diseases driven by different underlying mechanisms. Autoimmune responses to interleukin-10 lead to uncontrolled inflammation in ~3.5% of IBD patients, carrying a genetic variant linked to severe disease.
A comprehensive study reveals the Bornean ferret badger is found only in Sabah's western highlands, with a previously unknown population discovered in Nuluhon-Trusmadi Forest Reserve. The species' range and distribution are largely confined to mountain landscapes, highlighting the need for conservation efforts to protect its habitat.
A new study found that ancient genome duplications laid the foundations for complex brains in vertebrates. The researchers discovered that many major cell type families arose after a genome duplication event, and further duplicates added to this diversity.
Researchers from the University of Oxford have demonstrated a new family of quantum superpositions using highly nonclassical building blocks. The experiment used a trapped ion to create exotic motional superpositions with programmable control, revealing true quantum states.
The State of Carbon Dioxide Removal report reveals that current pledges fall short of pathways limiting warming to 1.5°C by more than 5 billion tonnes of CO2 per year by 2050. CDR must grow at rates comparable to or faster than the most rapid clean energy transitions, including solar power.
A new study from the University of Oxford found that drought exposure is associated with increased risk of sexual, emotional and physical violence among adolescents in Southern Africa. Girls and young women face the highest risk of violence during drought conditions.
A new Oxford study models the impact of compound shocks on global grain supplies, highlighting countries with diverse suppliers and flexible trade networks as more resilient. The analysis suggests that producing all food domestically is unfeasible for many countries, leaving them exposed to global food crises.
A new study suggests that human right-handedness is rooted in how we evolved to walk upright and developed larger brains. This two-stage process freed hands for fine, lateralized manual behaviors and hardened the bias over time.
A new study finds that coal pollution reduces global solar electricity output by 5.8%, equivalent to 111 TWh of lost energy, with aerosol-related losses reaching 74.0 TWh annually. This constraint on the clean energy transition underscores the need for pollution control measures to maximize renewable energy output.
A large prospective study found that incorporating imaging and blood biomarker data into risk assessment improves prediction of adverse cardiac events in people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The study used clinical history, cardiac MRI, and blood biomarkers to predict outcomes, providing fuller and more accurate predictions.
Researchers at Oxford have demonstrated a new type of quantum interaction called quadsqueezing, a fourth-order effect that was previously unreachable. By controlling complex forms of squeezing, the team has created stronger and more accessible quantum effects for applications in simulation, sensing, and computing.
A new study from the University of Oxford suggests that losing a parent in adulthood can have lasting effects on earnings and mental health. Women with young children experience a larger earnings decline due to the loss of informal childcare.
Researchers have identified a novel molecular imaging agent, 99mTc-maraciclatide, as a potential tool for diagnosing and monitoring endometriosis. The study found that maraciclatide binds to αvβ3 integrin, which is upregulated during angiogenesis in endometriosis.
A new study from the University of Oxford finds that training chatbots to sound warmer makes them up to 30% less accurate and 40% more likely to agree with false beliefs. Researchers tested five AI models, finding that warm models made significant factual errors and validated users' incorrect opinions.