Discovery of an Isospin-Symmetric Island of Inversion in Molybdenum-84

Physicists have identified a surprising new ‘Island of Inversion’ in molybdenum-84, challenging long-held assumptions in nuclear physics. Traditionally, these regions, where atomic nuclei adopt highly…

EAA 2026

A new study reveals how oxygen first reached Earth’s oceans

For roughly two billion years of Earth’s early history, the atmosphere contained no oxygen, the essential ingredient required for complex life. Oxygen began building up during the period known as the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), but when and how it first entered the oceans has remained uncertain. A new study published in Nature Communications shows that oxygen was absorbed from the atmosphere into the shallow oceans within just a few million years—a geological blink of an eye. Led by researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the work provides new insight into one of the most important environmental shifts in Earth’s history.

Radiocarbon analysis of turfgrasses can help cities measure greenhouse gas emissions

Cities around the world are working to limit emissions of climate-warming greenhouse gases, but there have been few ways of measuring whether those gases are actually decreasing in any given municipality. In new research, University of California, Irvine scientists have created an effective method to measure greenhouse gas emissions around cities—something that can help local governments gauge the effectiveness of their emission-curbing programs.