Facing Legal Action, Insurer Now Will Cover People Taking Truvada, an H.I.V.-Prevention Drug
Regulators had accused Mutual of Omaha of denying policies to applicants, mostly gay men, who took medication to protect against the infection.
30min
Birth of a black hole or neutron star captured for first time
After combining several imaging sources, including hard X-rays and radiowaves, a team now speculates that the telescopes captured the exact moment a star collapsed to form a compact object, such as a black hole or neutron star. The stellar debris, approaching and swirling around the object's event horizon, caused The Cow's remarkably bright glow.
30min
Radio Atlantic: How to Fix Social Media
Subscribe to Radio Atlantic: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play Social media platforms once promised to connect the world. Today’s digital communities, though, often feel like forces for disunity. Anger and discord in 2018 seemed only amplified by the social media institutions that now dictate our conversations. Executive editor Matt Thompson sits down with staff writer Alexis Madr
47min
Research fosters communication between smart buildings and people
Researchers found people connect better with a computer-generated avatar that represents building management — and small talk helped, too.
16min
How much is too much? Even moderate alcohol consumption is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation
Excessive alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF), but what are the effects of moderate and mild consumption on AF? In a new study, researchers showed that regular moderate alcohol consumption results in more electrical evidence of scarring and impairments in electrical signaling compared with non-drinkers and light drinkers.
16min
Application of CRISPR/Cas to the Generation of Genetically Engineered Mice
With this application note from Taconic, learn about the power that the CRISPR/Cas system has to revolutionize the field of custom mouse model generation!
18min
Treat vitamin D deficiency to prevent deadly lung attacks
Vitamin D supplements have been found to reduce the risk of potentially fatal lung attacks in some chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, according to a study led by Queen Mary University of London.
20min
Foundation funding changes international reporting
Funding by private foundations is inadvertently changing the international journalism it supports, according to a new study led by the University of East Anglia (UEA).Researchers found that journalists change the ways they understand, value and carry out their work when supported by organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
20min
High intake of dietary fiber and whole grains associated with reduced risk of non-communicable diseases
Observational studies and clinical trials conducted over nearly 40 years reveal the health benefits of eating at least 25g to 29g or more of dietary fiber a day, according to a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
30min
Experimental antibody 'cocktail' protects animals from three deadly Ebola viruses
Scientists have developed a combination of monoclonal antibodies that protected animals from all three Ebola viruses that cause human disease. The antibody 'cocktail,' called MBP134, is the first experimental treatment to protect monkeys against Ebola virus (formerly known as Ebola Zaire), as well as Sudan virus and Bundibugyo virus, and could lead to a broadly effective therapeutic.
30min
Mother fruit flies use sex pheromones to veil eggs, preventing cannibalism
Researchers report how fruit flies, which lay eggs communally, use chemical deception to protect their eggs from being cannibalized by their own larvae.
30min
Madariaga virus spreads to Haiti
Madariaga virus (MADV), or South American eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), has — until now — been found primarily in animals of South and Central America, with the first human outbreak occurring in Panama in 2010. Now, scientists report the identification of MADV in eight children in Haiti in 2015 and 2016.
30min
The Lancet: High intake of dietary fiber and whole grains associated with reduced risk of non-communicable diseases
Peer-reviewed / Meta-analysis and systematic review / PeopleObservational studies and clinical trials conducted over nearly 40 years reveal the health benefits of eating at least 25g to 29g or more of dietary fiber a day, according to a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in The Lancet.
56min
How junk food can make you pick something healthier
Whether we pick healthy or indulgent foods may depend on what other foods sit nearby on the grocery shelf, new research suggests. Paradoxically, the nearby presence of an indulgent treat can cause more people to opt for a healthy food, says study coauthor Scott Huettel, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. Context, in other words, affects food choices. “When people choose
1h
This Exploding 'Cow' May Be the First Black Hole Birth Ever Observed
Is this exploding "Cow" the first live birth of a black hole or neutron star ever seen from Earth?
1h
What the Slowdown in FDA Food Inspections Means for You (Spoiler: Don't Panic Yet)
The ongoing government shutdown has put a halt to some food safety inspections, but that doesn't necessarily mean that your salad or sushi is any more risky to eat than before.
1h
Lawsuit Claims Google Board Covered Up Sexual MisconductGoogle Alphabet A. Rubin
An Alphabet shareholder takes aim at exit payments to executives who had been accused of harassment, including a $90 million package for Andy Rubin.
1h
Unhealthy sperm can play a role in lost pregnancies
Health Bringing a pregnancy to term requires a healthy sperm and egg. According to a new study, though, the sperm of men whose partners’ experience pregnancy losses have increased DNA damage—which is linked to bad outcomes in pregnancy. In…
1h
The Atlantic Politics & Policy Daily: Wall They or Won’t They
What We’re Following Today It’s Thursday, January 10, and the partial government shutdown has been going on for 20 days. President Donald Trump visited the southern border in the town of McAllen, Texas, where he continued to push for his proposed wall; before he left, he told reporters he was prepared to declare a national emergency to unlock funding for the project. In a Holding Pattern: Even af
1h
Cartilage could be key to safe 'structural batteries'
Your knees and your smartphone battery have some surprisingly similar needs, a professor has discovered, and that new insight has led to a 'structural battery' prototype that incorporates a cartilage-like material to make the batteries highly durable and easy to shape.
1h
Viral production is not essential for deaths caused by food-borne pathogen
The replication of a bacterial virus is not necessary to cause lethal disease in mice infected with a food-borne pathogen called Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), according to a new study. The surprising findings could lead to the development of novel strategies for the treatment of EHEC and life-threatening kidney-related complications in children.
1h
Cancer: Drug fights formation of metastasis
The most deadly aspect of breast cancer is metastasis. It spreads cancer cells throughout the body. Researchers have now discovered a substance that suppresses the formation of metastases.
1h
Broadcasting from Deep Space, a Mysterious Series of Radio Signals
Astronomers have identified a second set of odd radio bursts from the distant universe. Aliens probably aren’t causing it, but what is?
1h
Maggots Will Soon Be Sent to War Zones to Heal the Injured
Maggots can be creepy, crawly and … medicinal?
1h
Women's Sexuality Is Still Taboo for Tech—at Least at CES
Sex robots and VR porn are fine, but a robotic vibrator that delivers a blended orgasm to women is immoral and profane? Oh the hypocrisy.
2h
AI approach outperformed human experts in identifying cervical precancer
A research team has developed a computer algorithm that can analyze digital images of a woman's cervix and accurately identify precancerous changes that require medical attention. This artificial intelligence (AI) approach, called automated visual evaluation, has the potential to revolutionize cervical cancer screening, particularly in low-resource settings.
2h
Discovery adapts natural membrane to make hydrogen fuel from water
Scientists have combined two membrane-bound protein complexes to perform a complete conversion of water molecules to hydrogen and oxygen.
2h
Birth of a black hole or neutron star captured for first time
A Northwestern University-led international team is getting closer to understanding the mysteriously bright object that burst in the northern sky this summer.
2h
Shutdown Puts Work On Hold For Researchers Collaborating With Government Scientists
The shutdown means government scientists aren't working, and their academic collaborators are spinning their wheels. A plant geneticist in Iowa speaks of frustration and loneliness during the shutdown.
2h
Birth of a black hole or neutron star captured for the first time
A Northwestern University-led international team of astronomers is getting closer to understanding the mysterious bright object that burst in the northern sky this summer, dubbed AT2018cow or 'The Cow.' With the help of W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaii and the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy's ATLAS twin telescopes, the multi-institutional team now has evidence that they lik
2h
Perceptions of chronic fatigue syndrome in the emergency department
Findings from a novel online questionnaire of people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) suggest the majority of these patients do not receive proper care, say researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center in the first investigation of the presentation of CFS in the emergency department.
2h
Unusual supernova opens a rare window on the collapse of a star
An unusual supernova studied by multiple telescopes, including the SOAR telescope and other telescopes at the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) and NSF's Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), is thought to herald the birth of a new black hole or neutron star, caught at the exact moment of its creation. Observations made with facilities ranging from
2h
Birth of a black hole or neutron star captured for first time
After combining several imaging sources, including hard X-rays and radiowaves, a Northwestern University-led team now speculates that the telescopes captured the exact moment a star collapsed to form a compact object, such as a black hole or neutron star. The stellar debris, approaching and swirling around the object's event horizon, caused The Cow's remarkably bright glow.
2h
For the first time, astronomers have observed the formation of a black hole or neutron star
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2h
Unusual supernova opens a rare window on the collapse of a star
An unusual supernova studied by multiple telescopes, including the SOAR telescope and other telescopes at the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) and NSF's Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), is thought to herald the birth of a new black hole or neutron star, caught at the exact moment of its creation. Observations made with facilities ranging from
2h
New materials could help improve the performance of perovskite solar cells
New research could lead to the design of new materials to help improve the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs).
2h
UCLA researchers correct genetic mutation that causes IPEX, a life-threatening autoimmune syndrome
UCLA researchers led by Dr. Donald Kohn have created a method for modifying blood stem cells to reverse the genetic mutation that causes a life-threatening autoimmune syndrome called IPEX.
2h
Firings and a Resignation Roil NEON Ecological Observatory
The chief scientist at the NSF initiative quits after two leaders were let go without her input.
2h
Far-ranging fin whales find year-round residence in Gulf of California
Researchers from Mexico and the United States have concluded that a population of fin whales in the rich Gulf of California ecosystem may live there year-round — an unusual circumstance for a whale species known to migrate across ocean basins.
2h
Astronomers find signatures of a 'messy' star that made its companion go supernova
Astronomers announced that they have identified the type of companion star that made its partner in a binary system, a carbon-oxygen white dwarf star, explode. Through repeated observations of SN 2015cp, a supernova 545 million light years away, the team detected hydrogen-rich debris that the companion star had shed prior to the explosion.
2h
More stable light comes from intentionally 'squashed' quantum dots
Intentionally 'squashing' colloidal quantum dots during chemical synthesis creates dots capable of stable, 'blink-free' light emission that is fully comparable with the light produced by dots made with more complex processes.
2h
Disconnect between brain's dopamine system and cocaine addiction
Researchers have revealed significant insight into cocaine addiction, a phenomenon which has grown significantly in the United States since 2015.
2h
Bioinspired nanoscale drug delivery method
Researchers have developed a novel way to deliver drugs and therapies into cells at the nanoscale without causing toxic effects that have stymied other such efforts. The work could someday lead to more effective therapies and diagnostics for cancer and other illnesses.
2h
Decades-old question about protein found in Alzheimer's brain plaques
Alzheimer's-affected brains are riddled with so-called amyloid plaques: protein aggregates consisting mainly of amyloid-beta. However, this amyloid-beta is a fragment produced from a precursor protein whose normal function has remained enigmatic for decades. A team of scientists has now uncovered that this amyloid precursor protein modulates neuronal signal transmission through binding to a specif
2h
Study suggests how to treat diastolic heart failure
New research uncovers what causes diastolic heart failure and how it can be treated.
2h
Fish farmers of the Caribbean
There are only so many fish in the sea. And our appetite for seafood has already stressed many wild fisheries to the breaking point. Meanwhile, the planet's growing population will only further increase the need for animal protein, one of the most resource-intensive types of food to produce.
2h
Spacewatch: Nasa's Osiris-Rex spacecraft orbits asteroid Bennu
The craft is to collect samples of material that reflect the solar system’s earliest stages Nasa’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft has achieved orbit around asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft eased into orbit with an eight-second burn of its thruster on 31 December at 19.43 GMT. Its mission is to survey the small asteroid and then collect a sample of the surface material to send back to Earth for analysis. Con
2h
Parker Tries to Move Slucifer Using a Dozer | Gold Rush
With his excavator unavailable, Parker needs to move his wash-plant, Slucifer, 600 yards using his dozer. Stream Full Episodes of Gold Rush: https://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/gold-rush/ Subscribe to Discovery: http://bit.ly/SubscribeDiscovery Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoldRush/ https://www.facebook.com/Discovery Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gold_Rush https://twit
2h
Can more ‘flags’ help CRISPR treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy?
Researchers have overcome a barrier in CRISPR gene editing that may make it an effective way to treat long-term chronic conditions, like Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The body’s natural defensive ability to fend off viruses inspired CRISPR gene editing. The technology allows scientists to cut out and replace a mutation in the genome to alter DNA sequences, which has the potential to treat a
2h
Discovery adapts natural membrane to make hydrogen fuel from water
In a recent study from the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, scientists have combined two membrane-bound protein complexes to perform a complete conversion of water molecules to hydrogen and oxygen.
2h
Spintronics 'miracle material' put to the test
Researchers present two devices built using perovskite to demonstrate the material's potential in spintronic systems. Its properties, they say, bring the dream of a spintronic transistor one step closer to reality.
3h
For these birds, climate change spells a rise in fatal conflicts
Researchers have found yet another way in which climate change has been detrimental to migrating birds. As European winters have become warmer, pied flycatchers traveling from Africa to reach breeding grounds in the Netherlands are arriving to find that resident great tits have already claimed nesting sites for the season. As a result, the number of flycatchers killed in great tit nests has risen
3h
Giving Cas9 an 'on' switch for better control of CRISPR gene editing
Scientists have created an 'on' switch for CRISPR-Cas9 that allows it to be turned on in select cells only, specifically those that have a particular protein-cutting enzyme, or protease. Viruses produce such proteases, as do cancer cells, so the Cas9 variants — called ProCas9 — could be used as sensors for viral infections or cancer. The variants were discovered by circular permutations on wild-
3h
Chirality in 'real-time'
Distinguishing between left-handed and right-handed ('chiral') molecules is crucial in chemistry and the life sciences, and is commonly done using a method called circular dichroism. However, during biochemical reactions the chiral character of molecules may change. Scientists have for the first time developed a method that uses ultrashort deep-ultraviolet pulses to accurately probe such changes i
3h
2D materials may enable electric vehicles to get 500 miles on a single charge
New 2D catalysts boost energy capacity of lithium-air batteries.
3h
New technique more precisely determines the ages of stars, Embry-Riddle researchers report
A new technique for understanding the star-forming history of the Milky Way in unprecedented detail makes it possible to determine the ages of stars at least two times more precisely than conventional methods, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University researchers reported Jan. 10, 2019, at the American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting.
3h
Chemical synthesis of nanotubes
For the first time, researchers used benzene — a common hydrocarbon — to create a novel kind of molecular nanotube, which could lead to new nanocarbon-based semiconductor applications.
3h
Dr. Lewis L. Judd, 88, Advocate of Brain Science, Dies at 88
At the National Institute of Mental Health, he helped put in place an ambitious research agenda focused on biology as the key to understanding psychiatric problems.
3h
Men and women remember pain differently
There may be variations, based on sex, in the way that both mice and humans remember pain, according to new research. Scientists increasingly believe that one of the driving forces in chronic pain—the number one health problem in both prevalence and burden—appears to be the memory of earlier pain. The researchers found that men (and male mice) remembered earlier painful experiences clearly. As a
3h
FBI Agents Say the Shutdown Is a Threat to National Security
They’ve weathered blistering attacks from the president, the exposure of sensitive sources, and the politicization of classified information. And now they’re not getting paid. “I’m not going to try to candy-coat it,” Tom O’Connor, a special agent and president of the FBI Agents Association, told me this week. “We really feel that the financial insecurities we are facing right now equate to a nati
3h
New technique more precisely determines the ages of stars
How old are each of the stars in our roughly 13-billion-year-old galaxy? A new technique for understanding the star-forming history of the Milky Way in unprecedented detail makes it possible to determine the ages of stars at least two times more precisely than conventional methods, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University researchers reported Jan. 10 at the American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting.
3h
Renault audit finds no fraud yet as Ghosn faces key hearing
The board of French automaker Renault on Thursday said an ongoing audit into executive pay had found no sign of fraud in the last two years, ahead of a new court appearance in Japan for CEO Carlos Ghosn.
3h
CES 2019: "Family tech" gadgets appeal to parental anxiety
Every year, the CES gadget show brings more devices promising to make life a little bit easier for harried parents.
3h
More stable light comes from intentionally 'squashed' quantum dots
Intentionally "squashing" colloidal quantum dots during chemical synthesis creates dots capable of stable, "blink-free" light emission that is fully comparable with the light produced by dots made with more complex processes. The squashed dots emit spectrally narrow light with a highly stable intensity and a non-fluctuating emission energy. New research at Los Alamos National Laboratory suggests t
3h
Astronomers find signatures of a 'messy' star that made its companion go supernova
Many stars explode as luminous supernovae when, swollen with age, they run out of fuel for nuclear fusion. But some stars can go supernova simply because they have a close and pesky companion star that, one day, perturbs its partner so much that it explodes.
3h
Far-ranging fin whales find year-round residence in Gulf of California
Researchers from Mexico and the United States have concluded that a population of fin whales in the rich Gulf of California ecosystem may live there year-round—an unusual circumstance for a whale species known to migrate across ocean basins.
3h
Social and environmental costs of hydropower are underestimated, study shows
Study shows that deforestation, loss of biodiversity and economic damage done to communities living near dams have not been factored into the cost of these projects. Large dams also ignore the effects of climate change.
3h
Solving the ancient mysteries of Easter Island
The ancient people of Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile) built their famous ahu monuments near coastal freshwater sources, according to a team of researchers.
3h
A Look at CRISPR and the First Genetically-Modified Humans
Cracking Pandora’s Box – New Tools and New Frontiers In November of 2018, Chinese scientist He Jiankui revealed to the world that he had orchestrated the genetic modification and birth of two twin girls in China[1]. Psuedonymed Nana and Lulu, these newborns are the first known human babies to be born following modification of their … Continue reading "A Look at CRISPR and the First Genetically-Mod
3h
Taking ginger pills can make disgusting ideas more palatable
A set of experiments using the anti-nausea powers of ginger has revealed the role our gut feelings play in shaping our moral judgements and emotions
3h
Wasp eggs laid on paralysed insects emit gas that keeps victims fresh
The beewolf wasp paralyses its prey then lays eggs on their bodies. The eggs emit a gas that keeps the food fresh for when the offspring hatch
3h
A ghostly trick produces X-ray images with a lower dose of radiation
Producing X-rays using a technique called ghost imaging, in which only some of the radiation passes through the subject, could reduce the dose required for cancer screening
3h
AI created images of food just by reading the recipes
AI can read a recipe and guess what the food will look like. Some of the results look like food you might cook at home, others look like inedible mush
3h
Bumblebees lose sleep looking after the young by napping half as much
Worker bees tend to their queen’s eggs, feeding and grooming her offspring until they grow into adults – and they lose a significant amount of sleep doing the job
3h
Hubble Telescope camera breaks – and US shutdown might delay repair
The wide-field camera on the Hubble Space Telescope has developed a fault – just as key NASA staff are unable to work because of the US government shutdown
3h
Medieval dental plaque suggests women played important role as scribes
A rare blue pigment found in a medieval woman's teeth adds to the idea that many scribes at the time were women
3h
Did older Facebook users sharing fake news really help elect Trump?
Nearly 1 in 10 Facebook users shared fake news during the 2016 US election. Most were Republicans over 65, but we still don't know whether this influenced the result
3h
Millions of years ago a massive whale-eating whale roamed the seas
Huge sharp-toothed whales lived in the oceans million of years ago. An analysis of stomach contents suggests the species was top of the food chain
3h
Astronomers have seen dying stars slowly crystallise and turn solid
Data from the Gaia satellite has revealed that the oldest stars in the Milky Way are crystallising as they cool down, a process that will take billions of years
3h
Radio wave bursts from space keep hitting Earth and we don't know why
Astronomers have found 13 more fast radio bursts from space, and one is only the second seen to repeat – which could help us figure out what creates the mysterious signals
3h
China is showing the rest of the world how to build a cashless society
Mobile payment services are seeing explosive growth in China, where apps like Alipay and WeChat Pay let people do everything from paying bills to booking a taxi
3h
Drones are causing airport chaos – why can't we stop them?
For the second time in less than a month a drone has shutdown an airport, here's why they wreak so much havoc and what would happen if one hit a plane
3h
Crows can guess the weight of an object by watching it sway in wind
New Caledonian crows are famous for their clever tool-making abilities. Now it seems they are also able to guess an object's weight by watching it move
3h
Exclusive: Cuba failed to report thousands of Zika virus cases in 2017
An analysis of travel logs has revealed an unreported outbreak of Zika in Cuba, which might have increased the risk of infection in other countries
3h
A UK police force is dropping tricky cases on advice of an algorithm
A UK police force uses an algorithm to choose which crimes to investigate. It has led to half as many assaults and public order offences being pursued
3h
Flowers hear bees and make sweeter nectar when they’re buzzing nearby
Evening primrose flowers appear to be sensitive to the sounds of bees, increasing the sugar level of their nectar by 20 per cent when exposed to their buzzing
3h
IBM unveils its first commercial quantum computer
IBM's sleek-looking Q System One is its first commercial quantum computer. It will be available for clients to access over the internet
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3h
Core set of genes explain why some animals stick to one mate at a time
Across a wide range of species, from mice to fish, a common set of genetic changes appear to be linked to monogamous behaviour
3h
A hormone released during exercise might protect against Alzheimer's
Exercise improves mental performance and this may be due to a hormone called Irisin. The hormone may help protect against Alzheimer's disease too
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3h
Ditching Facebook could reduce stress but also make you less happy
People who took a five-day break from Facebook had a decreased level in the stress hormone cortisol, but also reported a lower life satisfaction
3h
Top geneticist calls for global rules for ethical human genome editing
Following the shock announcement of the world's first genome-edited babies, geneticist Robin Lovell-Badge says the world must agree a set of safety protocols
3h
AI can identify rare genetic disorders by the shape of someone’s face
Doctors use facial features to diagnose common genetic disorders, but that’s tricky to do with some rare ones – artificial intelligence can help
3h
NHS 10-year-plan aims to expand digital healthcare and genetic testing
A plan for the future of the National Health Service in England aims to improve mental health services and provide genome sequencing for all children with cancer
3h
Rabbits that don't eat their own faeces are small and weak
We know that rabbits eat some of their own faeces – they may do so in order to better metabolise their food so they can grow larger
3h
Australians care if politicians tell lies, but people in the US don't
Fact-checking politicians' statements alters both the views and the voting intentions of people in Australia – but makes far less difference in the US
3h
China’s Chang’e 4 makes historic first landing on the moon's far side
A lander and rover have touched down on the side of the moon that never faces Earth. The Chang’e 4 mission marks the first time anyone has explored the far side
3h
Biggest archaeological dig in Europe will uncover UK's buried history
The construction of a high-speed train line, HS2, is allowing archaeologists to search for Romans, plague victims and even mammoths
3h
Droplets don't have to be round – here's one squished into a square
Drops of liquid are usually round, but now we’ve found out how to make square droplets by squashing liquid between two elastic films stretched in different directions
3h
Rich people give more to charity when you make them feel powerful
Wealthy people donated 60 per cent more money when they received messages appealing to their personal power rather than their community-mindedness
3h
Lost 'Darwinia' islands could be origin of species in the Galapagos
Millions of years before the Galapagos existed, another island chain may have shaped the evolution of the unusual wildlife that later inspired Charles Darwin
3h
Ski exoskeleton boosts leg power and reduces tiredness on the slopes
When hurtling down a mountain an exoskeleton could absorb some of the impact for skiers and snowboarders and give them extra power in their turns
3h
Cannibalistic African clawed frog eats tadpoles of its relatives
The African clawed frog likes to dine on its own tadpoles – but it prefers those belonging to the endangered Cape platanna frog
3h
Crayfish experience something like anxiety when they shed their armour
Crayfish have to shed their armour to grow, leaving them temporarily undefended. During this time, they show signs of anxiety – but human anti-anxiety drugs change this
3h
NASA probe will hurtle past the most distant object we’ve ever visited
In 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft whizzed past Pluto. Now it is about to arrive at Ultima Thule, a tiny space rock 6.6 billion kilometres away from Earth
3h
Hominin v monkey deathmatch ended in a draw when they fell down a hole
Fossils suggest that a 3.6-million-year-old early human ancestor called "Little Foot" may have died in a violent encounter with a primitive baboon
3h
Gel made from birch bark reduces skin scarring from cuts and burns
A dressing made from birch bark – which has long been used in traditional medicine to wrap wounds – allows cuts and burns to heal faster with less scarring
3h
Women are finally getting equal access to the Hubble Space Telescope
For years, women were not receiving a fair share of access to the Hubble Space Telescope, but making requests anonymous has led to parity with men for the first time
3h
Scuba-diving lizard can stay underwater for at least 16 minutes
The water anole of Costa Rica dives underwater to escape from predators such as birds by blowing out and re-inhaling a large bubble of air
3h
There’ll be a domino effect as we trigger ecosystem tipping points
There are lots of interconnected tipping points linking the climate and environment, so drastic changes to the planet will have many unexpected consequences
3h
Starchy food may reduce autoimmune reactions in people with lupus
A study in mice shows that certain gut bacteria may exacerbate lupus, but eating starch can halt their growth, hinting at a possible treatment
3h
Device that works like a lung makes clean fuel from water
A device inspired by human lungs can split water into oxygen and hydrogen. If successfully scaled up it could help make clean fuel for hydrogen cars
3h
There may be a link between erectile dysfunction and type 2 diabetes
A DNA analysis links type 2 diabetes with erectile dysfunction, hinting that having a healthier lifestyle may reduce the chances of getting erectile problems
3h
Ice-filled Martian crater is a permanent winter wonderland
The European Space Agency's Mars Express probe captured this striking view of ice-filled Korolev Crater, near the north pole of the Red Planet
3h
Rogue drones have brought Gatwick airport to a standstill
Tens of thousands of passengers are unable to travel as drones were spotted flying near Gatwick Airport, UK. Police have yet to find the perpetrators
3h
2018’s weirdest stories: Friendly horses, toddler robots and moonmoons
New Scientist has covered some strange scientific findings this year. Here is our round-up of the weirdest and wackiest
3h
The more pets you meet as a baby, the lower your risk of allergies
Children that are exposed to multiple cats and dogs in their first year of life go on to have lower rates of asthma, hay fever and eczema later in life
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3h
Robot hand that plays Jingle Bells could help us make better limbs
A 3D-printed rigid replica of a human hand can play classic tunes on the piano like Jingle Bells without ever moving individual fingers
3h
DNA from 6000-year-old chewing gum reveals how an ancient woman lived
Lola lived 6000 years ago and made glue by chewing birch bark pitch. By analysing DNA left on the pitch we know about her diet, appearance, and ancestry
3h
House plants don’t clean your air that much – but this GM pothos might
The air-cleaning properties of house plants have been over-hyped. A GM house plant that breaks down indoor pollutants linked to cancer may do a better job
3h
Exercise may lower high blood pressure as much as medication
An analysis of nearly 400 trials suggests that exercise might be as effective for people with high blood pressure as taking the most commonly-used drugs
3h
The very first dinosaurs probably evolved in South America
Dinosaurs conquered every major landmass, making it difficult to work out where they originally came from – but two studies both conclude they were southerners
3h
A swarming asexual midge is island hopping towards Antarctica
Biologists say biosecurity measures need to be stepped up to prevent a non-biting midge reaching Antarctica, because it could radically change the continent
3h
2019 Preview: Experimental vaccine could let coeliacs eat gluten
A vaccine that teaches a person's immune system to see gluten as harmless could enable some people with coeliac disease to eat bread and pasta made from wheat
3h
2019 Preview: Gravitational waves will be discovered every few weeks
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and other experiments will detect dozens more ripples in space time
3h
2019 Preview: We will see the first ever picture of a black hole
We have never seen a picture of a black hole, but that will change when the Event Horizon Telescope reveals its first snap of the behemoth at the Milky Way's centre
3h
The most eye-catching science and tech news stories of 2018
From advances in mind reading and medical procedures to AI law enforcement and CRISPR controversy, 2018 was a year of highs and lows. Here are our highlights
3h
2019 Preview: AI to best humans at one of world's most complex games
A team of AI bots were beaten at the video game Dota 2 by human players in June, but in 2019 they will return with a vengeance to become the world's best
3h
2019 Preview: Teeth will reveal our species’ deep evolutionary past
We will start to learn what a host of ancient animal and early human remains really are, thanks to new techniques for analysing tiny fragments of fossil remains
3h
2019 Preview: Electric cars of all shapes and sizes will hit the road
Various kinds of electric cars are on their way from manufacturers who have never made them before, such as Volkswagen, Volvo and Audi
3h
2019 Preview: People will receive transfusions of artificial blood
Volunteers will be injected with red blood cells grown from stem cells in the lab. If it works it could mean blood donors are no longer required
3h
2019 Preview: DNA testing will lead to a decline in genetic disorders
A large trial of a pre-pregnancy DNA test could be the first step towards marked declines in inherited disorders being passed on to future generations
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2019 Preview: 30 cold cases to be solved using DNA ancestry websites
Arrests will finally be made in connection to dozens of decades-old murder and rape cases, as thousands more people upload their DNA to family tree websites
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2019 Preview: Renewable energy race to ramp up as oil use skyrockets
As global demand for energy grows, we will need to switch to renewables even faster to avoid climate catastrophe
3h
Snake-oil sellers must no longer be able to hide behind charity status
UK regulators are cracking down on charities that promote bogus treatments. But will it be enough, asks Tom Chivers
3h
Who do we trust when human and machine intelligence disagree
A faulty sensor – and the automated action it led to – are being blamed for the loss of Lion Air flight JT 610. Is it time for AI to take a back seat, asks Peter Lemme
3h
How best to talk to your science-denying relatives this Christmas
Trying to change someone's mind is no easy task, but researchers have studied the various pitfalls when it comes to correcting scientific myths
3h
Dolphins have best friends but also shun those outside their clique
In a group of dolphins in the Adriatic sea, long-term friendships blossomed, but so did exclusive cliques where some dolphins shun each other
3h
Computer chip will sniff your armpits and tell you when you have BO
Technology firm Arm is building computer chips that will smell their surroundings. It wants to use them to spot gone-off food and to tell people if they have BO
3h
Letter: ‘No American Will Be Untouched by This Shutdown’
Why Federal Workers Still Have to Show Up Even If They’re Not Being Paid Since the enactment of the Taft-Hartley Act in 1947, Russell Berman wrote on Wednesday, federal employees have been legally prohibited from striking—which means that during a government shutdown, hundreds of thousands of federal workers who are not on furlough must continue working without pay, indefinitely. My husband is a
3h
More stable light comes from intentionally 'squashed' quantum dots
Intentionally 'squashing' colloidal quantum dots during chemical synthesis creates dots capable of stable, 'blink-free' light emission that is fully comparable with the light produced by dots made with more complex processes.
3h
Experimental antibody 'cocktail' protects animals from three deadly Ebola viruses
Scientists have developed a combination of monoclonal antibodies that protected animals from all three Ebola viruses that cause human disease. Their work is described in two companion studies published online in Cell Host & Microbe. The antibody 'cocktail,' called MBP134, is the first experimental treatment to protect monkeys against Ebola virus (formerly known as Ebola Zaire), as well as Sudan vi
3h
Chang'e 4: why the moon’s far side looks red in new images
Space It's not actually dark and it's definitely not red. If you’ve been looking closely at the pictures of the moon's far side, you could be forgiven for thinking that the far side of the moon is red.
3h
Men and women remember pain differently
Scientists increasingly believe that one of the driving forces in chronic pain — the number one health problem in both prevalence and burden — appears to be the memory of earlier pain. Research suggests that there may be variations, based on sex, in the way that pain is remembered in both mice and humans.
4h
Termites mitigate effects of drought in Tropical Rainforest
Termites are commonly regarded as one of the most destructive insect pests, yet its unknown side was recently revealed by a major new study. Researchers have discovered that termites actually help mitigate against the effects of drought in tropical rain forests.
4h
Hidden culprit in heart failure
Scientists have pinpointed a hidden culprit that leads to dilated cardiomyopathy — a dangerous condition that accounts for 20 per cent of all cases of heart failure — which opens the door to potential new treatments that could help counter the threat.
4h
A new way to measure solar panel degradation
How does one inspect solar panels in real time, in a way that is both cost-effective and time-efficient? Researchers have now developed and improved statistical and machine learning-based alternatives to enable real-time inspection of solar panels. Their research found a new application for clustering-based computation, which uses past meteorological data to compute performance ratios and degradat
4h
Could a “brain drain” hit the U.S.?
Brain drain is a terrible phenomenon with a long and ignoble history. Recently, it has occurred in several countries that were doing well even a few years ago. Can it happen here? Many of us who have ever dared to complain about the place we live in have heard the juvenile rebuttal "If you don't like it, why don't you leave?" As it turns out, sometimes people take that advice. When a country's ed
4h
Oceans are warming even faster than previously thought
Heat trapped by greenhouse gases is raising ocean temperatures faster than previously thought, concludes an analysis of four recent ocean heating observations. The results provide further evidence that earlier claims of a slowdown or 'hiatus' in global warming over the past 15 years were unfounded.
4h
The Flawed Logic of R. Kelly’s Most Unlikely Supporters
Last week, many viewers watched Surviving R. Kelly in horror as the documentary highlighted old and new sexual-abuse allegations against the singer. The six-part documentary series, which premiered on Lifetime on January 3, featured dozens of testimonials from survivors, activists, police officers, and legal experts, as well as Kelly’s family members and former employees. Their collective account
4h
A Man Took a Whole Bottle of Viagra. Then He Saw 'Doughnut-Shaped' Spots in his Vision
A man in Massachusetts developed vision loss after consuming an entire bottle of Viagra, according to a new report.
4h
Astronomers find signatures of a 'messy' star that made its companion go supernova
On Jan. 10 at the 2019 American Astronomical Society meeting in Seattle, an international team of astronomers announced that they have identified the type of companion star that made its partner in a binary system, a carbon-oxygen white dwarf star, explode. Through repeated observations of SN 2015cp, a supernova 545 million light years away, the team detected hydrogen-rich debris that the companio
4h
Far-ranging fin whales find year-round residence in Gulf of California
Researchers from Mexico and the United States have concluded that a population of fin whales in the rich Gulf of California ecosystem may live there year-round — an unusual circumstance for a whale species known to migrate across ocean basins.
4h
Your Old Tweets Give Away More Location Data Than You Think
Researchers built a tool that can predict where you live and work, as well as other sensitive information, just by using geotagged tweets.
4h
Great tits are killing birds and eating their brains. Climate change may be to blame.
Animals A bird murder mystery, solved. Every year, little black-and-white birds called pied flycatchers make the lengthy trek from sub-saharan Africa to northern Europe to feast on caterpillars, claim a nest,…
4h
As elderly population booms, home care must update
In light of the rapidly aging population, health care leaders must address the growing global demand for home care, researchers say. Experts predict the global population of people 80 and older will more than triple between 2015 and 2050, growing from 126.5 million to 446.6 million. The oldest population in some Asian and Latin American countries will quadruple in the same timeframe. The new stud
4h
Ocean Warming Is Accelerating Faster Than Thought, New Research Finds
An analysis concluded that Earth’s oceans are heating up 40 percent faster on average than a United Nations panel estimated five years ago, a finding with dire implications for climate change.
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4h
How Astounding Saw the Future
Tracing the evolution of the mid-20th-century magazine whose pages gave rise to the genre of science fiction.
4h
Traditional Masculinity Can Hurt Boys, Say New A.P.A. Guidelines
Men die earlier than women and commit more acts of violence. But the American Psychological Association did not have a guide for working with males, in part because they were historically considered the norm.
4h
Biotech Could Modify Trees to Protect Against Pests
Tree breeding and gene editing could help reverse the deteriorating health of U.S. forests — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
4h
Translational Models of Obesity, Dysmetabolism, Diabetes, and Complications
This webinar, from Crown Bioscience, presents a unique continuum of translational dysmetabolic platforms that more closely mimic human disease. Learn about using next-generation rodent and spontaneously diabetic non-human primate models to accurately model human-relevant disease progression and complications related to obesity and diabetes here!
5h
Were people with leprosy really outcasts in Jesus’s day?
Leprosy may not have carried the kind of stigma during the time of Jesus that many assume, research suggests. The implication is that his willingness to flout the laws of Leviticus to interact with them may require reinterpretation in that context, according to Ricky Shinall, an assistant professor of surgery at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine who also earned a Masters of Divinity and a
5h
In the Middle East, Is Trump the Anti-Obama or Obama 2.0?
During a visit on Thursday to the nerve center of the Arab world, Mike Pompeo declared that reports of America’s departure from the Middle East under Donald Trump had been greatly exaggerated, and that it was Barack Obama who had abandoned the region—to devastating effect. And yet the irony is that while the conduct of Obama and Trump in the Middle East couldn’t be more different, they’ve in fact
5h
CES 2019 day three: A superhero helicopter, a bike with Alexa, and a connected kettlebell
Technology The latest news from the Consumer Electronics Show, no visit to Vegas needed. We singled out some of the coolest products at CES this year.
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Seeing Superman Increases Altruism
Subject who saw a Superman poster were more likely to offer help than were people who saw another image. — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
5h
Termites mitigate effects of drought in Tropical Rainforest
Termites are commonly regarded as one of the most destructive insect pests, yet its unknown side was recently revealed by a major new study published in the prestigious journal Science — the collaborative research co-led by Dr Louise Ashton of the University of Hong Kong, with researchers from the University of Liverpool and the Natural History Museum, London, has discovered that termites actuall
5h
Researchers answer decades-old question about protein found in Alzheimer's brain plaques
Alzheimer's-affected brains are riddled with so-called amyloid plaques: protein aggregates consisting mainly of amyloid-β. However, this amyloid-β is a fragment produced from a precursor protein whose normal function has remained enigmatic for decades. A team of scientists at VIB and KU Leuven led by professors Joris de Wit and Bart De Strooper has now uncovered that this amyloid precursor protein
5h
Oceans are warming even faster than previously thought
Heat trapped by greenhouse gases is raising ocean temperatures faster than previously thought, concludes an analysis of four recent ocean heating observations. The results provide further evidence that earlier claims of a slowdown or 'hiatus' in global warming over the past 15 years were unfounded.
5h
New role for brain's support cells in controlling circadian rhythms
An Medical Research Council funded study published today in the journal Science, has found that astrocytes, previously thought of as just supporting neurons in regulating circadian rhythms, can actually lead the tempo of the body's internal clock and have been shown for the first time to be able to control patterns of daily behaviour in mammals.
5h
Solving the ancient mysteries of Easter Island
The ancient people of Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile) built their famous ahu monuments near coastal freshwater sources, according to a team of researchers including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
5h
Madariaga virus spreads to Haiti
Madariaga virus (MADV), or South American eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), has — until now — been found primarily in animals of South and Central America, with the first human outbreak occurring in Panama in 2010. Now, scientists writing in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases report the identification of MADV in eight children in Haiti in 2015 and 2016.
5h
Early development of memory for space and time
By observing how newborn rats first navigate and begin to remember the environments they are born into, researchers have gained new insight into how brains develop the ability to turn experiences into memory.
5h
How forest termites protect tropical forests from drought
The efforts of tiny forest termites have a big effect on the harmful ecological effects of drought in tropical rainforests, according to a new study, which reveals their important role in maintaining ecosystem function during periods of extended aridity.
5h
Clever budgies make better mates
Male budgie birds who show smarts become more attractive in the eyes of female counterparts, a new study suggests.
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Revealed: Termites mitigate effects of drought in tropical rainforests
A major new study by the University of Liverpool and the Natural History Museum has discovered that termites mitigate against the effects of drought in tropical rain forests.Researchers from both institutions undertook the first large-scale study to test the hypothesis that termites play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem processes in rainforests during periods of drought.
5h
Mothers use sex pheromones to veil eggs, preventing cannibalism
In a new study published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology on Jan. 10, Sunitha Narasimha, Roshan Vijendravarma and colleagues report how fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), which lay eggs communally, use chemical deception to protect their eggs from being cannibalized by their own larvae.
5h
Ocean warming is accelerating
Observational records of ocean heat content show that ocean warming is accelerating.
5h
Chemical synthesis of nanotubes
For the first time, researchers used benzene — a common hydrocarbon — to create a novel kind of molecular nanotube, which could lead to new nanocarbon-based semiconductor applications.
5h
Viral production is not essential for deaths caused by food-borne pathogen
The replication of a bacterial virus is not necessary to cause lethal disease in mice infected with a food-borne pathogen called Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), according to a study published Jan. 10, 2019, in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by John Leong and Marcia Osburne of Tufts University School of Medicine, and colleagues. The surprising findings could lead to the developme
5h
The FASEB Journal: Fish oil supplementation can slow muscle loss during immobilization
A study published in The FASEB Journal demonstrated that dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids (or fish oils) reduced the rate at which young women lost muscle mass during a period of immobilization.
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5h
A neural network can learn to organize the world it sees into concepts—just like we do
Generative adversarial networks are not just good for causing mischief. They can also show us how AI algorithms “think.”
5h
Warming oceans likely to raise sea levels 30cm by end of century – study
Seawater temperature is rising faster than predicted, which is likely to worsen extreme weather events around the world The world’s oceans are warming at a faster rate than previously estimated, new research has found, raising fresh concerns over the rapid progress of climate change. Warming oceans take up more space, a process known as thermal expansion , which the study says is likely to raise
5h
Court orders Amazon to end Wi-Fi button purchases in Germany
A German court has ordered Amazon to stop taking orders from customers using wireless-enabled buttons because they breach e-commerce rules.
5h
Intelligent males may make female birds swoon: study
Male birds are often the ones with the most vibrant feathers, or the most elaborate songs, but researchers said Thursday that what female birds could really appreciate is a male who shows his intelligence.
5h
Researchers see a wealth of potential for aquaculture in the Caribbean
There are only so many fish in the sea. And our appetite for seafood has already stressed many wild fisheries to the breaking point. Meanwhile, the planet's growing population will only further increase the need for animal protein, one of the most resource-intensive types of food to produce.
5h
The Shutdown Is Making Senate Republicans Squirm
As President Donald Trump descends on the border Thursday to further make his case for a wall, back home in Washington congressional Republicans—the ones whose resolve he needs if he’s going to continue his shutdown campaign—are growing more anxious. While the images Trump broadcasts to the nation may bolster his case to his base, these Republicans are left to talk and share doubts among themselv
5h
Cartilage could be key to safe 'structural batteries'
Your knees and your smartphone battery have some surprisingly similar needs, a University of Michigan professor has discovered, and that new insight has led to a "structural battery" prototype that incorporates a cartilage-like material to make the batteries highly durable and easy to shape.
5h
Spintronics 'miracle material' put to the test
When German mineralogist Gustav Rose stood on the slopes of Russia's Ural Mountains in 1839 and picked up a piece of a previously undiscovered mineral, he had never heard of transistors or diodes or had any concept of how conventional electronics would become an integral part of our daily lives. He couldn't have anticipated that the rock he held in his hand, which he named "perovskite," could be a
5h
Racial inequality in the deployment of rooftop solar energy in the US
Although the popularity of rooftop solar panels has skyrocketed because of their benefits to consumers and the environment, the deployment has predominantly occurred in white neighborhoods, even after controlling for household income and home ownership, according to a study by researchers from Tufts University and the University of California, Berkeley, published today in the journal Nature Sustai
5h
Cap-specific terminal N6-methylation of RNA by an RNA polymerase II-associated methyltransferase
N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A), a major modification of messenger RNAs (mRNAs), plays critical roles in RNA metabolism and function. In addition to the internal m 6 A, N 6 , 2'- O -dimethyladenosine (m 6 Am) is present at the transcription start nucleotide of capped mRNAs in vertebrates. However, its biogenesis and functional role remain elusive. Using a reverse genetics approach, we identified PCI
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A fresh look at nuclear energy
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News at a glance
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Shutdown starts to take a bite out of science
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Japan's exit from whaling group may benefit whales
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How to shine in Indonesian science? Game the system
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Ships banned from throwing unwanted fish overboard
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Researchers object to census privacy measure
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New Horizons inspects a distant time capsule
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Seeing the dawn
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Are clever males preferred as mates?
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Democratizing synthesis by automation
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Neuronal function of Alzheimer's protein
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Many paths to preserve the body clock
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Assembling human brain organoids
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The MOOC pivot
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Cheap oil vs. climate change
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The future is fiber
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Integrated data could augment resilience
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Wildfires: Opportunity for restoration?
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Protect Catalonia's corals despite politics
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Advancing 3D imaging of organs
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Only the water may pass
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A photonic Weyl system by design
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Broken on impact
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Mating disks and rods into an ordered phase
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Forest termites mitigate the effects of drought
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Who's a clever boy then?
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Astrocytes can drive the master clock in the brain
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A step toward preventing overdose
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Metabolism as a driver of immune response
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A cap-specific m6A writer
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Unmasking an agent of inflammatory anemia
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A physiological function for sAPP?
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Clear directions for a robotic platform
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Toward nanotubes with periodic gaps
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Climbing vibrational levels
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Memory capabilities develop with age
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Ancient changes in the African tropics
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Switching ON resistance
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Getting warmer, faster
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Combining organoids to assemble brain regions
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T cells need nuclear F-actin
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Manganese mobilizes microglial exosomes
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The meteorological future is here
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Chronic short sleep and neurodegeneration
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More tricks up its sleeve
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Fungi affect gut-lung cross-talk
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Water-speed-record geckos
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Getting your timing right
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A functional materials map
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5h
Complete steric exclusion of ions and proton transport through confined monolayer water
It has long been an aspirational goal to create artificial structures that allow fast permeation of water but reject even the smallest hydrated ions, replicating the feat achieved by nature in protein channels (e.g., aquaporins). Despite recent progress in creating nanoscale pores and capillaries, these structures still remain distinctly larger than protein channels. We report capillaries made by
5h
Observation of chiral zero mode in inhomogeneous three-dimensional Weyl metamaterials
Owing to the chirality of Weyl nodes, the Weyl systems can support one-way chiral zero modes under a strong magnetic field, which leads to nonconservation of chiral currents—the so-called chiral anomaly. Although promising for robust transport of optical information, the zero chiral bulk modes have not been observed in photonics. Here we design an inhomogeneous Weyl metamaterial in which a gauge
5h
Finite phenine nanotubes with periodic vacancy defects
Discrete graphitic carbon compounds serve as tunable models for the properties of extended macromolecular structures such as nanotubes. Here, we report synthesis and characterization of a cylindrical C 304 H 264 molecule composed of 40 benzene (phenine) units mutually bonded at the 1, 3, and 5 positions. The concise nine-step synthesis featuring successive borylations and couplings proceeded with
5h
Site-specific reactivity of molecules with surface defects–the case of H2 dissociation on Pt
The classic system that describes weakly activated dissociation in heterogeneous catalysis has been explained by two dynamical models that are fundamentally at odds. Whereas one model for hydrogen dissociation on platinum(111) invokes a preequilibrium and diffusion toward defects, the other is based on direct and local reaction. We resolve this dispute by quantifying site-specific reactivity usin
5h
The Sommerfeld ground-wave limit for a molecule adsorbed at a surface
Using a mid-infrared emission spectrometer based on a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector, we observed the dynamics of vibrational energy pooling of carbon monoxide (CO) adsorbed at the surface of a sodium chloride (NaCl) crystal. After exciting a majority of the CO molecules to their first vibrationally excited state (v = 1), we observed infrared emission from states up to v = 27. Ki
5h
Nematic-to-columnar mesophase transition by in situ supramolecular polymerization
Disk- and rod-shaped molecules are incompatible in coassembly, as the former tend to stack one-dimensionally whereas the latter tend to align in parallel. Because this type of incompatibility can be more pronounced in condensed phases, different-shaped molecules generally exclude one another. We report that supramolecular polymerization of a disk-shaped chiral monomer in nematic liquid crystals c
5h
Problem-solving males become more attractive to female budgerigars
Darwin proposed that mate choice might contribute to the evolution of cognitive abilities. An open question is whether observing the cognitive skills of an individual makes it more attractive as a mate. In this study, we demonstrated that initially less-preferred budgerigar males became preferred after females observed that these males, but not the initially preferred ones, were able to solve ext
5h
Emergence of preconfigured and plastic time-compressed sequences in early postnatal development
When and how hippocampal neuronal ensembles first organize to support encoding and consolidation of memory episodes, a critical cognitive function of the brain, are unknown. We recorded electrophysiological activity from large ensembles of hippocampal neurons starting on the first day after eye opening as naïve rats navigated linear environments and slept. We found a gradual age-dependent, navig
5h
Termites mitigate the effects of drought in tropical rainforest
Termites perform key ecological functions in tropical ecosystems, are strongly affected by variation in rainfall, and respond negatively to habitat disturbance. However, it is not known how the projected increase in frequency and severity of droughts in tropical rainforests will alter termite communities and the maintenance of ecosystem processes. Using a large-scale termite suppression experimen
5h
A 90,000-year record of Afromontane forest responses to climate change
Pollen records from African highlands are scarce; hence, the paleoecology of the Afromontane forest and its responses to glacial cycles are poorly known. Lake Bambili (Cameroon) provides a record of vegetation changes in the tropical mountains of Africa over the past 90,000 years, with high temporal resolution. Pollen data and biome reconstructions show a diverging response of forests to climate
5h
Invertible promoters mediate bacterial phase variation, antibiotic resistance, and host adaptation in the gut
Phase variation, the reversible alternation between genetic states, enables infection by pathogens and colonization by commensals. However, the diversity of phase variation remains underexplored. We developed the PhaseFinder algorithm to quantify DNA inversion–mediated phase variation. A systematic search of 54,875 bacterial genomes identified 4686 intergenic invertible DNA regions (invertons), r
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Cell-autonomous clock of astrocytes drives circadian behavior in mammals
Circadian (~24-hour) rhythms depend on intracellular transcription-translation negative feedback loops (TTFLs). How these self-sustained cellular clocks achieve multicellular integration and thereby direct daily rhythms of behavior in animals is largely obscure. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the fulcrum of this pathway from gene to cell to circuit to behavior in mammals. We describe cell t
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New Products
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The scars we bear
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Response to Comment on "Tropical forests are a net carbon source based on aboveground measurements of gain and loss"
The Hansen et al . critique centers on the lack of spatial agreement between two very different datasets. Nonetheless, properly constructed comparisons designed to reconcile the two datasets yield up to 90% agreement (e.g., in South America).
5h
Organic synthesis in a modular robotic system driven by a chemical programming language
The synthesis of complex organic compounds is largely a manual process that is often incompletely documented. To address these shortcomings, we developed an abstraction that maps commonly reported methodological instructions into discrete steps amenable to automation. These unit operations were implemented in a modular robotic platform by using a chemical programming language that formalizes and
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Comment on "Tropical forests are a net carbon source based on aboveground measurements of gain and loss"
Baccini et al . (Reports, 13 October 2017, p. 230) report MODIS-derived pantropical forest carbon change, with spatial patterns of carbon loss that do not correspond to higher-resolution Landsat-derived tree cover loss. The assumption that map results are unbiased and free of commission and omission errors is not supported. The application of passive moderate-resolution optical data to monitor fo
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An evolutionary perspective on immunometabolism
Metabolism is at the core of all biological functions. Anabolic metabolism uses building blocks that are either derived from nutrients or synthesized de novo to produce the biological infrastructure, whereas catabolic metabolism generates energy to fuel all biological processes. Distinct metabolic programs are required to support different biological functions. Thus, recent studies have revealed
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Secreted amyloid-{beta} precursor protein functions as a GABABR1a ligand to modulate synaptic transmission
Amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) is central to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, yet its physiological function remains unresolved. Accumulating evidence suggests that APP has a synaptic function mediated by an unidentified receptor for secreted APP (sAPP). Here we show that the sAPP extension domain directly bound the sushi 1 domain specific to the -aminobutyric acid type B receptor subu
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Chronic TLR7 and TLR9 signaling drives anemia via differentiation of specialized hemophagocytes
Cytopenias are an important clinical problem associated with inflammatory disease and infection. We show that specialized phagocytes that internalize red blood cells develop in Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7)–driven inflammation. TLR7 signaling caused the development of inflammatory hemophagocytes (iHPCs), which resemble splenic red pulp macrophages but are a distinct population derived from Ly6C hi
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Comment on "Impacts of species richness on productivity in a large-scale subtropical forest experiment"
Huang et al . (Reports, 5 October 2018, p. 80) report significant increases in forest productivity from monocultures to multispecies mixtures in subtropical China. However, their estimated productivity decrease due to a 10% tree species loss seems high. We propose that including species richness distribution of the study forests would provide more meaningful estimates of forest-scale responses.
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Response to Comment on "Impacts of species richness on productivity in a large-scale subtropical forest experiment"
Yang et al . have raised criticism that the results reported by us would not be relevant for natural forests. We argue that productivity is positively related to species richness also in subtropical natural forests, and that both the species pools and the range of tree species richness used in our experiment are representative of many natural forests of this biome.
5h
Oceans are warming even faster than previously thought
Heat trapped by greenhouse gases is raising ocean temperatures faster than previously thought, concludes an analysis of four recent ocean heating observations. The results provide further evidence that earlier claims of a slowdown or "hiatus" in global warming over the past 15 years were unfounded.
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5h
Mothers use sex pheromones to veil eggs, preventing cannibalism
Species that lay eggs but don't actively keep watch over them often protect their precious eggs from predators by laying them in communal groups or by fortifying them with toxins. However, protecting these eggs from being devoured by their own kind is a completely different game; the catch is that any anti-cannibalistic strategy needs to be an effective deterrent while remaining nontoxic to the ca
5h
Termites mitigate effects of drought in tropical rainforests
A major new study, led jointly by the University of Liverpool and the Natural History Museum, has discovered that termites mitigate against the effects of drought in tropical rain forests.
5h
Nanometer-sized tubes made from simple benzene molecules
For the first time, researchers used benzene, a common hydrocarbon, to create a novel kind of molecular nanotube, which could lead to new nanocarbon-based semiconductor applications.
5h
Solving the ancient mysteries of Easter Island
The ancient people of Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile) built their famous ahu monuments near coastal freshwater sources, according to a team of researchers including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
5h
Social and environmental costs of hydropower are underestimated, study shows
Study shows that deforestation, loss of biodiversity and economic damage done to communities living near dams have not been factored into the cost of these projects. Large dams also ignore the effects of climate change.
5h
Spintronics 'miracle material' put to the test
In a paper published today in Nature Communications, Vardeny, along with Jingying Wang, Dali Sun (now at North Carolina State University) and colleagues present two devices built using perovskite to demonstrate the material's potential in spintronic systems. Its properties, Vardeny says, bring the dream of a spintronic transistor one step closer to reality.
5h
Fish farmers of the Caribbean
There are only so many fish in the sea. And our appetite for seafood has already stressed many wild fisheries to the breaking point. Meanwhile, the planet's growing population will only further increase the need for animal protein, one of the most resource-intensive types of food to produce.
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Poison toilet paper reveals how termites help rainforests resist drought
Novel use of poisoned toilet paper rolls and teabags led to discovery that termites help tropical forests resist droughts.
5h
With Key Government Agencies Shut Down, Science Sputters
Government, academic and industry researchers often depend on each others' work and funding. The partial shutdown is getting in the way of some of that collaboration and research. (Image credit: Alison Stimpert/NMFS PERMIT 808-1735)
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Visitors Chainsaw Iconic Joshua Trees in National Park During Gov't Shutdown
Joshua trees are beautiful, but humans can be pretty awful.
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Trump the Toddler
Donald Trump wants his wall, and he’ll hold your breath until he gets it. Twenty days into a partial government shutdown, the impact on government workers, their families, and basic services is coming into view. Food is not being inspected . Transportation Security Administration workers are calling in sick rather than working without pay . Millions could be evicted from their home , hundreds of
5h
Cartilage could be key to safe 'structural batteries'
Your knees and your smartphone battery have some surprisingly similar needs, a University of Michigan professor has discovered, and that new insight has led to a 'structural battery' prototype that incorporates a cartilage-like material to make the batteries highly durable and easy to shape.
5h
South Africa sniffer dog intercepts 116kg of rhino horn
The haul, worth more than $1.3m (£1m), is one of the largest seized in South Africa in recent years.
6h
Blacklisted Kaspersky tipped NSA on security breach: media
The computer security firm Kaspersky Labs helped the US NSA spy agency uncover one of its worst-ever security breaches—one year before the US banned the company's products for government use, US media has reported.
6h
American Statistical Association issues guidance on statistical statements for forensic evidence
In response to concerns that the use of forensic evidence such as shoe prints, fingerprints, bite marks, fibers or hairs has contributed to wrongful convictions, the American Statistical Association (ASA) has released a document with guidelines for discussing forensic evidence.
6h
John Mendelsohn, Former MD Anderson Cancer Center President, Dies
The scientist and clinician helped develop a new form of cancer therapy, using a monoclonal antibody to treat head, neck, colorectal, and lung cancers.
6h
Psychology Has a New Approach to Building Healthier Men
This week, the American Psychological Association, the country’s largest professional organization of psychologists, did something for men that it’s done for many other demographic groups in the past: It introduced a set of detailed guidelines for clinicians who treat men and boys. The 10 guidelines make suggestions on how to encourage fathers to engage with their kids, how to address problems th
6h
Phat on potential, lipidomics is gaining weight
Next-generation study of lipids expands in scope with database established by UC San Diego researchers.
6h
Study: Racial inequality in the deployment of rooftop solar energy in the US
Although the popularity of rooftop solar panels has skyrocketed because of their benefits to consumers and the environment, the deployment has predominantly occurred in white neighborhoods, even after controlling for household income and home ownership, according to a study by researchers from Tufts University and the University of California, Berkeley, published today in the journal Nature Sustai
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New materials could help improve the performance of perovskite solar cells
New research could lead to the design of new materials to help improve the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs).
6h
Nedtælling til jubilæum
PLUS. Næste år kan vi fejre 200 året for elektromagnetismens opdagelse.
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Drug Overdose Death Rates in US Women Rise 260% in 2 Decades
Drug overdose death rates in women in the United States have increased by 260 percent in the past two decades, according to a new report.
6h
Jeff Bezos' Divorce Could Cost Him Billions in Amazon Stock
Also: The new Dune movie has found its villain, and Lady Gaga wants her R. Kelly collaboration to step off of streaming services.
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The states with the happiest Americans spend more money on ‘public goods’
Study reveals the Americans who live in states that spend more on tangible "public goods" are happier. This spending makes communities "more livable." Pain of higher property taxes largely balanced out by higher property values and quality of life. For those of us who don't have enough money to pave our own roads, pay for security — aka police departments — or develop recreational spaces such as
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3 Simple Facts About the Shutdown
Today’s life-in-DC gazette: a little while ago I was in a line at a coffee shop with a middle-aged man, who from his accent I guessed (correctly) was from Nigeria. We talked while we were waiting. His was a standard life-in-our times story: He came to the US about 30 years ago. Now a citizen and small-business owner. Children all born here and in, or headed to, college. One of his nephews is a TS
6h
How Divorces Work for the Super-Wealthy
On Wednesday, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and currently the richest person in the world , and MacKenzie Bezos, a novelist, announced that they are ending their marriage after 25 years . In a joint statement posted on Twitter , the couple said they see “wonderful futures ahead, as parents, friends, partners in ventures and projects, and as individuals pursuing ventures and adventures.” One s
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Exosomes Linked to Cancer Spread from Chemo-Resistant Tumors in Mice
The vesicles promote metastasis after chemotherapy, but the authors say the results shouldn’t alarm patients and may point to ways to improve treatments.
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Exercise produces irisin — irisin might prevent Alzheimer’s, researchers say
Irisin, a hormone in the human body that is generated by muscle tissue and is carried throughout the body in the bloodstream, can play a part in Alzheimer's onset and effects. In tests on mice, it has become clear that irisin plays a key part in memory and learning; the removal and subsequent adding back of the hormone showed dramatic changes in memory and learning. Researchers think a supplement
7h
Trump’s Bizarre California Fire Threat Is Serious
Eighty-six Americans lost their lives last year in the Camp Fire, the largest and deadliest wildfire in California’s modern history. More than 11,000 people lived through the blaze but saw their homes destroyed . On Wednesday, President Donald Trump threatened to cut off relief for survivors and communities affected by that blaze, amid an ongoing political standoff with high-ranking California po
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Researchers map previously unknown disease in children
Professor Bente Vilsen from Aarhus University, Denmark, and her research group have mapped out a newly discovered serious disease which causes children to suffer epileptic seizures, loss of magnesium in urine and reduced intelligence. Once again, Jens Chr. Skou's sodium-potassium pump demonstrates its amazing value in relation to the understanding of disease.
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UMN Medical School Researchers discover how to treat diastolic heart failure
Research out of University Minnesota Medical School and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight uncovers what causes diastolic heart failure and how it can be treated.
7h
New York Faces Worst Measles Outbreak in Decades
In one county alone, more than 100 cases have been confirmed since October.
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Seizure death theory arises from acid reflux
A researcher’s middle-of-the-night panic has sparked a potential explanation for why one in 1,000 adults dies suddenly during a seizure each year: acid reflux. Pedro Irazoqui enjoyed a huge lobster dinner, but then he woke up that night finding he couldn’t breathe. Terrified, he sat up and tried to relax. Air suddenly returned to his lungs like nothing had happened. After grabbing his phone and G
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A Border Is Not a Wall
Borders are an invention, and not even an especially old one. Predated by the printing press by a good 200 years, borders are constantly under revision. Even the zone of a border itself, the Supreme Court has held , extends far beyond the technical outline of a nation. Imagine a border as the human-made thing that it is, and it’s no longer surprising that it takes a multitude of forms: a line on
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A world map of Virgin Mary apparitions
For centuries, the Virgin Mary has appeared to the faithful, requesting devotion and promising comfort. These maps show the geography of Marian apparitions – the handful approved by the Vatican, and many others. Historically, Europe is where most apparitions have been reported, but the U.S. is pretty fertile ground too. None The divine is supernatural, but religion is very much of this world. The
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Researchers discover a hidden culprit in heart failure
An international research team led by scientists at the University of Alberta have pinpointed a hidden culprit that leads to dilated cardiomyopathy–a dangerous condition that accounts for 20 per cent of all cases of heart failure–which opens the door to potential new treatments that could help counter the threat.
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A new way to measure solar panel degradation
How does one inspect solar panels in real time, in a way that is both cost-effective and time-efficient? Parveen Bhola, and Saurabh Bhardwaj, researchers at India's Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, have spent the last few years developing and improving statistical and machine learning-based alternatives to enable real-time inspection of solar panels. Their research found a new appli
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The Biggest Issues for Wildlife and Endangered Species in 2019
It’s going to be a rough year, but we’ll also see some progress — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
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Fiat Chrysler to pay $515 mn in US 'dieselgate' settlements
Fiat Chrysler has agreed to a $515 million US settlement on charges it installed "defeat devices" on cars to evade emissions tests, the US Justice Department announced Thursday.
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Should Hyping Edible Bugs Focus On The Experience Instead Of The Environment?
A new study shows that when ads made hedonistic marketing claims, such as "exotic" or "delicious," rather than targeting environmental interests, more people were willing to try eating insects. (Image credit: Oliver Brachat/for NPR)
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Austrian Post Office to delete customers' political data
Austria's postal service said Thursday it would delete data about their customers' assumed political allegiances after privacy campaigners likened the practice to the Facebook data-sharing scandal.
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Auto industry troubles buffet Ford, Jaguar Land Rover
The headwinds buffeting the global auto industry made themselves felt in Europe on Thursday as mass-market carmaker Ford and luxury-focused Jaguar Land Rover announced sweeping restructurings that will cost thousands of jobs.
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Doubts Raised About Brain Stimulation to Reduce Food Cravings
Despite previous positive reports, researchers didn't see transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) cut back on people's urges or eating.
7h
Plants Can Hear Animals Using Their Flowers
When people pose the old question about whether a tree falling in an empty forest makes a sound , they presuppose that none of the other plants in the forest are listening in. Plants, supposedly, are silent and unhearing. They don’t make noises, unless rustled or bitten. When Rachel Carson described a spring bereft of birds, she called it silent . But these stereotypes may not be true. According
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A Dying Star Sent Out an SOS Pointing to Its Killer: A Buzz-Saw Black Hole
The crumbs left over from a supermassive black hole's recent meal have allowed scientists to calculate the monster's rotation rate, and the results are mind-boggling.
7h
Extinct Human Relative from 'Miracle' Excavation Moved Like a Chimp
Inner ear bones in an ancient human relative reveal how she moved.
7h
New guideline recommendations for the treatment of mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis
Most patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) have mild-to-moderate disease characterized by periods of activity or remission, but practice variations exist in disease management. A new clinical guideline from the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) published in Gastroenterology, the official journal of AGA, addresses the medical management of these patients, focusing on use of both oral a
7h
The science is clear: with HIV, undetectable equals untransmittable
An overwhelming body of clinical evidence has firmly established the HIV Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) concept as scientifically sound. U=U means that people living with HIV who achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load — the amount of HIV in the blood — by taking and adhering to antiretroviral therapy (ART) as prescribed cannot sexually transmit the virus to others. NIAID officials
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How dangerous is microplastic?
After early reports of microplastic pollution in our oceans and beaches sounded the alarm, the global scientific community intensified its focus into this area. Researchers have since found evidence of microplastic contamination seemingly everywhere — also in lakes and rivers, beverages and food supplies. Dr. Natalia Ivleva, a researcher with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), has develope
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Asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs caused a mile-high tsunami
The asteroid that crashed into the Yucatan caused a mile-high tsunami. The wave was 52 times higher and 2,600 times more energetic than the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed over 227,000 people. Sediment was disturbed 3,700 miles from the site of the crash. None Becoming a fossil is no easy matter. There are a number of conditions that have to be met, according to Paige Williams, author of Th
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2-D materials may enable electric vehicles to get 500 miles on a single charge
Lithium-air batteries are poised to become the next revolutionary replacement for currently used lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles, cell phones and computers.
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New research reveals the enduring benefits of hiring a star
Much has been written about the benefits of collaboration and sharing of ideas and knowledge during the innovation process. Less is known about the intricate skills required to integrate, or synthesise, various raw materials in a way that will maximise creativity, and create innovations that help organisations out-perform their competitors.
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Video: How compostable plastic works
Due to the demands of eco-conscious consumers, manufacturers are making more and more disposable plastic products from compostable polylactic acid.
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Tumor-free flounder are just 1 dividend from the cleanup of Boston Harbor
Thirty years ago, during the 1988 presidential campaign, then-Vice President George H.W. Bush took a boat ride across Boston Harbor and derided the environmental record of his rival, Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, calling the polluted waters a "harbor of shame." Bush was right. For decades Boston had been dumping barely treated sewage into the harbor, although a court-ordered cleanup was just
8h
How plants regulate sugar deposition in cell walls
Ultimately, researchers want to engineer bioenergy crops to accumulate large amounts of easy-to-use sugars. Researchers from the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center identified a major part of the sugar production process in a model leafy grass. They discovered a transcription factor, which turns a gene on and off. The gene triggers the synthesis of a sugar, called mixed-linkage glucan (MLG). Cha
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These 1,000-year-old, blue-specked teeth could rewrite medieval history
Science Lapis lazuli was hard to get your hands—or mouth—on. A new study uses analysis of dental calculus to show the crucial role a woman played in medieval manuscript illumination.
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Cereal losses? A smart toolbox to safeguard the food chain
An EU initiative has made significant progress in tackling poisonous substances that contaminate crops.
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Scientists identify gene cluster in budding yeasts with major implications for renewable energy
Yeasts are complex organisms that may become the workhorses of biofuel production. To move yeasts into this larger role, scientists need to understand the genetic machinery that leads to the production of complex molecules like the iron-binding molecule pulcherrimin in budding yeasts. Scientists revealed a four-gene cluster associated with pulcherrimin production. Further tests revealed likely fun
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Do we really want a nationalistic future in space?
The annals of science fiction are full of visions of the future. Some are techno-utopian like "Star Trek" in which humanity has joined together in peace to explore the cosmos. Others are dystopian, like the World State in "Brave New World." But many of these stories share one thing in common – they envision a time in which humanity has moved past narrow ideas of tribe and nationalism. That assumpt
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Turbocharger for the cell machinery
Researchers of the University of Bern have discovered a new molecular regulatory mechanism in unicellular parasites which has never before been observed. RNA fragments do not act as brakes in the cell apparatus, but on the contrary as "stimulants": they boost protein production after periods of stress.
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Neuroimaging study shows social exclusion relevant in motivating extremism in those vulnerable to radicalisation
A study led by researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), in collaboration with other international institutions, explored the neural and behavioural relationships between sacred values, violent extremism and social exclusion in a group of young Moroccan men living and schooled in Catalonia and vulnerable to radicalisati
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Nanomaterials are changing the world—but we still don't have adequate safety tests for them
Nanotechnology may well be one of the most talked about industries of the last few years. Predicted to value US$173.95 billion globally by 2025, this fast-moving sector is already delivering major sustainability, health and well-being benefits to society.
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How to build a 3-D-printed particle trap with free CERN schematics
CERN is synonymous with accelerators, designed to boost particles to close to the speed of light. But what if you want to slow down a particle and hold it in place while you study it? Particle traps are devices that use electromagnetic fields to suspend particles – macroscopic or elementary – in stasis long enough to do so. At CERN, experiments such as GBAR use ion traps to capture antihydrogen io
8h
Efter dansk forbud: Nu kontrolleres norske tog for vognfejl
Havarikommisionen har opdaget flere fejl i låsemekanismen efter den dødsulykken på Storebæltsbroen. Det danske forbud mod sættevogne på jernbanen får nu norske myndigheder til at gennemføre kontroller.
8h
New dynamic probes for ions interacting with biomolecules
Pairs of negatively charged phosphate groups and positive magnesium ions represent a key structural feature of DNA and RNA embedded in water. Vibrations of phosphate groups have now been established as selective probes of such contact pairs and allow for a mapping of interactions and structure on the ultrafast time scales of molecular dynamics.
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2D materials may enable electric vehicles to get 500 miles on a single charge
New 2D catalysts boost energy capacity of lithium-air batteries.
8h
African-Americans may live longer after liver transplant if their donors are the same race
African-American adults undergoing liver transplant to treat liver cancer lived significantly longer if their organ donor was also African-American.
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Giving Cas9 an 'on' switch for better control of CRISPR gene editing
UC Berkeley scientists have created an 'on' switch for CRISPR-Cas9 that allows it to be turned on in select cells only, specifically those that have a particular protein-cutting enzyme, or protease. Viruses produce such proteases, as do cancer cells, so the Cas9 variants — called ProCas9 — could be used as sensors for viral infections or cancer. The variants were discovered by circular permutati
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Men and women remember pain differently
Scientists increasingly believe that one of the driving forces in chronic pain–the number one health problem in both prevalence and burden–appears to be the memory of earlier pain. Research published today/this week in Current Biology suggests that there may be variations, based on sex, in the way that pain is remembered in both mice and humans.
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The pressure's off
Scientists reveal activated structure of a receptor critical for blood pressure, salt homeostasis.Receptor is a target for drugs widely used to treat hypertension.
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Rice plants engineered to be better at photosynthesis make more rice
A new bioengineering approach for boosting photosynthesis in rice plants could increase grain yield by up to 27 percent, according to a study publishing January 10, 2019 in the journal Molecular Plant. The approach, called GOC bypass, enriches plant cells with CO2 that would otherwise be lost through a metabolic process called photorespiration. The genetically engineered plants were greener and la
8h
Using genetics of human fat cells to predict response to anti-diabetes drugs
In a new study published in Cell Stem Cell, a team of researchers from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, have demonstrated–using fat cells derived from human stem cells — that individual genetic variation can be used to predict whether the TZD rosiglitazone will produce the unwanted side effect of increasing cholesterol levels in certain individuals.
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CRISPR study reveals new immune system regulators
Scientists have created the first retroviral CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing library to explore the regulation of mouse T cells, which are key cells in the immune system. Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators mapped the most important genes for controlling T helper cells, and identified several new regulatory genes. Published in Cell, these could help researchers develop
8h
Defective glial cells can push neurons toward Parkinson's disease
Researchers from the University of Barcelona have shown that defective versions of human brain cells called astrocytes are linked to the buildup of a toxic protein that is the hallmark of Parkinson's disease. The studied astrocytes, derived from Parkinson's disease patients with a genetic mutation that affects cell clean-up functions, caused more accumulation of the toxin, alpha-synuclein, than th
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Cancer comorbidities reduce clinical trial participation, new SWOG study shows
Cancer patients with other illnesses or conditions, such as hypertension, asthma, or a prior cancer, are less likely to talk with their health care provider about a cancer clinical trial, are less likely to be offered to join a clinical trial, and ultimately less likely to enroll in a trial, according to the results of a new SWOG Cancer Research Network study.
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Seeing shapeshifting receptors at work could yield new drugs
New research out of Duke, Stanford and Harvard is showing precisely how GPCR cell surface receptors interact differently with various drugs, giving researchers hope that they may be able to tailor more specific medications. GPCRs, for which this team won a 2012 Nobel Prize, are the target of a third of all FDA-approved drugs.
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Targeting an RNA-binding protein to fight aging
Researchers at EPFL found that the RNA-binding protein PUM2 contributes to the accumulation of defective mitochondria, a key feature of the aging process. Targeting PUM2 in old animals protects against age-related mitochondrial dysfunction.
8h
A human model to test implants for cataract surgery
New research from the University of East Anglia (UK) uses an improved laboratory model to simulate cataract surgery on human donor eyes. During cataract surgery, the eye's cloudy natural lens is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). The research team's latest human model allows evaluation of IOL implants under conditions that mimic the inflammation that patients experienc
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Basel researchers identify drug against the formation of metastasis
The most deadly aspect of breast cancer is metastasis. It spreads cancer cells throughout the body. Researchers at the University and the University Hospital of Basel have now discovered a substance that suppresses the formation of metastases. In the journal Cell, the team of molecular biologists, computational biologists, and clinicians reports on their interdisciplinary approach.
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Bacteria help discover human cancer-causing proteins
Researchers applied an unconventional approach that used bacteria to discover human proteins that can lead to DNA damage and promote cancer.
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Uncovering more options in cancer immunotherapy
If scientists want to boost immune cells' ability to kill cancer cells, then vast libraries of small molecules are potentially available. Paper shows a platform to sort through them, plus validation. One of the hits = IAP antagonist birinapant, which is already in clinical trials (coincidentally).
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Climate change intensifies war of the birds
University of Groningen (UG) biologists have discovered that climate change has an effect on the regular clashes between great tits and pied flycatchers during the breeding season. In some years, great tits killed 10 percent of the male pied flycatchers. UG researchers have published an analysis of this behavior on Jan. 10 in the journal Current Biology.
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Bizarre 'bristle-jaw' creatures finally placed on tree of life
The phylogenetic position of chaetognaths, or arrow worms, stumped scientists for centuries; now, researchers have revealed important evolutionary trends by pinpointing their proper place.
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For these birds, climate change spells a rise in fatal conflicts
Researchers have found yet another way in which climate change has been detrimental to migrating birds. As European winters have become warmer, pied flycatchers traveling from Africa to reach breeding grounds in the Netherlands are arriving to find that resident great tits have already claimed nesting sites for the season. As a result, the number of flycatchers killed in great tit nests has risen
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New CRISPR-Cas9 variants can respond to viral proteases
Using a technique called circular permutation, researchers at the University of California Berkeley have created a new suite of Cas9 variants called Cas9-CPs, which will simplify design of Cas9-fusion proteins for diverse applications beyond simple DNA cutting, such as base editing and epigenetic modifications. The work appears Jan. 10 in the journal Cell.
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Seeing soda's influence
A complex network of research funding, institutional ties and personal influence has allowed the Coca-Cola Company, through its connections with a nonprofit group, to exert substantial influence over obesity science and policy solutions in China, a new study has found.
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Fake news shared by very few, but those over 65 more likely to pass on such storiesFake News Facebook
A small percentage of Americans, less than 9 percent, shared links to so-called 'fake news' sites on Facebook during the 2016 presidential election campaign, but this behavior was disproportionately common among people over the age of 65, according to a new study.
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Researchers reveal active-state structure of popular drug target for blood pressure
Bringing a long quest to a satisfying conclusion, researchers have mapped the active-state structure of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor, the target of widely prescribed drugs to regulate blood pressure and kidney function.
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For these birds, climate change spells a rise in fatal conflicts
Researchers have found yet another way in which climate change has been detrimental to migrating birds. As European winters have become warmer, pied flycatchers traveling from Africa over long distances to reach breeding grounds in the Netherlands are arriving to find that resident great tits have already claimed nesting sites for the season. As a result, the number of flycatchers killed in great
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Rice plants engineered to be better at photosynthesis make more rice
A new bioengineering approach for boosting photosynthesis in rice plants could increase grain yield by up to 27%, according to a study publishing January 10 in the journal Molecular Plant. The approach, called GOC bypass, enriches plant cells with CO2 that would otherwise be lost through a metabolic process called photorespiration. The genetically engineered plants were greener and larger and show
8h
New CRISPR-Cas9 variants can respond to viral proteases
Using a technique called circular permutation, researchers at the University of California Berkeley have created a new suite of Cas9 variants called Cas9-CPs, which will simplify design of Cas9-fusion proteins for diverse applications beyond simple DNA cutting, such as base editing and epigenetic modifications. The work appears January 10 in the journal Cell.
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Bacteria help discover human cancer-causing proteins
A team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas at Austin has applied an unconventional approach that used bacteria to discover human proteins that can lead to DNA damage and promote cancer. Reported in the journal Cell, the study also proposes biological mechanisms by which these proteins can cause damage to DNA, opening possibilities for future cancer treatmen
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Targeting an RNA-binding protein to fight aging
Aging bodies undergo biological changes that cause a decline in the function of cells and tissues. However, most studies attempting to identify molecules involved in age-related dysfunctions have focused only on mechanisms based on mRNA transcription, a very important step in gene expression, but nonetheless only part of the complex regulatory mechanisms in our cells.
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Bizarre 'bristle-jaw' creatures finally placed on tree of life
Chaetognaths, whose name means "bristle-jaw," can be found all over world, swimming in brackish estuaries, tropical seas and above the deep dark ocean floor. Also known as arrow worms, the creatures have been around since the Cambrian Period, but their precise place in evolutionary history has long eluded scientists. Now, researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate Univ
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Giving Cas9 an 'on' switch for better control of CRISPR gene editing
CRISPR-Cas9 is a revolutionary tool in part because of its versatility: created by bacteria to chew up viruses, it works equally well in human cells to do all sorts of genetic tricks, including cutting and pasting DNA, making pinpoint mutations and activating or inactivating a gene.
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New review shows plant-based diets benefit athletes' heart health, endurance, recovery
A new scientific review published in the journal Nutrients provides evidence that plant-based athletes benefit from improvements in heart health, performance, and recovery.
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Chirality in 'real-time'
Distinguishing between left-handed and right-handed ('chiral') molecules is crucial in chemistry and the life sciences, and is commonly done using a method called circular dichroism. However, during biochemical reactions the chiral character of molecules may change. EPFL scientists have for the first time developed a method that uses ultrashort deep-ultraviolet pulses to accurately probe such chan
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The biology of gender, from DNA to the brain | Karissa Sanbonmatsu
How exactly does gender work? It's not just about our chromosomes, says biologist Karissa Sanbonmatsu. In a visionary talk, she shares new discoveries from epigenetics, the emerging study of how DNA activity can permanently change based on social factors like trauma or diet. Learn how life experiences shape the way genes are expressed — and what that means for our understanding of gender.
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A New Approach to Understanding How Machines Think
If a doctor told that you needed surgery, you would want to know why — and you’d expect the explanation to make sense to you, even if you’d never gone to medical school. Been Kim, a research scientist at Google Brain, believes that we should expect nothing less from artificial intelligence. As a specialist in “interpretable” machine learning, she wants to build AI software that can explain itself
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New strategy may curtail spread of antibiotic resistance
In studying a bacterium that causes disease in hospitalized people, researchers have figured out a key step in the transmission of antibiotic resistance from one bacterium to another. Their insight suggests a new strategy for stopping the spread of antibiotic resistance.
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Speeding up genetic diagnosis of Huntington's disease
Elongated segments of DNA cause Huntington's disease and certain other disorders of the brain. Researchers have developed a method to determine the length of the mutated genes quickly and easily.
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Saving energy by taking a close look inside transistors
Transistors are needed wherever current flows, and they are an indispensable component of virtually all electronic switches. In the field of power electronics, transistors are used to switch large currents. However, one side-effect is that the components heat up and energy is lost as a result. One way of combating this and potentially making considerable savings is to use energy-efficient transist
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Turbocharger for the cell machinery
Researchers have discovered a new molecular regulatory mechanism in unicellular parasites which has never before been observed. RNA fragments do not act as brakes in the cell apparatus, but on the contrary as 'stimulants': they boost protein production after periods of stress.
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Solen vil ende sine dage som en langsomt afkølende kæmpe-krystal
Astronomer bekræfter nu en 15 år gammel teori om, at hvide dværgstjerner dør som kæmpe krystaller, når de løber tør for brændstof.
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Signals from space: Five theories on what they are
Mysterious cosmic signals have been picked up. What are they and where do they come from?
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Severe air pollution cuts productivity at work
According to new research, long-term exposure to air pollution is not just unhealthy—it also reduces employee productivity. “Most of us are familiar with the negative impact air pollution can have on health, but as economists, we wanted to look for other socioeconomic outcomes,” says Alberto Salvo, associate professor in the economics department at the National University of Singapore Faculty of
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Schizophrenia linked to Epstein-Barr virus
People with schizophrenia can have higher levels of antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus, a herpes virus that causes infectious mononucleosis, new research suggests. Researchers didn’t design the study to pinpoint cause and effect, but say there are at least two possible explanations: Schizophrenia might alter immune systems and make patients more susceptible to the Epstein-Barr virus, or EBV in
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New research reveals the enduring benefits of hiring a star
The paper looks at the different benefits stars and non-stars bring, both to the task at hand and to the collaborators' ability to come up with breakthrough ideas in the future.
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Learning about the impact of multiple symptoms in older adults
Up until now, we haven't had much information about how symptoms that occur at the same time affect an older adult's ability to function. To learn more, a team of researchers recently examined information from a large study of older adults, the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), which included more than 7,500 participants aged 65 and older. The study was published in the Journal of th
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Medication-assisted treatment helps patients avoid opioid withdrawal complications
Much attention is given to opioid overdose, but opioid withdrawal is a high-risk period where patients could experience serious health complications or revert to misuse or abuse, according to a new clinical review in Annals of Emergency Medicine.
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Glass Is M. Night Shyamalan at His Weirdest
One of the greatest superhero movies of all time is Tim Burton’s Batman Returns , a bleak fantasia about three comic-book characters (Batman, Catwoman, and the Penguin) whose identities were forged in trauma, and whose costumed alter egos are exaggerated responses to that pain. Batman Returns came out in 1992, before the costumed-hero drama became Hollywood’s predominant genre. At the time, the m
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New computer modeling approach could improve understanding of megathrust earthquakes
Years before the devastating Tohoku earthquake struck the coast of Japan in 2011, the Earth's crust near the site of the quake was starting to stir. Researchers are using computer models to investigate if tiny tremors detected near this site could be connected to the disaster itself.
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Neuroimaging shows social exclusion spurs extremism in those vulnerable to radicalization
A new study used neuroimaging techniques to show that social exclusion increases the number of ideological and group values worth fighting and dying for in populations vulnerable to radicalization. The study focused on neural activity in a region of the brain related to rule retrieval and sacred values. The results can help guide policies and actions capable of counteracting vulnerability to radic
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Mobile, instant diagnosis of viruses
In a first for plant virology, a team from CIRAD recently used nanopore technology to sequence the entire genomes of two yam RNA viruses. This as yet little-used but promising molecular biology technique paves the way for new tools for field diagnosis of plant, animal and human diseases.
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Malaria vaccine passes test in humans
A vaccine against fatal pregnancy malaria shows promising results in the first tests in humans. The new study has taken a vaccine all the way from discovery of a mechanism through development and production to clinical trials in humans.
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Expression of a molecule in blood cells predicts atherosclerosis risk
Scientists have found that the expression level of the molecule CD69 in blood cells inversely predicts the appearance of subclinical atherosclerosis (developing before symptoms appear) independently of classical cardiovascular risk factors.
9h
Child abuse linked to risk of suicide in later life
Children who experience physical, sexual, and emotional abuse or neglect are at least two to three times more likely to attempt suicide in later life, according to the largest research review carried out of the topic.
9h
A tomato for everyone: 'Sunviva' for the good of all
Plant breeders have launched a joint initiative to protect seeds as common property. Agrecol developed an 'Open Source Seed License,' which legally protects seeds as commons (i.e., a natural resource accessible to all members of society) and thus protects them from patenting and similar issues such as 'plant variety protection.'
9h
New biomarker links cancer progression to genome instability
A new Tel Aviv University study identifies elevated levels of a protein called ubiquilin-4 as a new biomarker for genome instability. This novel biomarker provides critical new information about the stage and grade of cancer tumors, as well as the patient's chances of responding to treatment.
9h
HIV protein function that slows migration of T cells also improves viral survival
A study from a Massachusetts General Hospital research team has identified the specific function of a protein found in HIV and related viruses that, after slowing down viral spread in the earliest stages of infection, may help the virus survive later on by evading the immune response.
9h
Pressure on food budgets linked to poor mental health for at least 100,000 Danish households
A significant number of Danes experience being so hard-pressed with their household budgets that they cannot afford enough food. This is particularly the case among single parents and people receiving social assistance, who concurrently experience unhealthier diets, poorer mental well-being and a lower quality of life than the rest of the population. These findings are from a large study, the firs
9h
How compostable plastic works (video)
Due to the demands of eco-conscious consumers, manufacturers are making more and more disposable plastic products from compostable polylactic acid. However, there are a few things everyone should know before tossing these plastics in the compost bin. In this video, Reactions explains how polylactic acid becomes compost.
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Turbocharger for the cell machinery
Researchers of the University of Bern have discovered a new molecular regulatory mechanism in unicellular parasites which has never before been observed. RNA fragments do not act as brakes in the cell apparatus, but on the contrary as 'stimulants': they boost protein production after periods of stress.
9h
Saving energy by taking a close look inside transistors
Transistors are needed wherever current flows, and they are an indispensable component of virtually all electronic switches. In the field of power electronics, transistors are used to switch large currents. However, one side-effect is that the components heat up and energy is lost as a result. One way of combating this and potentially making considerable savings is to use energy-efficient transist
9h
Mobile, instant diagnosis of viruses
In a first for plant virology, a team from CIRAD recently used nanopore technology to sequence the entire genomes of two yam RNA viruses. This as yet little-used but promising molecular biology technique paves the way for new tools for field diagnosis of plant, animal and human diseases. A godsend for developing countries…
9h
AI approach outperformed human experts in identifying cervical precancer
A research team led by investigators from the National Institutes of Health and Global Good has developed a computer algorithm that can analyze digital images of a woman's cervix and accurately identify precancerous changes that require medical attention. This artificial intelligence (AI) approach, called automated visual evaluation, has the potential to revolutionize cervical cancer screening, pa
9h
Lovforslag: Psykisk syge skal kunne erklæres raske
Folketinget skal tage stilling til et lovforslag, der går på, om der skal indføres en ret for borgere til at blive erklæret raske fra deres psykiatriske diagnose.
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Ny professor i epidemiologi skal bygge bro mellem metode og klinik
Tine Jess er tiltrådt som professor i klinisk epidemiologi ved København Universitet. Hun har en ambition at kombinere biologiske og kliniske data til gavn for patienter med inflammatorisk tarmsygdom
9h
Video: Fifteen years imaging the Red Planet
On 25 December 2003, ESA's Mars Express entered orbit around the Red Planet. The spacecraft began returning the first images from orbit using its High Resolution Stereo Camera just a couple of weeks later, and over the course of its fifteen year history has captured thousands of images covering the globe.
9h
Lung neuropeptide exacerbates lethal influenza virus infection
Researchers found that lung immune cells (phagocytes) produce increased levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY) when mice are infected with severe influenza virus. NPY and its receptor form the NPY-Y1R axis. In mice with influenza, activation of this axis causes excess pulmonary inflammation and viral replication, leading to increased disease severity. Deactivation of NPY, Y1R or their downstream effects w
9h
Why Is the National Enquirer So Obsessed With Jeff Bezos?
In some ways, it’s the most expected story in the world. Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, and his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie, are getting a divorce, and a tabloid alleges that a Bezos affair was the reason . Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. But because this is such a common archetype, the precise form it took reveals the turbulence and structure of our current media moment. Yesterday
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Risk factors for obesity may differ for Hispanic and non-Hispanic white babies
The factors that put children at risk of becoming obese within the first 12 months of their life may differ for Hispanic and non-Hispanic babies. This is a conclusion of a new study in the journal Pediatric Research, which is published by Springer Nature.
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Cardiovascular diseases and nutrition in Europe: A lot of premature deaths preventable
Of the 4.3 million cardiovascular deaths in Europe in 2016, 2.1 million were the result of poor nutrition. The 28 EU member states account for around 900,000, Russia for 600,000 and the Ukraine for 250,000 of these deaths. Every second to third premature cardiovascular death could be prevented by better nutrition.
9h
Speeding up genetic diagnosis of Huntington's disease
Elongated segments of DNA cause Huntington's disease and certain other disorders of the brain. Researchers funded by the SNSF have developed a method to determine the length of the mutated genes quickly and easily.
9h
Neuroimaging shows social exclusion spurs extremism in those vulnerable to radicalisation
A study conducted by the UAB and the IMIM used neuroimaging techniques to show that social exclusion increases the number of ideological and group values worth fighting and dying for in populations vulnerable to radicalisation. The study focused on neural activity in a region of the brain related to rule retrieval and sacred values. The results can help guide policies and actions capable of counte
9h
CES 2019 Liveblog Day 4: Thursday’s News and Photos, Live From Las Vegas
This year’s CES, one of the biggest consumer tech showcases in the world, continues Thursday. Join us for live updates from the show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Unconventional immune cells trigger disturbed cytokine production in human spondyloarthritis
Spondyloarthritis is one of the most common types of chronic joint inflammation affecting nearly 1-2 percent of the Western population. Scientists report that rare populations of unconventional T cells may account for this intriguing clinical observation.
9h
Murky water keeps fish on edge
A study led by researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University found fish become anxious and more cautious when water quality is degraded by sediment, an effect that could stunt their growth and damage their health.
9h
Researchers develop bioinspired nanoscale drug delivery method
Washington State University researchers have developed a novel way to deliver drugs and therapies into cells at the nanoscale without causing toxic effects that have stymied other such efforts.
9h
New strategy may curtail spread of antibiotic resistance
Spotless surfaces in hospitals can hide bacteria that rarely cause problems for healthy people but pose a serious threat to people with weakened immune systems. Acinetobacter baumannii causes life-threatening lung and bloodstream infections in hospitalized people. Such infections are among the most difficult to treat because these bacteria have evolved to withstand most antibiotics.
9h
Scientists improve on photosynthesis by genetically engineering plants
Ever since Thomas Malthus issued his dire prediction in 1789 that population growth would always exceed food supply, scientists have worked to prove him wrong. So far, they've helped farmers to keep pace by developing bigger and better varieties of crops and other agricultural innovations.
9h
Lab experiments offer credence to theory that subducted crust exists at the base of Earth's upper mantle
A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in Japan has found evidence that offers credence to a theory that subducted crust exists at the base of Earth's upper mantle. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes experiments they conducted in their lab involving pressurizing material believed to exist in the mantle, and what they found. Johannes Buchen, with
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Giant pattern discovered in the clouds of planet Venus
A Japanese research group has identified a giant streak structure among the clouds covering planet Venus based on observation from the spacecraft Akatsuki. The team also revealed the origins of this structure using large-scale climate simulations. The group was led by Project Assistant Professor Hiroki Kashimura (Kobe University, Graduate School of Science) and these findings were published on Jan
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Health Misinformation Is Rampant on Instagram
When it comes to health advice, don’t take Instagram’s word for it. The platform is rampant with misinformation about wellness, argues the Atlantic staff writer Amanda Mull. Behind many fads are Instagram influencers with perceived authority on health and wellness—the majority of whom have no real nutritional training or expertise. Take celery juice, for example. In the latest Atlantic Argument,
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What I Learned From Cancer
M y daughter squirmed on her back, rocking the changing table. She bicycle-kicked her 1-year-old legs. No shoes or pants could be removed. She held her arms down. No shirt could rise over her head. Perhaps she sensed my mood, and my wife’s and Ma’s mood as they talked somewhere outside her closed bedroom door, and responded in kind. But I was not thinking about transference. Irritated, I expected
9h
Trump’s Wall Could Cost Him in 2020
President Donald Trump may now be talking more about steel than cement, but his proposed border wall remains the Rosetta Stone for understanding both his conception of the presidency and his political strategy. Nothing better illustrates Trump’s political calculus than his determination to build the wall, a goal that most Americans consistently oppose in polls, even at the cost of shutting down t
9h
New computer modeling approach could improve understanding of megathrust earthquakes
Years before the devastating Tohoku earthquake struck the coast of Japan in 2011, the Earth's crust near the site of the quake was starting to stir. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin are using computer models to investigate if tiny tremors detected near this site could be connected to the disaster itself.
9h
A new, potentially inhabitable super-Earth
Researchers at the University of Oviedo, in collaboration with the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) have discovered and characterized a planet in the habitability zone of a red dwarf star. It was detected using the method of transits.
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Older folks were most likely to share ‘fake news’ in 2016Fake News Facebook
New research finds that only a small percentage of Americans, less than 9 percent, shared links to so-called “fake news” sites on Facebook during the 2016 presidential election campaign. This behavior, however, was disproportionately common among people over the age of 65, researchers report. “Despite widespread interest in the fake news phenomenon, we know very little about who actually shares f
9h
Danish malaria vaccine passes test in humans
A vaccine against fatal pregnancy malaria shows promising results in the first tests in humans. The new study conducted at the University of Copenhagen has untraditionally taken a vaccine all the way from discovery of a mechanism through development and production to clinical trials in humans.
9h
Lung neuropeptide exacerbates lethal influenza virus infection
Researchers found that lung immune cells (phagocytes) produce increased levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY) when mice are infected with severe influenza virus. NPY and its receptor form the NPY-Y1R axis. In mice with influenza, activation of this axis causes excess pulmonary inflammation and viral replication, leading to increased disease severity. Deactivation of NPY, Y1R or their downstream effects w
9h
Unconventional immune cells trigger disturbed cytokine production in human spondyloarthritis
Spondyloarthritis is one of the most common types of chronic joint inflammation affecting nearly 1-2 percent of the Western population. Scientists from VIB-UGent report that rare populations of unconventional T cells may account for this intriguing clinical observation.
9h
Application of nanosized LiFePO4 modified electrode to electrochemical sensor & biosensor
The aim of this paper was to construct nanosized LFP modified electrodes, which could be applied as working electrode for rutin analysis and as an electrochemical biosensor for direct electrochemistry of Hemoglobin (Hb).
9h
How drugs can minimize the side effects of chemotherapy
Researchers at the University of Zurich have determined the three-dimensional structure of the receptor that causes nausea and vomiting as a result of cancer chemotherapy. The study explains for the first time why some drugs work particularly well in ameliorating these side effects. The results also provide important insights into how to develop compounds to effectively tackle other disorders.
9h
Reading the signs: Semaphorin linked to lung cancer treatment resistance
Osaka University researchers showed that high levels of the protein Semaphorin 7a are associated with resistance to treatment with EGFR-TKIs in lung adenocarcinoma cells with EGFR mutation. The findings revealed the involvement of mTOR signaling in this effect, as well as the importance of the inhibition of apoptosis. The findings suggest that focusing on Semaphorin 7a could be advantageous for pr
9h
Bioinspired nanoscale drug delivery method developed by WSU, PNNL researchers
Washington State University researchers have developed a novel way to deliver drugs and therapies into cells at the nanoscale without causing toxic effects that have stymied other such efforts. The work could someday lead to more effective therapies and diagnostics for cancer and other illnesses.
9h
USC research fosters communication between smart buildings and people
Researchers found improved dialogue between machines and people help smart buildings achieve their energy-saving potential. In a new study, researchers found that subtle changes in design of virtual assistants results in behavioral changes that can help the environment.
9h
10 essential apps for your new iPad Pro
DIY The best picks for the advanced tablet. You've invested in a new iPad Pro tablet—now it's time to arm it with the best apps around. These programs help you with digital art, office work, video editing, and…
9h
Five-hundred fifty million barrels of oil discovered off Ghana coast
Norway's Aker Energy on Thursday said it had discovered oil in commercial quantities off Ghana, which the government welcomed as a potential boost to the economy.
10h
Pushing microbes to deliver preferred products
If environmental engineer Daniel Noguera had his way, he would orchestrate a microbiome to pump out higher-value chemical products.
10h
Physics student develops machine-learning model for energy and environmental applications
A West Virginia University physics student has created a new machine-learning model that has the potential to make searching for energy and environmental materials more efficient.
10h
Device update enables mobile testing for viruses, bacteria and active toxins
You're sweating and feverish and have no idea why. Fortunately, Sandia National Laboratories scientists have a device that can pinpoint what's wrong in less than an hour.
10h
Researchers design a new computing system that can reduce delays on smart devices
Computer scientists at Queen's University Belfast have designed a new innovative system to reduce delays on smart devices.
10h
Biology professor examines river ecology on global scale
Oakland University ecologist Scott Tiegs is the lead author of a new scientific paper examining carbon-cycling rates of river-based ecosystems around the world.
10h
WhatsApp doesn't lead to language deterioration
Active users of social media like WhatsApp don't write more poorly at school, although there's a small relation between passively using WhatsApp and poorer writing. This was shown in a study done among young people by linguist Lieke Verheijen, who will receive her Ph.D. on this subject from Radboud University on 25 January.
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How to improve communication between people and smart buildings
When it comes to buildings and their occupants, USC researchers see a failure to communicate, yet improved dialogue between the two can help smart buildings work better for a sustainable society.
10h
Murky water keeps fish on edge
Fish become anxious and more cautious when water quality is degraded by sediment, an effect that could stunt their growth and damage their health.
10h
Scientists harness machine learning to uncover new insights into the human brain
An inter-disciplinary research team has successfully employed machine learning to uncover new insights into the cellular architecture of the human brain. This approach could potentially be used to assess treatment of neurological disorders, and to develop new therapies.
10h
Giant pattern discovered in the clouds of planet Venus
Astronomers have identified a giant streak structure among the clouds covering planet Venus based on observation from the spacecraft Akatsuki. The team also revealed the origins of this structure using large-scale climate simulations.
10h
Hubble sees the brightest quasar in the early universe
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has discovered the brightest quasar ever seen in the early universe. After 20 years of searching, astronomers have identified the ancient quasar with the help of strong gravitational lensing. This unique object provides an insight into the birth of galaxies when the universe was less than a billion years old.
10h
Giant pattern discovered in the clouds of planet Venus
A Japanese research group has identified a giant streak structure among the clouds covering planet Venus based on observation from the spacecraft Akatsuki. The team also revealed the origins of this structure using large-scale climate simulations. The group was led by Project Assistant Professor Hiroki Kashimura (Kobe University, Graduate School of Science) and these findings were published on Jan
10h
Pharmacists could dramatically reduce ER visits
Nearly one-third of non-urgent emergency department visits in Ontario can potentially be managed by pharmacists, study finds.
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UTSA uncovers the disconnect between the brain's dopamine system and cocaine addiction
Now new data by UTSA shows how the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine changes when working for cocaine. Our brains naturally release dopamine to reward us for working hard for something gratifying, for example, enjoying a sweet piece of chocolate. Yet when it comes to illicit substances such as cocaine, the harder the effort put into getting cocaine, the less likely there will be a large jol
10h
Novel biomarker appears predictive of outcome in patients with HPV-related head and neck cancers
Rather than classifying based solely on HPV status, MD Anderson researchers have discovered a new biomarker for head and neck cancers that may enable clinicians to better predict patient outcomes and lower treatment intensity to reduce side effects.
10h
New strategy may curtail spread of antibiotic resistance
In studying a bacterium that causes disease in hospitalized people, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have figured out a key step in the transmission of antibiotic resistance from one bacterium to another. Their insight suggests a new strategy for stopping the spread of antibiotic resistance.
10h
New computer modeling approach could improve understanding of megathrust earthquakes
Years before the devastating Tohoku earthquake struck the coast of Japan in 2011, the Earth's crust near the site of the quake was starting to stir. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin are using computer models to investigate if tiny tremors detected near this site could be connected to the disaster itself.
10h
Astronomers uncover the brightest quasar in the early universe
Astronomers have discovered the brightest object ever seen at a time when the universe was less than one billion years old. With the help of multiple, world-class telescopes in Hawaii, researchers discovered that the brilliant beacon is a quasar, the core of a galaxy with a black hole ravenously eating material surrounding it.
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NUS scientists harness machine learning to uncover new insights into the human brain
An inter-disciplinary research team led by the National University of Singapore has successfully employed machine learning to uncover new insights into the cellular architecture of the human brain. This approach could potentially be used to assess treatment of neurological disorders, and to develop new therapies.
10h
Phosphorus: 350 years after its discovery, this vital element is running out
It's time to buy a lot of candles. And if we light them with matches, it will only be possible because of the anniversary in question. It's happy 350th birthday to the discovery of phosphorus, an element that is essential for life as we know it.
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Rare metals from e-waste
This year, beautifully wrapped laptops, mobile phones or even new TV sets lay under Christmas trees. They are enthusiastically put into use—and the old electronic devices are disposed of. The e-waste contains resources such as neodymium, indium and gold. What happens to the valuable materials? And how much rare metal is contained in mobile phones, computers and monitors that are still in use today
10h
Engineered light could improve health, food, suggests researcher
People who believe light-emitting diodes, or LEDS, are just an efficient upgrade to the ordinary electric light bulb are stuck in their thinking, suggest Sandia National Laboratories researcher Jeff Tsao and colleagues from other institutions in a Nature "Perspectives" article published in late November.
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Cygnus A: Ricocheting black hole jet discovered by Chandra
A ricocheting jet blasting from a giant black hole has been captured by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, as reported in our latest press release. In this composite image of Cygnus A, X-rays from Chandra (red, green, and blue that represent low, medium and high energy X-rays) are combined with an optical view from the Hubble Space Telescope of the galaxies and stars in the same field of view. Chan
10h
Danske Regioner vil af med seksårsfristen
Danske Regioner og Yngre Læger mener, at regionale initiativer har overhalet seksårsfristen indenom, og reglen bør derfor afskaffes.
10h
Five things to know about January's total lunar eclipse
This month's rare total eclipse will be the last one visible from the United States until 2022.
10h
Can our forests survive the next drought?
UC Merced researchers have evidence that California's forests are especially vulnerable to multi-year droughts because their health depends on water stored several feet below ground.
10h
What should we do about single-use plastics?
Much of the growing global concern about the plastics polluting our oceans and clogging our landfills has focused on reducing consumption and reusing where we can. But there's a reason manufacturers and consumers struggle to substitute other materials— for many uses, plastics are simply the best material available. When it comes to keeping our food and drugs clean and uncontaminated and our medica
10h
Newly discovered leukodystrophy in children: Potential cure
Medical researchers have uncovered a novel disease of children affecting the brain white matter — the myelin sheath –, leading to severe incapacity and death in some cases. These defects were corrected by a treatment with fingolimod, a drug in use for multiple sclerosis which interferes with this pathway.
10h
Geoscientists reconstruct 'eye-opening' 900-year Northeastern U.S. climate record
Deploying a new technique for the first time in the region, geoscientists have reconstructed the longest and highest-resolution climate record for the Northeastern United States, which reveals previously undetected past temperature cycles and extends the record 900 years into the past, well beyond the previous early date of 1850.
10h
App monitors breathing to detect opioid overdose
A new app that uses sonar to monitor breathing rate can sense when someone has overdosed on opioids. During an overdose, a person breathes slower or stops breathing altogether. These symptoms are reversible with the drug naloxone if caught in time. But people who use opioids alone have no way of asking for help. The app, called Second Chance, accurately detected overdose-related symptoms about 90
10h
Quantum: Handover for fully flexible satellite
UK engineers complete the build of a novel software-defined telecoms satellite called Quantum.
10h
Anak Krakatau: Finnish radar satellite eyes tsunami volcano
The innovative ICEYE radar spacecraft views the changing shape of the collapsed volcano.
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Should cyber officials be required to tell victims of cyber crimes they've been hacked?
In Germany this week, the legal limbo that defines cyberspace around the world was on full display.
10h
What causes algal blooms, and how we can stop them?
Outbreaks of algae have killed up to a million fish in the Murray Darling Basin over the last two weeks. The phenomena of "algae blooms", when the population of algae in a river rapidly grows and dies, can be devastating to local wildlife, ecosystems and people. But what are algae blooms? What causes them, and can we prevent them?
10h
Chang'e 4: Why the moon's far side looks red in new images
The first ever images taken from the surface of the far side of the moon have been released following the Chinese National Space Administration's (CNSA) successful landing there. The lander Chang'e 4 and rover Yutu 2 follow from Chang'e 3 and the original Yutu rover that were deployed on the moon's near side in 2013.
10h
The seven ages of face recognition
Face recognition is becoming an increasingly common feature of biometric verification systems. Now, a team from India has used a multi-class support vector machine to extend the way in which such systems work to take into account a person's age. Jayant Jagtap of Symbiosis International (Deemed) University in Pune, and Manesh Kokare of the Shri Guru Gobind Singhji Institute of Engineering and Techn
10h
Beta's Ava Is the Edward Scissorhands of Flying Cars
The eVTOL aircraft may look strange, but it's a clever machine built for the coming age of air taxis.
10h
A Magic Wand? Nope, Just Good Ol’ Fashioned Physics
What looks like magic is actually the electrostatic force in action, suspending objects in air by manipulating their electrons.
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A step closer to a data superhighway for future internet
An international team of researchers led by ANU is helping to build a safe data superhighway for the highly anticipated quantum internet, which promises a new era of artificial intelligence and ultra-secure communication.
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Common frame for analyzing complex systems in physics and economics
Scientists often need to make sense of complex systems without knowing the important parameters or even without access to all the information. A collaboration of network theorists has reported a common frame for addressing these problems using only one tool.
10h
Stick insect study shows the significance of passive muscle force for fast movements
Long, heavy limbs such as arms or legs differ fundamentally from short, light limbs such as fingers in their ability to execute fast movements. While the central nervous system has actively controls fast movements of large limbs, passive muscle force can suffice for the movement velocity and movement amplitude of small and light limbs. That is the result of a study conducted on the stick insect by
10h
A tomato for everyone: 'Sunviva' for the good of all
Plant breeders at the University of Göttingen and Agrecol have launched a joint initiative to protect seeds as common property. Agrecol developed an Open Source Seed Licence, which legally protects seeds as commons (i.e., a natural resource accessible to all members of society) and thus protects them from patenting and similar issues such as plant variety protection. The results were published in
10h
Technology helps reduce energy costs on Indiana farm while protecting environment
A Purdue University alumnus is using clean, solar energy to drastically reduce the electric bill for his northern Indiana hog farm with the help of a company based in the Purdue Research Park.
10h
Enzyme structure reveals how DNA is opened up for transcription
DNA is a molecular manual that contains instructions for building life. And, like any manual, DNA isn't all that useful if it remains unopened and unread. In order to transcribe DNA, the enzyme RNA polymerase, or RNAP, must pry open its two strands, a process known as "melting" or "unwinding." In a recent study, Rockefeller scientists elucidated key features of RNAP, shedding light on how DNA's ge
10h
Scientists hit on the protein and lipid composition of the Siberian mammoth bone
Scientists from Skoltech and Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) studied the protein and lipid composition of a mammoth bone found near the Yana River in northeastern Siberia. Their study is one of the few pioneering endeavors in paleolipidomics—a frontier research area that complements paleogenomics and paleoproteomics. The results of their study were published in the European Journ
10h
What 100,000 star factories in 74 galaxies reveal about star formation
Galaxies come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Some of the most significant differences among galaxies, however, relate to where and how they form new stars. Compelling research to explain these differences has been elusive, but that is about to change.
10h
Reconstruction of trilobite ancestral range in the southern hemisphere
The first appearance of trilobites in the fossil record dates to 521 million years ago in the oceans of the Cambrian Period, when the continents were still inhospitable to most life forms. Few groups of animals adapted as successfully as trilobites, which were arthropods that lived on the seabed for 270 million years until the mass extinction at the end of the Permian approximately 252 million yea
10h
Data analytics for safer air space
Imagine being able to predict an inexperienced pilot's erratic flight path in real time.
10h
Sex offender registries don't prevent re-offending (and vigilante justice is real)
Calls for public access to information about convicted child sex offenders occur often in Australia. It may seem like common sense that allowing the public to know the whereabouts of dangerous people should increase community safety. As in many areas of criminal justice, the real story is more complicated.
10h
Vitamin D supplements do not reduce the risk of cancer or cardiovascular disease
Vitamin D has been widely touted as beneficial for preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease. A large, well-conducted clinical trial now show that it has no effect.
10h
Expression of a molecule in blood cells predicts atherosclerosis risk
CNIC's scientists have found that the expression level of the molecule CD69 in blood cells inversely predicts the appearance of subclinical atherosclerosis (developing before symptoms appear) independently of classical cardiovascular risk factors.
10h
Murky water keeps fish on edge
A study led by researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University found fish become anxious and more cautious when water quality is degraded by sediment, an effect that could stunt their growth and damage their health.
10h
Floating seabirds provide a novel way to trace ocean currents
Seabirds idly drifting with ocean currents provide a novel way to track and understand how these flows change with time and location.
10h
Scientists breathalyze cows to measure methane emissions
Cattle burps are the No. 2 source of methane in the U.S., but it's tricky to measure exactly how much methane one cow produces in a day. That's why researchers at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory in Bushland, Texas set out to use a number of different methane assessment methods—including a "breathalyzer for cows"—to determine the methane emissions of free-range cattle o
10h
Cosmic telescope zooms in on the beginning of time
Observations from Gemini Observatory identify a key fingerprint of an extremely distant quasar, allowing astronomers to sample light emitted from the dawn of time. Astronomers happened upon this deep glimpse into space and time thanks to a foreground galaxy acting as a gravitational lens, which magnified the ancient light. The Gemini observations provide critical pieces of the puzzle in confirming
10h
Women with IBD are at greater risk of mental illness
A study shows that women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at greater risk of developing a mental illness after giving birth compared to the overall population. Study authors found that more than one-fifth of pregnant women with IBD had a new-onset mental health diagnosis. For every 43 pregnancies, there is one extra case of mental illness in a woman with IBD, compared to other women.
10h
Sex differences in 'body clock' may benefit women's heart health
Research suggests that a gene that governs the body's biological (circadian) clock acts differently in males versus females and may protect females from heart disease. The study is the first to analyze circadian blood pressure rhythms in female mice.
10h
Risky decisions: Excessive social media use is comparable to drug addiction
Bad decision-making is a trait oftentimes associated with drug addicts and pathological gamblers, but what about people who excessively use social media? New research shows a connection between social media use and impaired risky decision-making, which is commonly deficient in substance addiction.
10h
HRT tablets associated with increased risk of blood clots
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) tablets are associated with a higher risk of rare but serious blood clots (known as venous thromboembolism or VTE), finds a large study.
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Kan ungt blod bremse Alzheimers og Parkinsons?
Et amerikansk firma bruger yngre menneskers blod til at behandle Parkinsons og Alzheimers i to forsøg, der begyndte sidste år. Dansk læge og forsker ser skeptisk på perspektiverne i ungt blod.
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Kronik: Trafik og brændeovne er også klimapolitik
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Hydrogen mobility from renewable energy
A reliable energy transition requires the implication of a range of scientific domains: physical, human, social, economic, as well as earth and life sciences, with the particular concern to put the end user in the centre of technology development. As part of the ULHyS project (Université de Lorraine Hydrogène Sciences et Technologies), the University of Lorraine brings together about ten laborator
10h
Students create probiotic to help honeybees fight deadly fungus
A team of University of Alberta students are hoping to market a probiotic they created to help honeybees ward off a fungal infection that has wiped out entire hives.
10h
Magnetar mysteries in our galaxy and beyond
In a new Caltech-led study, researchers from campus and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have analyzed pulses of radio waves coming from a magnetar—a rotating, dense, dead star with a strong magnetic field—that is located near the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy. The new research provides clues that magnetars like this one, lying in close proximity to a black hole,
10h
Does language push immigrants kids toward STEM?
US immigrant children study more math and science in high school and college, which leads to a greater presence in STEM careers, according to new research. “Most studies on the assimilation of immigrants focus on the language disadvantage of non-English-speaking immigrants,” says Marcos Rangel, assistant professor at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. “We focus instead on the comp
10h
A new multisite, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study suggests that ketamine can help those suffering from treatment-resistant depression, even in situations where they also suffer from a high level of anxiety.
submitted by /u/randomusefulbits [link] [comments]
10h
Change of teeth causes yo-yo effect in elephants' weight
The weight of elephants living in zoos fluctuates over the course of their adult lives in cycles lasting around a hundred months, researchers at the University of Zurich have found. The fluctuation is linked to the particular pattern of tooth change in elephants, which results in them having more or less chewing surface available.
10h
Using machine learning for the early detection of anomalies helps to avoid damage
The analysis of sensor data of machines, plants or buildings makes it possible to detect anomalous states early and thus to avoid further damage. For this purpose, the monitoring data is searched for anomalies. By means of machine learning, anomaly detection can already be partially automated.
10h
How fast fashion hurts environment, workers, society
The overabundance of fast fashion—readily available, inexpensively made clothing—has created an environmental and social justice crisis, claims a new paper from an expert on environmental health at Washington University in St. Louis.
10h
Nanocrystals get better when they double up with MOFs
Out of the box, crystalline MOFs (metal-organic frameworks) look like ordinary salt crystals. But MOFs are anything but ordinary crystals – deep within each crystalline "grain" lies an intricate network of thin, molecular cages that can pull harmful gas emissions like carbon dioxide from the air, and contain them for a really long time.
10h
Laser triggers electrical activity in thunderstorm for the first time
A team of European scientists has deliberately triggered electrical activity in thunderclouds for the first time, according to a new paper in the latest issue of Optics Express, the Optical Society's (OSA) open-access journal. They did this by aiming high-power pulses of laser light into a thunderstorm.
10h
Universal internet access unlikely until at least 2050, experts say
Half the world’s population is online but lack of skills and investment are slowing growth Parts of the world will be excluded from the internet for decades to come without major efforts to boost education, online literacy and broadband infrastructure, experts have warned. While half the world’s population now uses the internet, a desperate lack of skills and stagnant investment mean the UN’s goa
10h
Study suggests tweaks to private sponsorship program for Syrian refugees
Private sponsorship programs for Syrian refugees should require settlement services, such as support finding employment and access to language classes, rather than leaving resources entirely up to private sponsors, according to a University of Alberta study.
11h
Stranded without transit? Researchers say 1 million Canadians suffer from "transport poverty"
If you can't afford a car or Uber, and there's no major public transit route in your neighbourhood, finding a job and keeping it can be an uphill battle.
11h
Vodafone says wants to cut up to 1,200 jobs in Spain
Vodafone said Thursday it planned to cut up to 1,200 jobs in Spain as it streamlines its organisation to cope with a drop in revenue and profits in a fiercely competitive telecommunications market.
11h
Target plays to strength, combining digital sales and stores
One of Target's biggest competitive advantages, the stores it has sprinkled across the country, accounted for a quarter of all online sales in November and December. Goods ordered online and picked up at stores surged 60 percent in that period.
11h
Ford to cut jobs in European revamp
US carmaker Ford said on Thursday that it plans a major restructuring of its European operations, including job cuts, to boost profitability.
11h
China offers Elon Musk permanent residency
Tesla boss Elon Musk has been offered a "green card", China said Thursday, a privilege enjoyed by an elite group of foreigners, including several Nobel laureates and a former NBA star.
11h
China moon rover 'Jade Rabbit' wakes from 'nap'
China's lunar rover got back to work on the far side of the moon Thursday after waking from a five-day hibernation, its official social media page announced.
11h
How to better prevent bleeding in bariatric surgery
Better measures of accurate dosages of blood thinners for obese patients who have bariatric surgery could reduce bleeding, researchers say. Obesity affects more than 30 percent of adults in the United States. In 2018, surgeons performed 228,000 bariatric surgeries, which causes weight loss by restricting the amount of food the stomach can hold. Clots that block blood vessels are a risk of bariatr
11h
Good news: space bacteria (probably) aren’t evolving to destroy us
Space Microbes on ISS are changing their genes, but don’t worry. We’ve all read science fiction stories about a disease going rogue on a space ship, decimating the crew. While space holds plenty of other terrors, new research suggests…
11h
Spørg Fagfolket: Hvorfor klør det spontant på min hud?
En læser vil gerne vide, hvorfor det lige pludselig kan begynde at klø, selv om der ikke sidder noget på huden. Det svarer overlæge i hud- og allergiafdeling på.
11h
Regionerne har ikke styr på tolkegebyret
Et halvt år efter loven om tolkegebyret trådte i kraft, har to regioner ikke sendt regninger ud, mens to andre regioner har sat opkrævningerne på pause.
11h
50 years ago, scientists studied orcas in the wild for the first time
The study of killer whales has come a long way since the capture of seven in 1968 allowed scientists to study the animals in their habitat.
11h
Chicago’s New 311 System Is a Huge Win for Public Works
When cities hand off infrastructure projects to private companies, they often end up screwed. Now, they're learning.
11h
Rethinking the relationship between age, business acumen and entrepreneurship
There's no question the domestic workforce is aging. According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median age of the U.S. labor force was 42 years in 2016, up from 38 in 1996, and it's projected to keep climbing.
11h
Subglacial weathering alters nutrient cycles in Greenland
The nutrient cycles that underpin how carbon is stored and released from two of Greenland's glaciers is significantly affected by subglacial weathering, a new study has found, shedding further light on the geochemistry of meltwaters.
11h
World-first chameleon satellite leaving native British shores
The last component of British-built chameleon satellite, Eutelsat Quantum, is getting ready to leave home for good.
11h
New catalysts for better fuel cells
Researchers at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST) have developed nano-catalysts that can reduce the overall cost of clean energy fuel cells, according to a study published in the journal of Applied Catalysis B: Environmental.
11h
Lifting the veil on star formation in the Orion Nebula
The stellar wind from a newborn star in the Orion Nebula prevents more new stars from forming nearby. That is the result of new research conducted by an international research team led by the University of Cologne (Germany) and the University of Leiden (Netherlands) using NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).
11h
Overtones can provide faster data communication
For the first time, researchers have succeeded in producing what are known as spin wave overtones. The technology paves the way for increasing the data transmission rate of wireless communication.
11h
EU court advisor sides with Google on 'right to be forgotten'
An EU rule forcing search engines to comply with requests to remove links should be limited to Europe, the senior legal advisor to the bloc's top court said Thursday in a boost for web giant Google.
11h
German airports strike slashes 600 flights
Almost 640 flights were cancelled in Germany Thursday as security staff went on strike at three airports, meaning disruption for around 100,000 passengers.
11h
Japan labour data 'incorrectly collected since 2004'
Japan may have underpaid billions of yen in unemployment benefits after it emerged that the government has been incorrectly collecting labour market data for as long as 15 years.
11h
Image of the Day: What We've Dumped
Researchers collected trash that washed up at Gulf Coast shoreline sites over two years. Most of it was plastic.
11h
Atmospheric Mystery on Saturn's Largest Moon
The haze that blankets Titan has a high-altitude layer which sometimes detaches from the rest—and nobody is quite sure why — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
11h
Psykolog Mette Skovgaard Væver udpeget til Børnerådet
Børne- og socialminister Mai Mercado har udpeget lektor i klinisk børnepsykologi Mette…
12h
I VR lærer drenge bedst, når læreren er en drone – pigerne lærer bedre fra virtuelle Marie
I et virtuelt læringsmiljø er der stor forskel på drenge og piger, viser ny forskning…
12h
The Magical Gaze of 'Mona Lisa' Is a Myth
Her gaze isn't actually following you, despite what we all thought.
12h
When Chinese hackers declared war on the rest of us
Many thought the internet would bring democracy to China. Instead it empowered rampant government oppression, and now the censors are turning their attention to the rest of the world.
12h
It’s Easier Than Ever to Log Your Kid’s Data—But Should You?
Meet the quantified kid: More gadgets let you track data from before birth and into their teens. But it probably won’t make you a better parent.
12h
The Best of CES 2019: Laptops, Smart Home, Parenting, TVs
WIRED's picks for the standout products from this year's CES consumer electronics fest.
12h
Nevada City, California's 'Goat Fund Me' to Prevent Fires
Spooked by massive wildfires, a California city launches a crowdfunding campaign to hire goats to clear brush at the edges of town.
12h
YouTube Boomers Show #VanLife Isn’t Just for Millennials
Bob Wells, a 63-year-old YouTube personality, has been living the #vanlife since 1995. He’s managed to make a living—and inspire a generation.
12h
Our Future in Space Will Echo Our Future on Earth
A spacefaring civilization can be expected to transform its home planet — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
12h
Photos: Decapitated Romans Found in Ancient Cemetery
A fourth century A.D. Roman cemetery in England has more than a dozen decapitated bodies in it, a new excavation reveals.
12h
Decapitated Skeletons, with Heads Between Their Legs, Unearthed in Roman Cemetery
The discovery of a Roman cemetery in England has archaeologists scratching their heads.
12h
A Biologist Reconstructs the Grotesque Efficiency of the Nazis' Killing Machine
Lewi Stone used his statistical prowess to reveal the furious intensity of the Holocaust’s industrial-scale genocide during three months of 1942 — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
12h
We are starting to wreck the environment around our planet now, too
Our species’ environmental impact extends far beyond Earth. Now one scientist says it’s high time we thought more carefully about what we’re doing to near-Earth space.
12h
Norske politikere tager varmt imod GPS-baseret roadpricing
PLUS. Roadpricing kan muligvis være på vej til privatbilister i Norge. I Stortinget er der fremsat et forslag om at undersøge mulighederne for at indføre systemet, og både politikere og organisationer tager godt imod løsningen.
13h
Norge overvejer at udelukke Huawei som leverandør til 5G-netværk
Norges regering overvejer at følge andre vestlige landes eksempel ved at udelukke udstyr fra den kinesiske teleleverandør og mobilproducent Huawei i opbygningen af landets 5G-netværk. Det fortæller landets justitsminister.
13h
Would scientists tell us about a looming apocalypse?
NASA astronomer Michelle Thaller fields one question with a heavy heart: If scientists knew there was a catastrophic asteroid heading towards Earth, would they tell us? What about aliens? Is NASA hiding aliens from the public? Are they "in" on conspiracy theories? Scientists are, on the contrary, eager to communicate their findings to the media and the public, says Thaller. "To me it speaks to th
13h
Paul Whelan Isn’t a Spy, and Putin Knows It
To say that the Cold War shaped Russian President Vladimir Putin and the 21st-century Kremlin is an understatement. Putin has consistently used the skills and contacts he developed during his KGB career to cement control internally and battle foes abroad. Putin describes himself as a proud “Chekist,” referring to Lenin’s bloody, repressive, and brutal secret police, and celebrates the organizatio
13h
America’s Housing Crisis Could Imperil Trump’s Presidency
Donald Trump is right that the United States desperately needs more walls. He’s just wrong about their ideal dimension, purpose, and location. The U.S. need not spend tens of billions of dollars on a single barrier extending along the southern border between the United States and Mexico. Rather, what the suddenly wobbly U.S. economy could really use is millions of walls at 90-degree angles. I mea
13h
Debussy’s Radical Search for Simplicity
In 1889, Achille-Claude Debussy, then in his mid-20s, was one of 30 million people to walk through the iron arches of the newly completed Eiffel Tower. Throughout that year, the arches served as the grand entryway to the Exposition Universelle , a world’s fair celebrating the cultural, technological, and colonial prowess of France a century after the revolution. A stunning variety of sights greet
13h
‘Little Foot’ skeleton reveals a brain much like a chimp’s
An ancient skeleton dubbed Little Foot points to the piecemeal evolution of various humanlike traits in hominids, two studies suggest.
13h
Efter rekordsommer: Usynlig hav-bakterie gav infektioner hos flere badegæster
En varm sommer i 2018 medførte flere infektioner med havbakterier, konstaterer Statens Serum Institut, der frygter en øget risiko i takt med klimaforandringerne.
13h
Americans want to regulate AI but don’t trust anyone to do it
The public thinks that AI is likely to cause more harm than good, a new report has shown.
14h
You Asked: When to Start With a Gynecologist?
Cervical cancer screening starts at age 21. But there are reasons to start seeing a gynecologist earlier.
14h
Are Floppy-Eared Dogs Actually Friendlier? Science Says Maybe
The T.S.A. said it favors floppy-eared dogs over pointy-eared dogs in airport jobs because floppy-eared dogs appear friendlier and less aggressive. There is a scientific explanation behind the perception.
14h
George the Snail, Believed to Be the Last of His Species, Dies at 14 in Hawaii
Scientists say George, an inch-long mollusk about 14 years old, was most likely the last of Achatinella apexfulva, a species of land snail that lived only in Hawaii.
14h
Hubbles bedste kamera er gået i stykker
Fejlretning forsinkes af nedlukningen af den amerikanske statsadministration.
14h
IDIBELL researchers identify a new leukodystrophy in children and its potential cure
The Neurometabolic Diseases research team at IDIBELL and CIBERER, led by Aurora Pujol, has uncovered a novel disease of children affecting the brain white matter — the myelin sheath –, leading to severe incapacity and death in some cases. These defects were corrected by a treatment with fingolimod, a drug in use for multiple sclerosis which interferes with this pathway.
15h
Astronomer har endnu engang fundet et mystisk repeterende radiosignal
Nyt canadisk radioteleskop har for anden gang opfanget et repeterende såkaldte fast radio burst, hvis oprindelse stadig er mystisk.
15h
Dansk malariavaccine består test i mennesker
En vaccine mod dødelig graviditetsmalaria viser lovende resultater i de første test på…
16h
Excessive social media use is comparable to drug addiction
Bad decision-making is a trait oftentimes associated with drug addicts and pathological gamblers, but what about people who excessively use social media? New research from Michigan State University shows a connection between social media use and impaired risky decision-making, which is commonly deficient in substance addiction.
16h
Star Trek style translators step closer to reality at gadget show
Once confined to the realms of science fiction, near real-time translation devices that whisper discretely into your ear during a conversation are finally coming of age thanks to leaps in AI and cloud computing.
17h
Softbank scales back WeWork investment to $2 bn
Japanese technology giant SoftBank has invested $2 billion in shared-office provider WeWork, considerably less than the US start-up was hoping for to fund its expansion.
17h
Canadian Atlantic village seeks help with seal invasion
A Canadian Atlantic coast town asked for help from the federal fisheries department on Wednesday to help get rid of some 40 stranded seals wreaking havoc, and blocking roads and doors to homes and businesses.
17h
Deere puts spotlight on high-tech farming
It has GPS, lasers, computer vision, and uses machine learning and sensors to be more efficient. This is the new high-tech farm equipment from John Deere, which made its first Consumer Electronics Show appearance this week to highlight the importance of tech in farming.
17h
Ghosn case rattles Japan's expat business community
Carlos Ghosn's prolonged detention under what critics see as Japan's opaque and draconian legal system has alarmed foreign executives and sparked questions over the country's ability to attract overseas talent.
17h
Carmaker Rolls-Royce backs UK after record year (Update)
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars "belongs to Britain," its chief executive said Thursday amid growing concerns over the possible impact of a no-deal Brexit on the economy.
17h
Forsvarsministeren besvarer byge af spørgsmål om Huawei og sikkerhed – sådan da
Der er formelt kommet svar på en stribe spørgsmål om den kinesiske leverandør Huawei i relation til sikkerheden i dansk teleinfrastruktur.
18h
Struggling with New Year's resolutions? We can help
Nine ways to boost your willpower, from dodging doughnuts to making the most of mornings It is tempting, when your shiny New Year’s resolutions start to crumble, to tell yourself that self-control simply isn’t your strong point. “Oh well,” you might say, surrendering to the desire for a large glass of red. “No willpower, that’s my problem.” But, according to a body of scientific research, willpow
18h
All aboard the Flat Earth cruise – just don’t tell them about nautical navigation
Flat earthers, who believe the Earth is a large disk, may be shocked to find the ship’s navigation is based on a spherical planet A group of people who believe the Earth is flat have announced their “biggest, boldest, best adventure yet”: a Flat Earth cruise scheduled for 2020. The cruise, organized by the Flat Earth International Conference , promises to be a lovely time. Flat earthers – who inc
18h
Der Spiegel Made Up Stories. How Can It Regain Readers’ Trust?
BERLIN—On the Wednesday before Christmas, Christoph Scheuermann apprehensively called up a 99-year-old former member of the anti-Nazi resistance who had been imprisoned during World War II. The Washington bureau chief of Der Spiegel , a German news magazine, needed to ask her a question no journalist wants to reckon with: Did his colleague, a now-disgraced star reporter, invent an interview with
18h
Gopler invaderer havene: Forurening og klimaforandringer er guf for dem
Giftige blæregopler invaderer de australske kyster. Men også i Danmark får vi flere gopler i fremtiden.
18h
Sex differences in 'body clock' may benefit women's heart health
Research suggests that a gene that governs the body's biological (circadian) clock acts differently in males versus females and may protect females from heart disease. The study is the first to analyze circadian blood pressure rhythms in female mice. The research, published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology–Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, was chosen as an AP
19h
Mapping residual esophageal tumors — a glimpse into the future?
Esophageal cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer-associated death and continues to have a very poor prognosis. Although tissue samples from esophageal cancer patients are examined after treatment, current methods do not provide a reliable picture of treatment outcome. Researchers at Osaka University developed a typing system based on residual tumor patterns to predict long-term treatment
19h
How much is too much? Even moderate alcohol consumption is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation
Excessive alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF), but what are the effects of moderate and mild consumption on AF? In a new study published in HeartRhythm Australian researchers showed that regular moderate alcohol consumption (an average of 14 glasses per week) results in more electrical evidence of scarring and impairments in electrical signaling compared
19h
New research shows that women with IBD are at greater risk of mental illness
A study published today in the journal Gut shows that women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at greater risk of developing a mental illness after giving birth compared to the overall population. Study authors found that more than one-fifth of pregnant women with IBD had a new-onset mental health diagnosis. For every 43 pregnancies, there is one extra case of mental illness in a woman with
19h
Forbud mod lastbiltrailere på godstog kan føre til flere ulykker på vejene
Efter dødsulykken på Storebælt er det blevet forbudt at køre med lastbiltrailere på godstog. Det vil flytte tusindvis af trailere ud på de danske veje og medføre flere dødsfald, end godstog nogensinde kan komme op på, siger tidligere sikkerhedschef.
20h
More Trouble for the Hubble Telescope as a Primary Camera Malfunctions
Last year a gyroscope died, now there’s a camera glitch. That’s just the telescope “aging gracefully,” the mission director said.
21h
Medical marketing has skyrocketed in the past two decades, while oversight remains limited
Researchers have reviewed medical marketing (the marketing of prescription drugs, disease awareness, laboratory tests and health services to consumers and professionals) over a 20-year period from 1997 through 2016 and found that while it had increased dramatically from about $17.7 billion to $29.9 billion, regulation has not.
22h
Aggressive prostate cancer and hereditary breast cancer
The study has potential implications for families with members suffering from these types of tumours who are at an increased risk of developing cancer.
22h
By using recorded audio feedback academics can reduce workload mentally and physically
Academics experience that by using the Recorded Audio Feedback (RAF) in higher education they can give more relaxed and dialogic feedback for their learners and reduce their own workload both mentally and physically.
22h
Parental CPTSD increases transmission of trauma to offspring of Tutsi genocide survivors
Nearly 25 years after the genocide against the Tutsi of Rwanda took the lives of up to one million victims, the offspring of Tutsi survivors, who weren't even born at the time, are among those most affected by trauma.
22h
New technique offers rapid assessment of radiation exposure
Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to assess radiation exposure in about an hour using an insulator material found in most modern electronics. The technique can be used to triage medical cases in the event of a radiological disaster.
22h
How words get an emotional meaning
Everyday objects and people have an emotional meaning. A wool sock might have an emotional value if it was the last thing grandmother knitted before her death. The same applies to words. A stranger's name has no emotional value, but if a loving relationship develops, the name suddenly has positive connotations. Researchers investigated how the brain processes such stimuli — positive or negative.
22h
Two-thirds of stroke survivors are in exceptionally good mental health
Two-thirds of stroke survivors are in complete mental health despite the impact of their stroke, according to a large, nationally representative Canadian study.
22h
Ultra-sensitive sensor with gold nanoparticle array
Scientists have developed a new type of sensor platform using a gold nanoparticle array, which is 100 times more sensitive than current similar sensors.
22h
New simulation technology to discover causes of congestion at airports in a few minutes
Scientists have developed a new technology that automatically analyzes the factors leading to congestion based on the results of human behavior simulations.
22h
Mice sleeping fitfully provide clues to insomnia
Researchers working with mice with sleep problems similar to those experienced by people with the genetic disease neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) — believe the animals will help shed light on insomnia linked to NF1 or other factors.
22h
BRCA Exchange aggregates data on thousands of BRCA variants to understand cancer risk
A global resource that includes data on thousands of inherited variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes is available to the public. The BRCA Exchange was created through the BRCA Challenge, a long-term demonstration project initiated by the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) to enhance sharing of BRCA1 and BRCA2 data.
22h
Maternal stress leads to overweight in children
Researchers were able to identify mother's perceived stress during the first year of the child's life as a risk factor for developing overweight in infancy. Researchers found this to have long-lasting effects on girls' weight development in particular.
22h
Using drones to tackle climate change
Scientists are using drones to survey woody climbing plants and better understand how they may affect the carbon balance of tropical rainforests.
22h
Leafcutter ants emit as much N2O as wastewater treatment tanks
Tropical forests are one of the largest natural sources of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O), and a tiny insect may play a big role in how those emissions are spread out across the landscape.
22h
Lack of standard dosage for blood thinners can lead to bleeding during bariatric surgery
Researchers have found a way to reduce bleeding in patients following bariatric surgery.
22h
How specific gene variants may raise bipolar disorder risk
New research directly links genetic variants found in people with bipolar disorder to reduced expression, function of protein CPG2, with specific effects on synapses and neural circuits.
22h
Hubble loses best camera but discovers brightest ever quasar
Nasa working on fix after space telescope’s wide-field camera broke down The Hubble space telescope is operating without its best camera after a hardware problem forced it to shut down. Nasa said the camera stopped working on Tuesday but three other science instruments were still operating and able to continue celestial observations. Continue reading…
22h
Excessive body fat around the middle linked to smaller brain size, study finds
Carrying extra body fat, especially around the middle, may be linked to brain shrinkage, according to new research. For the study, researchers determined obesity by measuring body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio in study participants and found those with higher ratios of both measures had the lowest brain volume.
22h
Widely used physical health drugs may help treat serious mental illness
Medications commonly used to combat physical health diseases, such as high blood pressure, could bring significant benefits to people with serious mental illnesses (SMI) such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or non-affective psychoses, according to a large cohort study.
22h
Controlling children's behavior with screen time leads to more screen time, study reveals
Researchers investigated the impact of parenting practices on the amount of time young children spend in front of screens. They found a majority of parents use screen time to control behavior, especially on weekends. This results in children spending an average of 20 minutes more a day on weekends in front of a screen. Researchers say this is likely because using it as a reward or punishment heigh
22h
X-ray pulse detected near event horizon as black hole devours star
New findings are the first demonstration of a tidal disruption flare being used to estimate a black hole's spin.
23h
Worrisome statistics around medical cannabis users operating vehicles
More than half of people who take medical cannabis for chronic pain say they've driven under the influence of cannabis within two hours of using it, at least once in the last six months, according to a new survey. One in five of them said they'd driven while 'very high' in the past six months.
23h
The lonely giant: Milky Way-sized galaxy lacking galactic neighbors
Long ago in a galaxy far, far away, fewer galaxies were born than expected — and that could create new questions for galaxy physics, according to a new study.
23h
Following Nepal's devastating 2015 earthquake, crisis in childhood malnutrition averted
Despite widespread destruction, including severe agricultural-related losses caused by the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, child nutrition remained stable in the hardest hit areas, a new study finds.
23h
Overtones can provide faster data communication
Researchers have succeeded in producing what are known as spin wave overtones. The technology paves the way for increasing the data transmission rate of wireless communication.
23h
Lifting the veil on star formation in the Orion Nebula
Astronomers describe their discovery that stellar wind from a newborn star in the Orion Nebula is preventing more stars from forming nearby.
23h
Shutdown Means E.P.A. Pollution Inspectors Aren’t on the Job
The E.P.A.'s shutdown furlough of most inspection personnel has halted one of the government’s most important public health activities.
23h
Government Shutdown Curtails F.D.A. Food Inspections
While the Agriculture Department continues to inspect domestic meat and poultry, the F.D.A. has reduced inspections of fruits, vegetables and other foods.
23h
Long-duration space missions have lasting effects on spinal muscles
Astronauts who spend several months on the International Space Station have significant reductions in the size and density of paraspinal muscles of the trunk after returning to Earth, reports a new study.
23h
Two billion birds migrate over Gulf Coast
A new study combining data from citizen scientists and weather radar stations is providing detailed insights into spring bird migration along the Gulf of Mexico and how these journeys may be affected by climate change. Findings on the timing, location, and intensity of these bird movements have been published.
23h
Carriers Swore They'd Stop Selling Location Data. Will They Ever?
Months after Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon promised to stop selling user location data, the practice continues.
23h
The Atlantic Daily: Unpaid and Still Required to Work
What We’re Following Welcome to day 19 of the government shutdown. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are about to miss a paycheck. Some are furloughed, while others—from TSA agents to prison guards— are required to show up for work anyway. Federal government workers technically aren’t allowed to strike due to a 1947 law , and with the prospect of the shutdown dragging on for weeks or month
1d
Child abuse linked to risk of suicide in later life
Children who experience physical, sexual, and emotional abuse or neglect are at least two to three times more likely to attempt suicide in later life, according to the largest research review carried out of the topic.
1d
Respiratory microbiome may influence your susceptibility to flu
Specific respiratory microbiome communities may be linked to influenza susceptibility, according to a new study.
1d
Climate change: Will insect-eating dogs help?
A pet food manufacturer says switching to a dog food made of soldier flies will protect the environment.
1d
A handy guide to the tech buzzwords from CES 2019
Technology What the heck are haptics and why do you want them? What's the difference between VR, AR, and XR? You're about to find out.
1d
How Chummy Are Junk Food Giants and China’s Health Officials? They Share Offices.
A life sciences institute funded by Coca-Cola and other multinational beverage and snack companies even has offices inside the government’s health ministry.
1d
Trilobites: In an Ancient Nun’s Teeth, Blue Paint — and Clues to Medieval Publishing
A rare blue pigment, discovered in the fossilized plaque of a German nun, hints at a broader role for women in the production of religious texts.
1d
Yet Another Reason to End the Shutdown
On Monday I mentioned what the prolonged government shutdown is doing to the nation’s air-travel system: namely, slowing it down. The whole system is based on built-in safety buffers. Everyone within it knows that air traffic controllers and TSA screeners, whose jobs are stressful enough at best, have new personal worries. Therefore controllers, dispatchers, TSA supervisors, and others who keep t
1d
Seeing soda's influence
A complex network of research funding, institutional ties and personal influence has allowed the Coca-Cola Company, through its connections with a nonprofit group, to exert substantial influence over obesity science and policy solutions in China, and as a result government policy aligns with the company's corporate interests.
1d
HRT tablets increase risk of blood clots in women
Women who use certain types of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are at a higher risk of developing potentially life-threatening blood clots, new research has confirmed.
1d
Expert reveals how Coca-Cola shaped obesity science and policy in China
An investigation published by The BMJ today reveals how Coca-Cola has shaped obesity science and public health policy in China towards its own interests.
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HRT tablets associated with increased risk of blood clots
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) tablets are associated with a higher risk of rare but serious blood clots (known as venous thromboembolism or VTE), finds a large study in The BMJ today.
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Sunscreen and cosmetics compound may harm coral by altering fatty acids
Although sunscreen is critical for preventing sunburns and skin cancer, some of its ingredients are not so beneficial to ocean-dwelling creatures. In particular, sunscreen chemicals shed by swimmers are thought to contribute to coral reef decline. Now, researchers say that one such chemical, octocrylene (OC), which is also in some cosmetics and hair products, accumulates in coral as fatty acid est
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'Environmentally friendly' flame retardant could degrade into less safe compounds
To reduce the risk of fire, many everyday products — from building materials to furniture to clothing — contain flame retardants. In recent years, some of these compounds were shown to have harmful effects on the environment, causing them to be replaced by more eco-friendly alternatives. However, a new study indicates that heat or ultraviolet light could break down a 'safe' flame retardant into
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Artificial bug eyes
Single lens eyes, like those in humans and many other animals, can create sharp images, but the compound eyes of insects and crustaceans have an edge when it comes to peripheral vision, light sensitivity and motion detection. That's why scientists are developing artificial compound eyes to give sight to autonomous vehicles and robots, among other applications. Now, a new report describes the prepa
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The 12 high-school cliques that exist today, and how they differ from past decades
Researchers conducted focus groups with students who recently graduated from high school to ask them about their experience with peer groups. Altogether, the participants identified 12 distinct "peer crowds" and ranked them in a social hierarchy. The results show that, compared to past decades, some groups have risen or fallen in the hierarchy, and a couple new groups have emerged. None How do mo
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The Atlantic Politics & Policy Daily: Bye-Bye (Bye)
What We’re Following Today It’s Wednesday, January 9. President Donald Trump had lunch with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill today to talk about the government shutdown, now in its 19th day. Members said the president urged the caucus to stay strong, and described him as “resolute.” Later in the day, Trump reportedly walked out of a meeting with Democratic leaders because they wouldn’t agree to
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Government Shutdown Causes Slowdown In Scientific Research
NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Keith Seitter, executive director of the American Meteorological Society, about the absence of federal scientists slows down life-saving research.
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Stem cell study offers clues for optimizing bone marrow transplants and more
A new study, conducted in mice, shows that successfully transplanted stem cells don't behave 'normally' as in a healthy person without a transplant. Instead, the radiation and high-dose chemotherapy used to wipe out diseased stem cells prior to transplantation appear to trigger 'extreme behavior' in the newly transplanted cells.
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Scientists design protein that prods cancer-fighting T-cells
Scientists have created a new protein that mimics a key immune regulatory protein, interleukin 2 (IL-2). IL-2 is a potent anticancer drug, but with toxic side effects. The researchers report using computer programs to design a protein that they have shown in animal models to have the same ability to stimulate cancer-fighting T-cells as IL-2, but without triggering harmful side effects.
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Mechanism for impaired allergic inflammation in infants may explain hygiene hypothesis
New research describes a mechanism in a mouse model of asthma that supports the hygiene hypothesis — researchers found that infant mice need a higher exposure to a bacterial endotoxin, compared to adult mice, to avoid developing asthma-like reactions to house dust mites. The hygiene hypothesis suggests that decreased exposure to microbial products in industrialized nations is the main driver of i
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Let's map our DNA and save billions each year in health costs
A scientist has called for Australia to embrace pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing to deliver medication more effectively and slash around $2.4 billion wasted each year through unsafe and ineffective drug prescriptions.
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Stick insect study shows the significance of passive muscle force for fast movements
Zoologists have gained new insights into the motor function of limbs of different sizes.
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Trump's Immigration Speech Won't Change Minds, Science Says
Research shows that direct appeals from the president don't sway people, and neither do fact-checks from the media. But they do keep us talking.
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Hubble and the government are broken at the same time, and that's a problem
Space A lack of personnel makes the problem more precarious. Hubble has always had hiccups here and there, but the government shutdown makes this problem more precarious than usual.
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Ultrabright Quasar Lit Up the Early Universe
Astronomers just found a galaxy with a glowing heart that is almost as old as the universe itself.
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Decreased deep sleep linked to early signs of Alzheimer's disease
Researchers have uncovered part of the explanation for why poor sleep is linked to Alzheimer's disease. They found that older people who have less slow-wave sleep — the deep sleep you need to consolidate memories and wake up feeling refreshed — have higher levels of the brain protein tau. Elevated tau is a sign of Alzheimer's disease and has been linked to brain damage and cognitive decline.
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Genes on the move help nose make sense of scents
With today's study, researchers have pinpointed a genomic mechanism by which a finite number of genes can ultimately help distinguish a seemingly near-infinite number of scents.
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Mysterious fast radio bursts from deep space ‘could be aliens’
Repeating bursts of radio waves detected for first time since initial accidental discovery in 2007 Astronomers have detected mysterious, ultra-brief repeating energy bursts from deep space for only the second time in history, and some experts suggested they could be evidence of advanced alien life. The origin of fast radio bursts (FRBs), millisecond-long pulses of radio waves, is unknown, but mos
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The lonely giant: Milky Way-sized galaxy lacking galactic neighbors
Long ago in a galaxy far, far away, fewer galaxies were born than expected — and that could create new questions for galaxy physics, according to a new University of Michigan study.
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Oscillating X-rays from consumed stars offer new insights into the nature of black holes
The streams of electromagnetic energy released from a star destroyed by the tidal forces of a supermassive black hole nearly 290 million light years away encode valuable information about the physical properties of black holes, a new study finds.
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Cosmic telescope zooms in on the beginning of time
Observations from Gemini Observatory identify a key fingerprint of an extremely distant quasar, allowing astronomers to sample light emitted from the dawn of time. Astronomers happened upon this deep glimpse into space and time thanks to a foreground galaxy acting as a gravitational lens, which magnified the ancient light. The Gemini observations provide critical pieces of the puzzle in confirming
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X-ray pulse detected near event horizon as black hole devours star
The findings, reported in the journal Science, are the first demonstration of a tidal disruption flare being used to estimate a black hole's spin.
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New study finds worrisome statistics around medical cannabis users operating vehicles
More than half of people who take medical cannabis for chronic pain say they've driven under the influence of cannabis within two hours of using it, at least once in the last six months, according to a new survey. One in five of them said they'd driven while 'very high' in the past six months.
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X-ray pulse detected near event horizon as black hole devours star
On Nov. 22, 2014, astronomers spotted a rare event in the night sky: A supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy, nearly 300 million light years from Earth, ripping apart a passing star. The event, known as a tidal disruption flare, for the black hole's massive tidal pull that tears a star apart, created a burst of X-ray activity near the center of the galaxy. Since then, a host of observa
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New catalysts for better fuel cells
Researchers have fabricated nano-sized catalysts that could improve the performance and production of clean energy fuel cells.
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US Cancer Death Rate Dropped for 25 Years Starting in 1991
Better treatment and detection have helped more people survive, but economic disparities in outcomes for some preventable cancers have gotten worse.