Scientists have given a fascinating new insight into the next steps to develop fast, energy-efficient, future computing systems that use light instead of electrons to process and store information – incorporating hardware inspired directly by the functioning of the human brain.
Neuroscientists have experimented on mice to identify the brain region that functions beyond sensory encoding and motor encoding, potentially opening up new directions to studying the cellular and circuit mechanisms of sensory-motor transformations. The researchers report a cortical region traditionally defined as whisker motor cortex in mice is most directly related to the transformation process.
Unless radon gas is discovered in a home inspection, most people remain blissfully unaware that rocks like granite, metal ores, and some soils contain naturally occurring sources of radiation. In most cases, low levels of radiation are not a health concern. But some scientists and engineers are concerned about even trace levels of radiation, which can wreak havoc on sensitive equipment. The semico
Researchers have resolved for the first time, how the environment affects the formation of nanoparticles in the Arctic. The results give additional insight into the future of melting sea ice and the Arctic atmosphere. Until recent studies, the molecular processes of particle formation in the high Arctic remained a mystery.
Scientists have developed a process to produce commodity chemicals in a much less hazardous way than was previously possible. The researchers report that they have been able to utilize electrolysis, i.e., the application of an electric current, to obtain chemicals known as dichloro and dibromo compounds, which can then be used to synthesize commodity chemicals.
The analysis of sediment cores from the Mediterranean Sea combined with Earth system models tells the story of major environmental changes in North Africa over the last 160,000 years.
Efforts to understand when corals reproduce have been given a boost thanks to a new resource that gives scientists open access to more than forty years' worth of information about coral spawning.
Researchers have conducted an original scientific study that puts forth a plausible explanation for the mysterious 1959 death of nine hikers in the Ural Mountains in the former Soviet Union. The tragic Dyatlov Pass Incident, as it came to be called, has spawned a number of theories, from murderous Yeti to secret military experiments.
Unless radon gas is discovered in a home inspection, most people remain blissfully unaware that rocks like granite, metal ores, and some soils contain naturally occurring sources of radiation. In most cases, low levels of radiation are not a health concern. But some scientists and engineers are concerned about even trace levels of radiation, which can wreak havoc on sensitive equipment. The semico
People often move their hands up and down to 'highlight' what they are saying. Are such 'beat gestures' important for communication? Researchers created words with an ambiguous stress pattern and asked listeners what they heard (DIScount or disCOUNT?). The beat gestures people saw influenced what they heard, showing that listeners quickly integrate verbal and visual information during speech recog
New findings buck the historical view that most cities in the United States developed in similar ways. Using a century's worth of urban spatial data, researchers found a long history of urban size (how big a place is) "decoupling" from urban form (the shape and structure of a city), leading to cities not all evolving the same — or even close.
For most of Earth's history, life was limited to the microscopic realm, with bacteria occupying nearly every possible niche. Life is generally thought to have evolved in some of the most extreme environments, like hydrothermal vents deep in the ocean or hot springs that still simmer in Yellowstone.
A new study has revealed insights on the intricate, adaptive mechanisms of a protective system employed by the cells of mammalian immune systems. These defenses have evolved to set a type of tripwire that produces an immune response against attack from viruses.
Decadal growth rate of methane in the atmosphere varied dramatically over the past 30 yeas with three distinct periods of slowed (1988-1998), quasi-stationary (1999-2006) and renewed (2007-2016) phases. An inverse analysis with atmospheric chemistry transport modeling explained these variations consistently. While emissions from oil and gas exploitation and natural climate events caused the slowed
Engineers have developed a thread-based sensor capable of monitoring the direction, angle of rotation and degree of displacement of the head. The design is a proof of principle that could be extended to measuring movements of other limbs by sensors attached like tatoos to the skin.
When their manhood is threatened, some men respond more aggressively than others. New research suggests who may be most triggered by such threats – younger men whose sense of masculinity depends heavily on other people's opinions.
A new study uncovers intriguing genetic similarities between PTSD and other mental health disorders such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. The findings also suggest that existing drugs commonly used for other disorders might be modified to help treat individual symptoms of multiple disorders.
Chemists have identified new details of the reaction mechanism that takes place in batteries with lithium metal anodes. The findings are a major step towards developing smaller, lighter, and less expensive batteries for electric vehicles.
Researchers detail the mechanism that allows propofol, a common anesthetic, to halt the movement of kinesin proteins that deliver cargoes to the far reaches of cells.
A genetic engineering method makes it possible to observe how woody cell walls are built in plants. The new research in wood formation opens up the possibility of developing sturdier construction materials and perhaps more climate efficient trees.
A study has found that adolescents who frequently use cannabis may experience a decline in Intelligence Quotient (IQ) over time. The findings of the research provide further insight into the harmful neurological and cognitive effects of frequent cannabis use on young people.
A new type of rocket thruster that could take humankind to Mars and beyond has been proposed by a physicist. The device would apply magnetic fields to cause particles of plasma to shoot out the back of a rocket and propel the craft forward.
When males have to fight for reproductive rights, having larger weapons such as horns gives them an edge. However, this can also limit their mobility, making them more vulnerable to predators. In a recent study, scientists demonstrated that males of a species adopt different anti-predator tactics — tonic immobility or escape — based on the size of their weapons, opening doors to a better underst
Researchers developed a neural network that learns on the job, not just during training. The 'liquid' network varies its equations' parameters, enhancing its ability to analyze time series data. The advance could boost autonomous driving, medical diagnosis, and more.
Researchers developed a neural network that learns on the job, not just during training. The 'liquid' network varies its equations' parameters, enhancing its ability to analyze time series data. The advance could boost autonomous driving, medical diagnosis, and more.
Dozens of protesters temporarily blocked the entrance to one of the nation's largest mass-vaccination sites. People in hundreds of cars, waiting in line for hours, had to wait even longer. (Image credit: Damian Dovarganes/AP)
So, I watch in awe the advances in artificial intelligence. At this rate, I would not be surprised if machines reached general artificial intelligence before 2100. Knowing that machines never get tired or bored, and they are super fast processing information and doing work (just ask a human and a computer to write a word 1000 times , or see how learning algorithms reach a superhuman level in some
Introduction I see a great deal of talk on this subreddit about Universal Basic Income (UBI). I'll admit to not hating the idea, since I believe that if implemented correctly it could do a great deal of good. However, after reading the comments under this post , and reading the article that the post is about, I can't help but want to speak my mind on the matter. I admire the author of the article
Saturday Night Live returned last night after a six-week hiatus, ready to tackle a turbulent period that included the insurrection at the Capitol, the inauguration of Joe Biden, and the second impeachment of Donald Trump—the kind of chaotic political fodder that's been a mainstay of the show for the past four years. I tuned in with a tinge of dread, expecting perhaps a dramatic send-off for Alec
Global circulating winds can carry bacteria, fungal spores, viruses and pollen over long distances and across national borders, but the United States is ill-prepared to confront future disease outbreaks or food-supply threats caused by airborne organisms, says a new article.
Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are incredibly strong materials used in jet engines, gas turbines, and cutting tools for nickel superalloys. Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) is hard and chemically inert, and tungsten carbide (WC) is used as a superhard material, but past efforts to create an Al2O3-WC CMC yielded unsatisfactory results. Recently, a study by Japanese scientists shows that adding zirconium at
Readers respond to an article by Jonathan Freedland, which suggested that the coronavirus outbreak may quickly fade from collective memory As ever, Jonathan Freedland writes more powerfully and movingly than any other commentator ( History suggests we may forget the pandemic sooner than we think , 29 January). His appeal for us to find a means of perpetuating some memory of those who died, who we
Researchers find that Mars had from six to 20 distinct ice ages over 300 to 800 million years. The scientists analyzed data and high-resolution photos from Mars to reach their conclusions. The study has implications for understanding the planetary history of the Red Planet. Geologists unraveled the mysteries of Martian glaciers, concluding that the planet had up to 20 separate ice ages. The groun
Researchers find a disproportionate number of inmates with violent offenses suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder and alcohol use disorder.
They may be the youngest astronomers to make a discovery yet. This week, a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old have co-authored a peer-reviewed paper describing the discovery of four new exoplanets about 200-light-years away from Earth.
Scientists have discovered how a protein called Tip60 plays a vital role in the renewal of blood cells in the body. Without it, the stem cells that make new blood suffer catastrophic damage. This discovery could lead to better treatments for life-threatening blood-related diseases like leukemia.
Expert computer programmers show higher proficiency in certain behavioral and attention skills than their novice peers. To identify the responsible brain regions, scientists used fMRI to analyze the brain activities of 30 programmers of different skill level, finding that seven regions of the frontal, parietal and temporal cortices in expert programmers' brains are fine-tuned for programming. The
Scientists have discovered fermented food waste can boost bacteria that increase crop growth, making plants more resistant to pathogens and reducing carbon emissions from farming.
A team has developed and patented a method to separate mucilage from chia seeds, yielding a protein-rich chia seed flour with improved bioactivity and functionality compared with conventional methods.
Research based on the daily movements of people living in a contemporary hunter-gatherer society provides new evidence for links between the gendered division of labor in human societies over the past 2.5 million years and differences in the way men and women think about space.
Access to legal cannabis stores is associated with a reduction in opioid related deaths in the United States, particularly those linked to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, finds a new study.
New research suggests that a higher dietary intake of long chain omega-3 fatty acids in childhood may reduce the risk of developing subsequent asthma, but only in children carrying a common gene variant.
A new article quantifies the tradeoffs between hydroelectric generation capacity and the impacts on river connectivity for thousands of current and projected future dams across Brazil. The findings confirm that small hydropower plants are far more responsible for river fragmentation than their larger counterparts due to their prevalence and distribution.
New research demonstrates that hypnosis — the process of focusing a person's attention on a specific task or sensation — can turn a normally difficult visual task into a far easier one by helping individuals mentally 'fill in the gaps' of missing visual cues.
Doctors are increasingly using genetic signatures to diagnose diseases and determine the best course of care, but using DNA sequencing and other techniques to detect genomic rearrangements remains costly or limited in capabilities. However, an innovative breakthrough promises to diagnose DNA rearrangement mutations at a fraction of the cost with improved accuracy.
PLUS. En storby i Brasilien var kendt som verdens første by med flokimmunitet, men så blev rigtig mange syge i indeværende bølge. Hvad skete der? Det har vi talt med to professorer om.
The first ever Climate Adaptation Summit (#adaptationsummit) that I have heard about took place last week, on January 25-26. I think such a summit was a step in the right direction. It was adapted to the Covid-19 situation and therefore an online virtual summit streamed on YouTube . I watched a few of the streamed sessions, and it struck me that climate change adaptation seems to be a fairly new
For all its comparisons to the human brain, AI still isn't much like us. Maybe that's alright. In the animal kingdom, brains come in all shapes and sizes. So, in a new machine learning approach, engineers did away with the human brain and all its beautiful complexity—turning instead to the brain of a lowly worm for inspiration. Turns out, simplicity has its benefits. The resulting neural network
The administration has pledged to make agriculture a cornerstone of its plan to fight warming, but also to tackle a legacy of discrimination that has pushed Black farmers off the land.
Jorge Luis Borges was a poet, but he was also a dreamer of wild fiction, a thoughtful essayist, and—in all of his works—a philosopher. He was always pulling at the threads of perspective and reality, questioning his own point of view. In "," he marvels at the power of the creature in his mind's eye, envisioned with such detail that he writes about the bony structure / that quivers under the glowi
Billions of unwanted male chicks are slaughtered by the farming industry. Now a startup claims to have found a surprising solution to the problem The eggs we eat have a hidden cost. About 7bn male chicks are killed worldwide every year to produce them. Farmers need to replenish their supply of egg-laying hens but, by nature, half the chicks that hatch are male and growing them for meat is unecono
To understand how universes might inflate and bump into each other in the hypothetical multiverse, physicists are studying digital and physical analogs of the process.
New Zealand unveiled a blueprint Sunday to phase out petrol-powered cars while its dairy industry, a key pillar of the economy, must slash cow numbers under the ambitious plan to be carbon neutral by 2050.
Fed up with pandemic-fueled meal-prep anxiety, I asked the Gray Lady to send me a weekly email telling me precisely what to buy and cook. It was the right move.
Tammy and Jordan Myers will have to adopt their twins after two Michigan judges denied them parental rights because the children had been carried by a surrogate.
U ntil vaccines against COVID-19 are available to all, the public will need two things: a reason for hope and a vision of how to live more safely and productively in the meantime. For both, Americans can look to the examples set by a number of colleges and universities—a surprising turn, perhaps, given the widespread anxieties that these institutions' reopening in the fall created. Since last sum
Only 0.04% of people caught virus a week after second dose and 0.002% needed hospital treatment Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Studies in Israel have offered tentative optimism on the effectiveness of vaccines in curbing the coronavirus pandemic, with initial data suggesting even the early stages of inoculation campaigns might have marked decreases in both hospital
Chloé Valdary is the founder of Theory of Enchantment, a diversity and resilience training company that the 27-year-old African American entrepreneur runs from Downtown Brooklyn. Its website lists clients including TikTok, WeWork, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Greenwich High School, and asks potential customers a loaded question: "Looking for an antiracism program that actually fights
If you've ever seen a picture of a lost city—maybe in the pages of National Geographic or in the first Tomb Raider movie—you were probably looking at the crumbling temples and immense, empty canals of Angkor, the former capital of the Khmer empire in present-day Cambodia. Thick tree roots have wrapped themselves around massive blocks of stone in its legendary palaces. Flowers grow from cracks in
As a hospital consultant working in intensive care, the reality of coronavirus and patients' fear is brought home to me every day I'm not ready," the patient implores me through her CPAP [continuous positive airway pressure] hood. She's breathing at more than triple her normal rate and I've been asked to intubate her as she's deteriorating, despite three days in intensive care. She is 42 years ol
Hi all, I'm currently a PhD student in reinforcement learning where I focus on computational methods for agents to learn sequential decision making problems (think: a robot learning how to pick up blocks) and am interested in how to get them to transfer the skills they learn in 1 environment to another. Naturally, how humans or animals are able to do this type of transfer seamlessly is of interes
"Wet" neuroscience labs (e.g. those employing techniques from biochemistry) will probably not hire an undergrad for this sort of position since a Master's/PhD is usually where students learn the skills used in those labs But I'm a compsci undergrad and I already know a fair amount of neuroimaging and computational tools (python, stats+machine learning, FSL, fMRIprep). These seem like pretty in-de
First there was Pfizer, then AstraZeneca, now Moderna and Novavax. How do they differ? And which might you get? Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Continue reading…
PLUS. Bagmandspolitiet har rejst tiltale mod den tyske motorleverandør Deutz og virksomhedens danske forhandler, Diesel Motor Nordic, for brud på konkurrenceloven. Dømmes de, kan det koste millionbøder og udelukke virksomhederne for kommende udbud
Apropå läsarfrågan "Vilket är bäst – hemkompost eller hämtkompost?" i F&F 4/2020: Hur bra är bokashikompost, där nedbrytningen sker genom fermentering, jämfört med annan kompostering?/Elin Sjökvist
Two politicians from Asian immigrant families seek to reassure every community of the importance of the vaccination rollout Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Last week, we reached the sombre milestone of 100,000 Covid-19 deaths in the UK. Every death is a tragedy and leaves behind a bereft family, but it is evident some communities have been hit harder than others. Peo
When Harvard professor Avi Loeb discovered possible signs of extraterrestrial activity, it caused a scandal in the research community. Is fear and conservatism stopping science from considering plausible evidence that there are aliens out there? By the time humanity noticed the object, it was already leaving the solar system. 19 October 2017. Astronomers at the University of Hawaii notice an odd
Patient-reported outcomes from the phase III CROWN study showed that time to treatment deterioration (TTD) in pain in chest, dyspnea, and cough was comparable between those who received lorlatinib and patients who took crizotinib. The research was presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's 2020 World Conference on Lung Cancer Singapore.
A new trend has emerged – public figures posting 'vaxxies' showing the moment they received their jab Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The latest social media trend involves no ice buckets, no filters and certainly no sea shanties. Now celebrities and politicians around the world are vying to post the best "vaxxies" – selfies of the moment they receive their Covid-19
COVID-19 mortality racial disparities in the US are associated with social factors like income, education and internet access, rather than biology, according to a Rutgers study.
Världens första rymdteleskop har hunnit fylla 30 år. Under den tiden har Hubbleteleskopet tagit flera banbrytande bilder – från avlägsna galaxer till närgångna foton på stjärnors födelse. Här har SVT:s vetenskapsredaktion valt ut fem av sina favoritbilder.
Världsberömda teleskopet Hubble har i över 30 år skickat hem spektakulära bilder som gett en helt ny bild av kosmos. En succé inom vetenskap – men det hade kunnat bli ett fiasko om inte astronauterna lyckats med sitt riskfyllda uppdrag. – Det var historiens viktigaste uppdrag, säger astronauten Story Musgrave.
Finding a good hobby can be a great way to de-stress, unwind, and decompress, while simultaneously learning new things and making yourself a more well-rounded and interesting person. And luckily, if you're a science and technology buff, there are lots of really cool hobbies out there, from flying drones and setting up smart homes, to 3D printing and computer programming. However, if you're lookin
Select patients born with heart defects and who undergo congenital heart surgery recover with few complications and reduced opioid use when a comprehensive, evidence-based enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program is used.
Tory MPs use short-lived announcement of export ban to call for overhaul of trade deal, as EU chief is attacked over U-turn Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The European Union's threat to impose a vaccine border between Northern Ireland and the Republic risks reigniting one of Brexit's bitterest disputes, as senior Tories said the move proved the need for an immediate
A consortium of some of Canada's largest companies, representing 350,000 employees nationwide, has launched a rapid testing program aimed at reopening the country's economy.
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