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Reading this paper just blew my mind – and I’m still not sure I fully understand it. As a matter of fact, I think only a handful of people worldwide can understand exactly how something like this works – but I’ll do my best to explain. Most computers (especially laptops) emit a high-pitched noise during […]
Using an enzyme to ‘cut out’ the virus, German researchers have managed to find remove HIV from cells, leaving the cells virtually unharmed. This has a boatload of work before it sees the light of day, but it’s the most promising HIV study I’ve read in quite a while. Killing HIV cells, mice, and a […]
With their eerie, translucent and soft bodies, their translucent and intricate shapes and bizarre bioluminescent displays, comb jellies are among the biggest beauties and mysteries in the oceans. Now, according to a biologist from Vanderbilt University, these delicate marine predators have another important story to tell about the origin of animals; a 550 million year […]
Binary arithmetic, the basis of all virtually digital computation today, is usually said to have been invented at the start of the eighteenth century by the German mathematician Gottfried Leibniz. But a new study shows that the system might have actually been invented way before that, in the 1400s, by people of the tiny Pacific […]
Although some scientists suggest that coral reefs are headed for certain doom, a new study by University of Florida and Caribbean has shown that even damaged reefs can recover, but immediate and consistent action is required. Saving Coral Reefs Corals are very sensitive to environmental conditions. Even slight warming and increased ocean acidification (two processes […]
The fact that chimpanzees are extremely intelligent should no longer surprise anyone. Most people also know that they have their own social cues and are very sensitive to them, but even so, they usually refuse to conform to what the majority of group members are doing, preferring to stick with their personal preferences. However, now, […]
Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical nanostructures with a myriad of potential applications. They are the strongest and stiffest materials yet discovered in terms of tensile strength and elastic modulus, they can withstand immense pressures and also have very interesting electrical properties. Now, thanks to work from researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, […]
Meditation has been shown to have an impact on brain activity, decreasing beta waves and impacting each part differently. Activity in the frontal and parietal lobe slows down, while the flow of information to the thalamus is reduced. This can lead to positive side effects such as improved focus, better memory, and a reduction in […]
Sadly, in recent years, Christmas has shifted away from its (already controversial roots) into a consumerism centered holiday. So what can you do, if you want to have a green, eco-friendly celebration, but still cherish the warm Christmas spirit? Here’s what you should do: Find the right tree The Christmas tree is at the heart […]
In 1959, an American geologist built a rock cairn 1.2 meters away from this glacier; he left a note, asking whoever finds it to measure the distance to the glacier. Today, that distance has grown up to 101.5 meters. Researchers who found the incredibly creative and unusual note say it’s highly unexpected for a scientist […]
Europa, Jupiter’s satellite, has emerged as one of the top locations in the Solar System in terms of its potential of hosting extraterrestrial life. Despite the fact that it lies so far from the Sun, scientists believe that a liquid ocean lies under its icy surface – and that ocean could very well host life. […]
This is the cat That killed the rat That ate the malt They say it’s easy to train a cat only to do whatever it wants – but cats have come a long way since their wilderness days. Thousands of years before they were immortalized in this lovely English lullaby, cats were doing just fine […]
Since Antarctica is so far away and inaccessible, most people have many misconceptions about how big and significant it really is. Antarctica, on average, is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest average elevation of all the continents. There are no permanent residents on it, but anywhere from 1.000 to 5.000 may […]
A song of ice and fire Antarctica is split in two different areas: East Antarctica and West Antarctica – and East Antarctica wears the pants in this relationship: it’s pushing West Antarctica around – literally. Since the Western part is losing weight due to melting and ice loss (billions of tons of ice per year), […]
We’ve written a number of times about the advantages that cannabinoids can bring – how they can become effective pain killers even without the high, how they don’t harm the lungs when smoked, and many more. But marijuana is definitely not a substance you want to abuse, just like tobacco and alcohol. In many cases, […]
Biking to work or downtown when the weather allows it is one of the greenest things you can do – not only does it prevent the gases you would be emitting by driving, but it’s also a great way to keep in shape. But a new concept unveiled in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, could take things […]
With just one footstep, you can illuminate a thousand LED bulbs – with no batteries or power cord; the energy comes from rubbing two different materials together to create static electricity. A researcher called Zhong Lin Wang has finally learned how to harvest this power and put it to work. Triboelectricity? What’s that ?! A […]
From the common cold to pneumonia and potentially life threatening lung diseases: a single protein was found to play a key role. Now, an international team of researchers has finally zeroed in it. The key protein is called MUC5B – it is one of the two proteins found in the mucus that normally and helpfully […]
Dating rocks is not really something new – it’s been conducted on Earth for decades now; researchers have also determined the age of rocks from outer space, but the experiments always took place on Earth. Now, for the first time, this procedure took place on Mars. The work, led by geochemist Ken Farley of the […]
NASA scientists have revealed new data on the ozone hole that forms each year above Antarctica and found that the decrease of chlorine in the atmosphere hasn’t had any significant positive impact. Chlorine is the most dangerous substance for the ozone layer. 20 years ago, the Montreal Protocol was installed. The Montreal Protocol on Substances […]
A study which monitored the health habits of 2,235 men over a 35-year period has found that exercise significantly reduces the risk of dementia. It may seem like common sense, but it can never be emphasized too much: a healthy lifestyle ensures a longer… healthier life – it’s basically as simple as that. Published by […]
The clunky and heavy astronaut costumes used today are very useful and well thought – they provide oxygen, scrub CO2, and keep astronauts safe from radiation and outside negative factors. But they are, still, clunky and heavy, and not really suitable for the kind of intensive exploration astronauts have to conduct on Mars. Dava Newman, […]
Researchers have reported dark streaks near the equator of Mars, hinting at surprisingly large quantities of flowing water. If true, this could be extremely important for life on Mars, and potentially even establishing research bases. Water on Mars – yes If you don’t know that rivers and lakes were fairly common on Mars a long […]
In a black hole, Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity clashes with quantum physics; for decades, scientists have tried to find a way to bridge the cap between these monumental theories, but so far, they simply seem irreconcilable. But the conflict could be solved if our Universe were in fact a holographic projection. String theory, dimensions […]
A truly monumental task has finally been finished: the final part of an epic dictionary of medieval Latin is to be published this week, finally closing a project that started over 100 years ago. The Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources has more than 58,000 entries, and spans over 15 volumes. The 16th and […]
For most creatures, mortality increases sharply with age – and we typically consider this to be natural. However, other animals, such as the hermit crab, the red abalone and the hydra, a microscopic freshwater animal experience very different trends enjoying almost constant levels of fertility and mortality. For the desert tortoise, the mortality even decreases […]
Scientists have found huge reserves of freshwater in a totally unexpected area: several kilometers offshore, beneath the oceans. This new discovery has the potential to avert or at least minimize the effects of the almost certain water crisis some areas of the world will be facing in future years. A new study published in Nature […]
The discovery of a giant planet orbiting its star at 650 times the average Earth-Sun distance baffled researchers. So far, they haven’t been able to explain how such a strange system came to be. The international team of astronomers was led by a University of Arizona graduate student. This is the most distant planet ever […]
Imperial College London accepts heavy criticism from independent reviewers after exposé by animal-rights group. The Imperial College London is one of the most prestigious Universities in the world, but they are currently under severe criticism today from an independent review set up in the wake of allegations of malpractice. As the report claims, the university’s […]
It’s one of the most alluring but hard to prove (and unlikely) theories: a Rainbow Universe. A Universe in which time simply stretches back indefinitely, without a big bang to start things off, simply with no beginning – something pretty hard to fathom. The name comes from the so-called Rainbow Gravity; basically gravity’s effects on […]
NASA’s Curiosity rover has come up with yet another remarkable discovery – evidence of an ancient, freshwater lake, with water that was likely very similar to that of today’s Earth lakes. The feature is thought to be part of a longstanding aquatic environment which could have supported simple life forms. “In March, we did know […]
The most common grade at Harvard is A, and the median grade is A-, Dean of Undergraduate Education Jay M. Harris explained, raising fears about top American Universities artificially inflating their grades or employing softer grading standards. The information was delivered at the monthly meeting of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as a response […]
As more and more research is conducted on Neanderthals, we start to understand that we’re not as unique as we thought, and that they were equals or even superior in many ways. Now, researchers have found that Neanderthals organized their living spaces in ways that would be familiar to modern humans. The findings show that […]
The recent discovery of DNA of a 400,000-year-old human thigh bone could provide valuable insight into the evolution of humans; researchers explain this is easily the oldest human genetic material ever found. When it comes to being a mountain, the Atapuerca Mountains in Spain don’t really have much going for them. It’s an ancient karstic region […]
Chris Hadfield is a (now retired) Candian astronaut – the first Canadian to walk into outer space; on 19 December 2012, Hadfield launched in the Soyuz TMA-07M flight for a long duration stay on board the International Space Station as part of Expedition 35. He was the commander on the ISS until May 12 May […]
Humans and the food chain A country-by-country study has shown that the fast-growing economies of India and China are riving a global increase in meat consumption, cancelling out decreases elsewhere. This has serious negative environmental implications. The work analyzed both what people eat, as well as the trends of what they are eating. They also […]
Drug resistant bacteria (immune to almost all antibiotics) are dreaded by patients and physicians alike. Finding them in hospitals is bad enough as it is, but failing to detect them is even worse – it can result in a dramatic outbreak. This is why patients with bacterial infections are typically screened using automated lab tests […]
It’s surprising to me that this has to be said, but … oh well. If you are obese, you’re unhealthy. Even if you have normal blood pressure, cholesterol and blood-sugar, you’re still unhealthy. A study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, concluded that so-called “healthy obesity” was a myth. “Healthy obesity” or “benign obesity” […]
Greening the urban environment is not only pleasant to look at – it’s a necessity! But as cool as planting a green roof on a bus is, is this really an efficient way to go at it? The good I absolutely love green roofs – and I love innovative public transportation! It makes sense that […]
The United States is spewing 50 percent more methane than the official federal government estimates, a new study concludes. The paper, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science shows that most of the emissions come from cows, refineries and drilling spew and occurs in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. This not […]
The pitch of male koalas’ mating calls is about 20 times lower than it should be, judging by their size and anatomical features. Now, researchers found that a unique sound producing organ, unlike anything found in other mammals, is responsible for this strange pitch. “We have discovered that koalas possess an extra pair of vocal […]
Brigham Young University (BYU) engineers have teamed up with one of the world’s leading experts in origami to solve one of space exploration’s most challenging (and ironic) problems – the lack of space. Working with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a team of mechanical engineers have designed a solar array that can be tightly compacted for […]
It’s been previously shown that the jellyfish are the world’s most efficient swimmers, and researchers wanted to see if they could implement some of its features into a flying machine. New York University researchers have built a small vehicle whose flying motion resembles the movements of a jellyfish – possibly paving the way for small […]
Two distinct groups of crocodilians have been reported to use tools for hunting They balance sticks on their snouts, baiting birds who want to use the sticks for nests Crocodiles actively search for the sticks (which are usually rare) and do this more often during the birds’ mating season It’s been known for quite a […]
A new study which involved the analysis of over 1.000 brain scans confirmed what many intuitively believed for a long time: men and women’s brains are hard wired differently. Maps of neural circuitry showed that on average women’s brains were highly connected across the left and right hemispheres, while men had better connections between the […]
So there’s this thing on Twitter (it’s been going on for a while now). So, is this the best science hashtag or what?
Generosity and fairness As shoppers all around got more or less advantageous deals on Black Friday, researchers at the University of Berkeley are analyzing what happens to commerce and buyers when there’s no fixed price tag – when shoppers pay as much as they want for products. As it turns out, they spend more money when […]
Schools in the US are failing on teaching children civic involvement Simply learning facts about democracy (for example) is not nearly enough Educators should get their hands dirty and focus more on controversial issues More and more researchers, teachers and educators are starting to support the idea of a major revolution in […]
War is horrific. It’s not what you see on TV, it’s not what you hear about in the news – you can not understand it unless you’ve seen it – something which I hope less and less people can claim. Among all wars carried out by mankind, World War II is by far the most […]
Google Glass is a hands-free technology, with potential applications in a myriad of fields Surgeons have recently started performing surgeries with Google Glass They report great results, as this technology can save a lot of time and effort Google Glass seems like the technology of Star Trek – except it’s here, now. For those who […]
