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How agriculture shaped our genes through natural selection

Once with the advent of agriculture, and its spread to Europe from the Near East, human society was transformed forever. Resources became more plentiful, communities could stay in one place and develop, and humans were free to pursue other activities. Agriculture turbo boosted the division of labor, an essential prerequisite to any civilization. Agriculture not only transformed human society, it also modified our DNA. A first of its kind study compared the DNA of ancient humans who lived between 8,500 and 2,300 years ago. The analysis revealed that humans underwent widespread genetic changes that influence height, immune system, digestion and skin colour once agriculture was introduced.

Two planets colliding: one short, but beautiful simulation

A beautiful simulation of two planets colliding. What happens next?

Large corporations are buying 75% more clean energy than last year

Starting November 30, the world's leaders will meet in Paris at the UN summit for climate change to discuss a common framework to reduce carbon emissions at a global level. Most countries already have plans set in motion to reduce emissions, either by using energy efficiency and new technology to lower the carbon footprint of their own operations, or use legislation to compel residents and companies to do the same. A lot of big and sizable corporations in the United States have taken matters into their own hands, however, by buying more clean energy and less fossil fuel derived energy, regardless of what the government suggests or coerces.

Shackleton's 1915 expedition to Antarctica showcased in New Photos

n 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole, followed by Scott who died on the return journey. Shackleton searched in his mind for some other daring goal. He finally settled on crossing of the Antarctic continent from coast to coast via the South Pole, a distance of about 1800 miles.

Classic formula for 'pi' connects pure math and quantum mechanics like a 'magic trick'

Until the advent of calculus and computing infinite series, not that many digits were added to the ones found by Archimedes for more than a 1,500 years.

How some fish use polarized light to make themselves invisible to predators

You'd think there's not much a little fish can do to hide from predators in open waters. But when rocks, algae and other marine nooks and crannies are nowhere to be found, fish turn to manipulate the physical interactions of light to balance the scale. For instance, some open ocean fish species employ specialized skin cells that reflect polarized light. This reflection is most effective, not coincidentally, at the 'chase angle' or from the predator's point of view. It's so effective that the US Navy is funding work that might shed light how exactly some fish do this and how this can be applied to make submersibles equally inconspicuous.

Half of Amazon rainforest tree species threatened by deforestation

The Amazon basin is home to the world's great biodiversity. You'll find more plant and animal species per square foot than anywhere else in the world. It's truly one of the wildest and life teeming places in the universe, which given humans' habit of meddling makes it one of the most vulnerable as well. The huge 6-million-square-kilometer rainforest area remains mostly unstudied, due to the roughness and inaccessibility of the land. But making their way through the outskirts are the chainsaws and sawmills; and they're moving fast. Since 2000 an area equal to 50 football pitches has been destroyed every minute in the Amazon rainforest, satellite imagery revealed.

More young Americans support evolution in favor of creationism

As more Millennials are leaving religion in droves, or choosing not to identify with any faith, acceptance of evolution among the public strengthens.

FDA approves first genetically modified animal: a salmon that grows twice as fast

After five years long of pondering, the FDA finally gave the green light for a genetically modified Atlantic salmon variety. This is the first food animal that was genetically modified that the FDA approved for human consumption and farming. The salmon has genes from another salmon species, as well as an eel-like fish, which allows it to grow to market size in half the time it would usually take. This means it saves twice as much time and resources as conventional salmon, with no nutritional or health drawbacks, the FDA says.

The 380-million-years old ancient forest discovered near the Arctic Pole

Some 400 million years ago, during what's called the late Devonian period, the planet went through a dramatic shift in climate. Over just a few million years, the CO2 levels in the atmosphere dropped 15-fold. Partially or mostly responsible for this phenomenal climate change event were the very first forests which evolved and started claiming the Earth. Until then, plants were less specialized and smaller. We know little of these troublesome times, but we're learning along the way. The discovery of an ancient 380 million years forest in Norway will definitely help in this endeavor.

Adorable songbirds tap dance to woo mates

The cordon-bleus are unique animals that both sing and tap-dance to attract mates.

Costa Rica went 255 days on almost 100% renewable energy

The small Central American nation got rid of its armed forced 65 years ago, and the Ticos are a happier people for it. Now, Costa Rica - home to four and a half million people - is setting the world a new example in human values: for 255 days it has managed its resident's energy needs with little fossil fuel use.

Jellyfish degenerates into mucus parasite: another amazing quirk of evolution

This may be the first known case of simplification from a macro to a microorganism, a cheap trick which evolution likely used more than once though.

Lending a voice: a working vocal cord tissue grown in the lab

About 20 million people in the United States suffer from temporary or permanent voice impairment. Life can sound like a nightmare, even though we don't hear our own voice - but we do feel the attention. Then, those are those rare cases which basically render people mute. While there are various medical interventions that can improve one's voice, it's still far from the real deal. What these people need is not a patch here and there, but a whole new set of vocal cords, and a group of researchers has set out to grow it in the lab. Starting from a couple of human cells, they've grown a critical tissue involved in vocalizing. It's basically indistinguishable from the real deal (it's still biological tissue after all) and biocompatible.

How Google Maps can tell if there are traffic jams

Ever wondered how Google Maps can predict traffic jams?

Human brain plasticity doesn't seem to be shared by chimps - is this a unique gift?

It seems like evolution has fostered us humans all along for us to become the dominant species on planet Earth. We owe so many gifts to the tender processes that began millions of years ago and shaped us the way we are today. Gripping dexterous hands, remarkable social behavior and lets not forget about those big brains. It's not enough to have a big brain, though. What makes us humans particularly successful is our ability to adapt constantly to our environment. Humans fair well in luxurious plains, but they seem to survive in the desert as well. Then look at the times we're living in. Technology, networking, all our cultural heritage. It takes a lot to adapt to such changing times, and no other species seems to be this good at it. While we owe a great deal to genetics, it's brain plasticity - an inherent ability to mold our cerebral connections to fit our environment - that took us the extra mile.

Amazing 'Treescraper' Designs from Around the World

Showcased are some of the most amazing designs that mimic nature closely: man-made, but defined by their allegiance to nature.

Federal gov. cracking down on $40 billion (snake oil) dietary supplement industry

The FDA, Department of Justice and other government agencies, today presented the results of a yearlong sweep of dietary supplements which are thought to contain unsafe compounds. Following a slew of illnesses and law suits as a results of dietary supplement intake, the combined government effort vowed to crack down on the industry - at least the part that mislabels its products and poses a significant hazard to the population. You'd think drugs - what a lot of supplements contain - would be regulated by the FDA, but dietary supplements are entirely unregulated. This has allowed a $40 billion industry of "snake oil" products to flourish. Not anymore, everyone hopes.

Quantum version of computer code proven to work in silicon chip

University of New South Wales devised a two-qubit system inside a silicon chip and ran a computer code adapted to the quantum world. Their code passed the notoriously intransigent 'Bell test', making it the strongest evidence yet that quantum computers can be instructed to handle operations.

How bats land upside down - mysterious acrobatic feat revealed

The bat is the only flying mammal and among the heaviest in the world. To top it over, it can land upside down a perplexing acrobatic feat which has left scientists scratching their heads for many years. After carefully and systematically studying bat upside landings in slow motion, a group of researchers thinks it has cracked the puzzle: bats employ a nifty trick where one wing stays flapping while the other is moved close to the body. This asymmetry corrects the moment of inertia and center of mass so the bats always land safely upside down.

Does your data 'hover on the brink of significance?' - an insignificant, but hilarious detour

Or when your experiment's results are 'almost' there.

Prematurity is the leading cause of death in infants. What you need to know

Today is World Prematurity Day - a global effort to raise awareness about the deaths and disabilities due to premature births. Each year around the world, 15 million babies are delivered ahead of term and 1 million children die before their fifth birthday from related complications. Some who make it past this dangerous threshold might get to live with serious disabilities.

There's a fourth tribe of founding European forefathers

It's widely agreed that modern Europeans trace their roots from three ancient tribes, or three important migration events, if you will. But after researchers sequenced the genomes of two hunter gatherers who lived roughly 13,000 years ago, there's evidence that suggests a fourth tribe lent our genes.

Male ruff birds cross-dress to steal females, and it's all in their genes

Self-preservation and reproduction are the most powerful instincts, and life forms on Earth have devised all sorts of gimmicks and tactics to become successful (pass on those genes). Just look at the male ruff sneak tactics to grab girls. There are three distinct approaches: the cocky aggressive, the sneaky 'satellite, and the cross-dresser. You might think this isn't necessarily peculiar in itself. After all, human males employ similar approaches to seek women's attention. The peacock, the friend-zone dude, the jock, the joker etc. What's odd about ruff males is that this behavior is coded inside their genes - from the way they act, to how their plumage looks like. And they're all, ultimately, males of the same species.

Pharma corp. hikes infant epilepsy drug price by 2,000%, from $33.05 per vial to $680 per vial

The free market once again showed its limitations, or rather its power of abuse, after a Canadian pharmaceutical company priced gauged a drug critical for a rare form of epilepsy that affects infants. Questcor Pharmaceuticals hiked the price from $35.66 to $801.19 per vial. "Luckily", Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children and the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) program negotiated the price down to $680 per vial, bringing the total cost of treatment to $14,280.

It pays to be a small fish in a big pond after a mass extintion

Some 360 million years ago, the oceans were teeming with big fish, some as big as a school bus. Then something terrible happened, the causes of which still escape scientists today: the Hangenberg Event. This was the last peak in a streak of mass extinctions known as the Late Devonian extinction which exterminated 97% of all marine vertebrate species. In the aftermath, it paid to be small a new study suggests. The researchers at University of Pennsylvania found that small fish dominated the ecological niches for nearly 40 million years. This tremendous rebound time is relevant today when overfishing is threatening countless large fish species. Once these disappear, it might be a very long time before we get tuna-sized fish back on our plates.

World's largest storage device: a 16 TB SSD that's 60% larger than closest competitor

In a leap of innovation, Samsung unveiled the largest storage unit ever: a 15.36TB flash drive which uses 256GB NAND flash as the basis for the storage. The hard drive is 60% bigger than its closest competitor and all that storage is packed inside a tiny 2.5-inch SSD case. And yes, I prefer to still call it a hard drive even though there aren't any motors, pivots or arms. Deal with it.

Fossil fuel subsidies are worth $452 bn. across G20 states

At the U.N. summit on climate change held in Paris soon, world leaders will join in an attempt to curb their emissions in order to avoid warming by more than 2 degrees Celsius past the industrial age. We're already 0.9 degrees warmer and by the looks of the pledges filed by member states ahead of the talks, a more realistic target seems like 3 degrees. In other words, the framework - which will not be legally binding - will only have moderate effects, when more ambitious action is required. One big part of the problem is fossil fuel subsidies, which last year amounted to $452 bn. in total for all G20 member states. Oppositely, renewable energy - a field which actually deserves to be subsidizes since its new tech and isn't mature yet - was subsidized by only $121 bn. or four times less.

Discarded festival tents turned into Sheltersuits for the homeless

In the wake of big festivals like Coachella or Glastonbury, you'll find trash and the ravages of partying littered across the whole site. Oddly enough, you'll also find loads of abandoned, but useful gear like phone chargers, couches and, most frequently, tents. A creative Dutch designer now has an idea on how to repurpuse the latter: turn them into suits that double as sleeping bags for the homeless.

Some dude built a railgun that shoots with 27,000 Joules of force

YouTuber Ziggy Zee prides himself with building the most powerful mobile electromagnetic railgun ever made by a non-gov. Just look at that thing. I'm scared at it is, but wait until you hear what it can do.

Farmers have been using honey bees for almost 9,000 years

Bees play a critical role in maintaining natural plant communities and ensuring production of seeds in most flowering plants. But humans too have a close relationship with bees, which spans over a history close to 9,000 years, a study found which analyzed ancient pottery. That's a lot earlier than previous recounted evidence. Right now, however, honeybees are dying at an astonishing rate. The fact that bees have been feeding and nurturing humans for so long should only make us more humble, but also more steadfast in finding a solution.

Henry Ford's legacy: The Model T and other historical facts

One day in 1885, the twenty-three-year old apprentice machinist Henry Ford came into contact for the first time in his life with the gas-powered internal combustion engine. It was love at first sight. Instantly, a wave of excitement overcame him for he envisioned even at that tender age and during those uncertain times that horseless carriages will forever revolutionize transportation. This was to be his life's work.

Magination: play, interact and explore magnetism

What is this sorcery? Why, magnets of course, and two Norwegian students have found a way to make magnetism more entertaining than ever.

People would embrace gas tax, if it would be used narrowly - like fixing roads

While Americans are in favor of renewable energy and electric cars, when it comes to paying more for gasoline support dwindles. Are the voters hypocritical? Not necessarily. A new study suggests that voters would be in favor of a gas tax, if they'd know the cash would flow directly into measures that address energy efficiency, fix roads and bridges or gets refunded to taxpayers equally. In other words, if people know what they're paying for, they'll be more willing to pitch in. Who would've thought, right?

Microsoft scans photos to guess what your feelings are

Microsoft released an app that can guess emotions based on an uploaded photo.

Kid wins $250,000 scholarship for explaining special relativity

Not every groundbreaking idea is complicated to understand. Ryan Chester, a high school senior from Ohio, seems to think so too. Using simple props and graphics, Chester produced a fantastic short video explaining one of the most important theories in physics - the Theory of Special Relativity proposed by Albert Einstein one hundred years ago. If the name doesn't say too much, maybe E = mc2 will.

Shareholders file resolution urging Exxon takes moral responsibility for climate change

Last week, New York District Attorney Eric Schneiderman issued a subpoena to Exxon Mobil ordering the company to provide financial information, as well as internal communications including emails, and other materials as far back as 1977. Schneiderman is investigating Exxon over suspicion of willfully failing to mention to its investors the risks climate change might pose to the company's business. If this is true, then Exxon effectively violated its fiduciary duties and can be held liable. Moreover, the investigation might surface certain information that might uncover racketeering and securities frauds, since it's well known, although harder to prove per se, that Exxon has been involved in manipulating public opinion on the matter, risking public health in the process - a situation akin to big tobacco which actively sought to convince the public that smoking isn't bad for health.

What makes a planet? Finally a simple formula that includes exoplanets as well

There is only one clear set of official criteria by which we class or not a cosmic body as a planet. These criteria introduced in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union saw Pluto demoted to the status of dwarf planet. Oddly enough, though, these rules were made for classing planets only in our solar system, meaning the 5,000 exoplanets (what should be planets outside our solar system) identified so far are now in a "definitional limbo," according to planetary astronomer Jean-Luc Margot at UCLA. Luckily, Margot has come up with a solution which seems to work marvelously.

Book Review: 'The Quotable Feynman'

Nobel Prize-winning Richard Feynman was one of the greatest physicists of the past century and a man of many talents.

Laughing at bad jokes might be a sign of dementia

We all have a friend that enjoys inappropriate jokes or slapstick humour more than any sensible person ought to. University College London researchers now claim that a twisted sense of humour might be an indicator of dementia setting in, particularly if the person in question used to have a different sense of humour.

Breeding 'super coral' might be our only shot to save the reef

According to NOAA's Coral Reef Ecosystem Division about 30 percent of the world's coral population has perished due to average ocean temperatures, El Nino's effects and acidification. Even if we halt all man-made CO2 emissions now (virtually impossible), the cascading effects of ocean acidification can not be halted once they've been set in motion. As a result, coral all over the world will bleach more frequently and intensely. Desperate times indeed, but a group of scientists are trying their best. They identified strong coral specimens and are currently stressing them further so they become more resiliant to changing conditions driven by global warming. In time, these super coral might be transferred all over the globe in an attempt to halt the rapidly deteriorating coral reef.

Environmental Issues: an illustrated series by Eglė Plytnikaitė

An illustrated series showcasing artworks that raise awareness on environmental issues.

Is this the most accurate tech prediction ever?

Nikola Tesla had it right since 1908.

Holocaust survivors encode trauma in their genes and pass it on to offspring

In a testament to epigenetics, researchers show that it's possible that the marks of trauma can be transmitted down to subsequent generations.

Climate change might force 100 million people back into poverty by 2030

Significant progress has been made in curbing poverty at the global level, but the rapid escalation of climate change could force developing regions to take two steps backwards. A World Bank report says as many as 100 million people could be pushed back into poverty by 2030 if no measures are taken, i.e. we go about business as usual

What makes things coloured - the physics behind it

Have you ever wondered where do colours come from?

Exxon investigated by NY attorney general for lying about climate change

ZME Science reported earlier that Exxon Mobil might be liable for a RICO case similar to tobacco companies for withholding information about the risks of climate change and actively seeking to manipulate public opinion to favor its business. Now, a NY Times article reports New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman is investigating the oil & gas company on suspicion that the company failed to mention critical information to its investors about the risks of climate change. A subpoena was issued on Wednesday evening to Exxon Mobil, demanding extensive financial records, emails and other documents.

Colossus of Rhodes could stand again: bigger, unshakable and self-sufficient

If the project can find $280 million in funding.

Endangered Fishers are killed by rat poison on marijuana farms

Illegal marijuana farms often spray the vicinity of their crops with rodenticides to exterminate pests that lurk about and compromise the plants. The farmers will most often than sprinkle the rat poison on delicious treats like peanut butter or bacon to attract the rodents and kept them away from their precious cannabis. It's not just rats that fall for it though. Red foxes, spotted owls and, sadly, the endangered weasel-like fishers. According to a new study published in PLoS One, one in ten fishers die because of rodenticide ingestion from illegal marijuana farms.

Owning a car that can't drive itself will be like having a horse, says Elon Musk

"Any cars that are being made that don’t have full autonomy will have negative value. It will be like owning a horse," Musk said.
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