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Body temperatures have dropped in the past century, and it's probably because our lives are better

How hot are you? Probably not as hot as you think.

African grey parrots will help their peers without expecting anything in return

Isn’t that nice?

Cooperation and polarization have the same root, study finds

With great social ability comes great responsibility.

People will happily donate their personal data for a good cause

I'm happy to share my data, just not for someone to profit off of it.

Shrew-transmitted Borna virus linked to killer brain infections

Originally identified in sheep and horses in Europe, BoDV has since been found to occur in a wide range of warm-blooded animals around the world.

Australia set to kill 10,000 camels by shooting them from helicopters

Environmental disasters have become terribly common in Australia.

Hypertension treatment may stave off dementia in some patients

A healthy heart also makes for a healthy brain.

Astronomers track source of mysterious repeating radio burst to far-away galaxy

Scientists are a step closer to understanding ultra-fast pinpricks of radio energy keep lighting up the night sky.

Predators can change their prey's brains

Somewhere in Trinidad, killifish are growing more brain cells to avoid predators.

Our ancestors may have always walked on two legs, 10-million-year-old ape suggests

The dog-sized ape had a more flexible lower back that allowed it to walk more like humans do.

Decommissioning coal-fired plants saved lives and improved crop yields in the US

Natural gas, while not ideal, is still less dirty to burn than coal.

Cut down half the forest and the rest quickly follows suit

Deforestation for agriculture is the leading cause of man-made landscape shifts.

NASA planet-hunting satellite finds its first Earth-sized alien world

The exoplanet orbits a star in the habitable zone and may be covered in oceans.

Every $1 increase in minimum wage decreases suicide rate by up to 6%

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people in high-income countries, after road injury. According to the World Health Organization, the intervention that has the most imminent potential to bring down the number of suicides is restricting access to pesticides that can be used for self-poisoning. However, a more effective measure may […]

SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink satellites meant to beam internet from space -- but which also photobomb astronomy

Officially, SpaceX now operates the world's largest commercial satellite fleet.

Birds and bats have very weird gut bacteria, and it's likely linked to flying

If you wanna fly, sacrifices must be made; mostly in the gut.

We're one step closer to printing functional human ovaries

That's not something you hear every day.

The Indian cobra genome was just decoded -- and this could save many lives

This is not a story about snakes -- this is about saving lives.

An AI walks into a hospital -- and it's really good at detecting tumors

In these conditions, a human expert can detect a tumor in about 30 minutes. The AI can do it in 2.

No, CBD doesn't get you high -- but it's also not a cure-all

A lot of hype, and some of it is warranted. But things are far from clear when it comes to CBD.

Having a baby in the US may cost some families $4,500 out-of-pocket

Maternity costs that weren't covered by employed-based plans have increased dramatically in the past decade.

Wildlife is doing just fine at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster site

The team found that the "level of human activity, elevation and habitat type" had a larger effect on wildlife than radiation.

Puffins are now using tools -- and it's making them feel much better

A small tool for a puffin, a large tool for puffinkind.

Training for a marathon can reverse vascular age by as much as four years

Here's another good reason to starting prepping for your first marathon.

Australian bushfires: magpie now sings the song of the firetrucks

In areas of Australia, the sound of firetrucks is so common that birds are now mimicking them.

Venus might still be volcanically active, according to its infrared emissions

Earth's sister planet might also enjoy a bit of volcanism.

Helping others helps your brain feel less pain

Altruism and pain management seem to go hand in hand.

GM "golden" rice approved for consumption in the Philippines

This could be a major game changer for millions of people.

No pedestrian or cyclist died on Oslo's streets last year

Just a single person died in a traffic crash in the Norwegian capital city during an entire year.

Management of Gastritis -- A New Approach

Gastritis is a painful irritation or erosion of the lining of the stomach. It is usually caused by excessive consumption of alcohol, chronic vomiting, stress and the use of some medications such as aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This condition is shared by nearly half of the adult population in the world. The condition […]

Scientists chill LEGO bricks to nearly absolute zero

LEGOs and quantum computers? Yup!

Video games can be the path to mindfulness if you design them right

A new game aims to change "how people think or process information they're trying to learn."

How long before our spacecraft reach other stars?

Some of NASA's space probes have already left the solar system but it might take tens of thousands of years before any arrive in a sensible vicinity to a star system.

Malaria-bearing mosquitoes are evolving insecticide-resistant feet

But we now know how to stop it.

Mineral never before seen in nature is discovered in a meteorite from 1951

A rare form of an iron-carbide mineral was found by researchers

Deep-water fishery makes a comeback in a rare conservation success story

Bottom trawler fishermen are reinventing themselves in a sustainable way

Are Beavers Nature’s “Little Firefighters”?

It’s about dam time: Beavers are acknowledged for their firefighting skills in five recent blazes.

The neuroscience of the Christmas cheer ‘emotion’

It is, for many of us, the most wonderful time of the year. “Christmas cheer” is that thing which is often referred to by those who believe December really is the season to be jolly. It’s that feeling of joy, warmth and nostalgia people feel when the jingle bells start jingling. But what is the […]

Lizard-like 309-million-year-old fossil is oldest evidence of parenting

Even in times that pre-dated the dinosaurs, many creatures cared for their young.

Tomorrow's fossils will be human skeletons "lined up in rows," domestic animals, and not much else

"The future mammal record will be mostly cows, pigs, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, etc., and people themselves," the authors note.

A clock error spoiled NASA's Christmas mission -- but the craft just landed, safe and sound

The mission was a bust -- but we got the spaceship back!

In the Earth's core, it's snowing iron

Seasonally appropriate news.

Sponge based on common mattress foam could clean up oil spills

A coated polyurethane foam could become an indispensible tool in our oil cleanup kit.

How asbestos makes people sick

Asbestos is a really useful mineral but it's also incredibly dangerous to handle.

Americans have big misperceptions on climate change, new survey shows

People recognize the climate crisis but fail to understand key elements

The Amazon is facing its tipping point, scientists warn

The region could turn into a savanna in just a few decades

Scientists find 'epilepsy demon' in 2,700-year-old clay tablet

Ancient cultures have always associated epilepsy with some religious intervention.

Netherlands' Supreme Court forces government to act on climate change

Dutch government will have to cut emissions by at least 25% by 2020

Mainland Spain ran a full day without burning coal

The plan is to go fully-renewable by 2050.

More atmospheric CO2 could reduce cognitive ability, especially in children

Students could see a 50% decline in cognitive capacity by 2100 if CO2 emissions don't drop.