An avatar will never lie, or will it? Scientists investigate how often we change our minds in virtual environments
How confident are you in your judgments and how well can you defend your opinions? Chances are that they will change under the influence of a group of avatars in a virtual environment. Scientists from SWPS University have investigated the human tende.....»»
Tiger beetles fight off bat attacks with ultrasonic mimicry
Bats, as the main predator of night-flying insects, create a selective pressure that has led many of their prey to evolve an early warning system of sorts: ears uniquely tuned to high-frequency bat echolocation. To date, scientists have found at leas.....»»
How to change your Skype name
Is your Skype handle giving you problems? Here's what you need to know about Skype names, what can be changed, and how to fix them before your next meeting......»»
Exploring interface phenomena for more durable and effective nickel–tungsten alloys
Alloying is a key process in creating new materials. By combining metals with desirable traits, scientists can produce alloys with suitable properties. For example, stainless steel, formed by combining iron with chromium, nickel, and other elements i.....»»
Scientists develop an affordable sensor for lead contamination
Engineers at MIT, Nanytang Technological University, and several companies have developed a compact and inexpensive technology for detecting and measuring lead concentrations in water, potentially enabling a significant advance in tackling this persi.....»»
Can Philly become a hothouse for bananas and pineapples as the climate warms?
As climate change warms Philadelphia, the plants that can be grown in the city will change, too......»»
Reducing distrust in social media is not straightforward, computer scientists warn
Are anti-misinformation interventions on social media working as intended? It depends, according to a new study led by William & Mary researchers and published in the Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '24)......»»
Scientists unlock mysteries of orangutan communication
In a study published in PeerJ, scientists have revealed the intricate vocal patterns of Bornean orangutans, shedding new light on the complexities of their communication. Titled "Vocal Complexity in the Long Calls of Bornean Orangutans," the research.....»»
Study discovers distinct population of "troublemaker" platelet cells appear with aging
As people age, they become more prone to blood clotting diseases, when blood cells called platelets clump together when they don't need to and can cause major issues such as strokes and cardiovascular disease. For decades, scientists have studied why.....»»
Using AI to speed up and improve the most computationally-intensive aspects of plasma physics in fusion
The intricate dance of atoms fusing and releasing energy has fascinated scientists for decades. Now, human ingenuity and artificial intelligence are coming together at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) t.....»»
Climate-change research project aboard USS Hornet paused for environmental review
The city of Alameda has indefinitely shut down the Marine Cloud Brightening Program—a study based out of the University of Washington and set up on the deck of the U.S.S. Hornet to utilize the San Francisco Bay's ideal cloudy conditions—citing co.....»»
How do we reduce pesticide use while empowering farmers? A more nuanced approach could help
Pesticides threaten humans, wildlife and our environment. Food production must change......»»
Scientists develop sticky pesticide to combat pest insects
Researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and Leiden University have engineered a biological barrier that protects plants from diseases and pests. It concerns a sticky substance that is sprayed on leaves, to which pests stick......»»
Scientists create an "optical conveyor belt" for quasiparticles
Using interference between two lasers, a research group led by scientists from RIKEN and NTT Research have created an "optical conveyor belt" that can move polaritons—a type of light-matter hybrid particle—in semiconductor-based microcavities. Th.....»»
Persistent strain of cholera defends itself against forces of change, scientists find
A deadly strain of cholera bacteria that emerged in Indonesia back in 1961 continues to spread widely to this day, claiming thousands of lives around the world every year, sickening millions, and with its persistence, baffling scientists......»»
Exploring the ultrasmall and ultrafast through advances in attosecond science
A team of scientists at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are developing new methods to probe the universe's minute details at extraordinary speeds......»»
Indian Ocean sea-surface temperatures found to be accurate predictor of dengue outbreaks
A team of Earth scientists, health care workers and meteorologists affiliated with several institutions in China, and working with several international partners, reports that global dengue severity in Asia and South America can be predicted by sea-s.....»»
Researchers uncover mechanism for short-distance vesicle movements
Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have thrown new light on the mechanism for how vesicles move short distances within specific parts of the cell, an area not understood by scientists......»»
Researchers complete mitochondrial genome analysis of endangered plant Primulina hunanensis
Primulina hunanensis is a perennial herb in the genus Primulina Hance of the family Gesneriaceae. It is very adaptable to low-light and barren cave environments, and is unique in its species evolution and environmental adaptation. P. hunanensis has b.....»»
Researchers reveal how genetically identical water fleas develop into different sexes
Daphnia are tiny crustaceans, or "water fleas," that are extremely adaptable to their environment. This is due to their remarkable phenotypic plasticity, i.e., their ability to change their form or behavior despite their genetic makeup remaining unch.....»»
Researchers breed tomato plants that contain the complete genetic material of both parent plants
In a new study published in Nature Genetics, led by Charles Underwood from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany, scientists established a system to generate clonal sex cells in tomato plants and used them to design.....»»