Brain size riddle solved as humans exceed evolutionary trend
The largest animals do not have proportionally bigger brains—with humans bucking this trend—a study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution has revealed......»»
Elon Musk’s Neuralink to test if its brain implant can control a robotic arm
Elon Musk’s Neuralink has said it’s about to begin testing a technology that could enable someone with paralysis to control a robotic arm with their thoughts......»»
Tick tubes help reduce the parasites on mice, but time and frequency matter
Ticks are a nuisance across many areas of the U.S., capable of spreading harmful pathogens to both animals and humans. A new study led by researchers at Penn State has analyzed the effectiveness of a simple, inexpensive strategy for controlling ticks.....»»
Mathematical modeling reveals the explosive secret of the squirting cucumber
A team led by the University of Oxford has solved a mystery that has intrigued scientists for centuries: how does the squirting cucumber squirt?.....»»
The Chesapeake Bay"s "dead zone" stays at long-term average: It"s a "good sign"
The dead zone in the Chesapeake Bay, where there's low oxygen for underwater life, was near its average size in 2024, according to new data from the Chesapeake Bay Program......»»
First successful test of wild minke whales reveals they have ultrasonic hearing
A team of marine biologists from Norway, the U.S. and Denmark has conducted the first hearing test of a live baleen whale. For their study published in the journal Science, the group corralled a pair of wild minke whales and recorded their brain wave.....»»
Saturday Citations: Sweaty, remarkable humans; ocean level rise projections; closeup of a star in another galaxy
Since we last spoke, researchers at the University of Birmingham have defined the precise shape of a single photon (spoiler: roundish). Economists worry that Trump's grandiose deportation plans could lead to a recession. And astronomers report that t.....»»
Tweaking non-neural brain cells can cause memories to fade
Neurons and a second cell type called an astrocyte collaborate to hold memories. “If we go back to the early 1900s, this is when the idea was first proposed that memories are ph.....»»
Samsung"s new Gauss 2 AI Model might be the next Galaxy brain
Samsung debuts Gauss 2 AI model......»»
Smarter city planning: Researchers use brain activity to predict visits to urban areas
Urbanization, the process by which cities and towns expand in size and population, is rapidly advancing globally, and the percentage of people living in urban environments has increased from 33% in 1960 to 57% in 2023......»»
"Genetic time machine" reveals complex chimpanzee cultures
In recent decades, scientists have clearly demonstrated that chimpanzees, like humans, pass on complex cultures such as tool use from generation to generation. But human culture has become vastly more sophisticated, from the Stone Age to the Space Ag.....»»
Gene expression shifts help explain how a shrew changes brain size to match the seasons
New research shows how the Eurasian common shrew (Sorex araneus) changes its brain and bodily size throughout the year. The study, published online in eLife, reveals how changes in gene expression enable these small mammals to shrink their brain in.....»»
Red squirrels are very flexible in shifting their daily routines to avoid urban threats, researchers find
Scientific investigations before and during the COVID-19 lockdown in Berlin in 2020 show that urban red squirrels are extremely flexible in adjusting their diurnal activities to the presence of humans, domestic dogs, domestic cats, and predators such.....»»
Geospatial mapping study shows drought trend in ag-dominated Arkansas Delta
The Delta, a regional powerhouse for Arkansas agriculture built by river flows, is showing a trend of increasing droughts. Using satellite imagery, Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station researchers comprehensively analyzed drought dynamics over fi.....»»
Scientists uncover cross-species neural mechanism for early detection of life motion in visual processing
Visual systems of both humans and animals can detect life motion from the environment at the earliest stage of visual processing, research by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) uncovered......»»
Heart cockles have windows in their shells to let in light for symbiotic algae
A team of marine biologists, ecologists and evolutionary specialists from the University of Chicago, Stanford University and Duke University has found that heart cockles have windows in their shells to allow in light needed by the algae that live ins.....»»
Fitness app Strava is tightening third-party access to user data
Training apps, AI use, and trend analysis seem to be off-limits in Strava's API. The Strava app is one of the most popular ways for cyclists, runners, hikers, and other distance s.....»»
Life in the world"s deepest seas: The challenge of finding 1,000 new marine species by 2030
Oceans cover 71% of the Earth's surface, but despite their immense size and impact on the planet, we know very little about them. While many of us might associate the sea with relaxing holidays on tropical beaches, the ocean is nothing but cold, dark.....»»
Predicting the next supernova explosion: New simulations reveal the physics of supernova shock breakout
Stars with masses between 10 and 30 times that of the sun, in their final evolutionary stages, form an iron core that ultimately collapses into a neutron star. This collapse releases a tremendous amount of gravitational potential energy through neutr.....»»
Microsoft announces new Mac mini-sized desktop PC, but it only works online
Microsoft on Tuesday announced a new product called “Windows 365 Link,” which is essentially a desktop PC similar in size to launched a few weeks ago. However, while the Mac mini is a full computer, Microsoft’s alternative runs exclusively in.....»»
Could a multivitamin help save coral reefs? Preliminary data says yes
Like humans, coral reefs rely on nutrients in the environment surrounding them. Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have been lab testing nutrient-infused tiles to determine whether they would boost the immune system of corals,.....»»