Cats distinguish between speech directed at them and humans
A small study has found that cats may change their behavior when they hear their owner's voice talking in a tone directed to them, the cats, but not when hearing the voice of a stranger or their owner's voice directed at another person. The study of.....»»
Pollution of the potent warming gas methane soars and people are mostly to blame
The amount and proportion of the powerful heat-trapping gas methane that humans spew into the atmosphere is rising, helping to turbocharge climate change, a new study finds......»»
Study proves transfer of feline coronavirus between domestic and wild cats
A new study from College of Veterinary Medicine researchers finds the first genetic evidence of feline coronavirus (FCoV) transmission between a captive wild and a domestic cat......»»
How viruses move through insects for transmission of diseases
Viruses are master parasites that have adapted to infect many host species. Some viruses even use multiple hosts to spread their infections—such as arboviruses that use insects to move their infections to mammalian hosts like humans. Understanding.....»»
Promoting horse welfare with an intestinal disease screening method
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, are developing a promising method to support the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in horses. Awareness of the prevalence of IBD in both humans and animals has increased in recent de.....»»
A roadmap for using viruses to enhance crop performance
Humans, livestock and companion animals benefit from virus-based vaccines and gene therapies, but crops do not. This paradox is highlighted by an international research group led by the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Plants (IBMCP) wi.....»»
First robot leg with "artificial muscles" jumps nimbly: Study
Researchers said on Monday they had designed the first robotic leg with "artificial muscles"—oil-filled bags allowing machines to move more like humans—that can jump nimbly across a range of surfaces......»»
Mathematical modeling explores the statistical mysteries of successfully scheduling a meeting
In a world where organizing a simple meeting can feel like herding cats, new research from Case Western Reserve University reveals just how challenging finding a suitable meeting time becomes as the number of participants grows......»»
Space travel comes with risk—SpaceX"s Polaris Dawn mission will push the envelope further than ever
Space is an unnatural environment for humans. We can't survive unprotected in a pure vacuum for more than two minutes. Getting to space involves being strapped to a barely contained chemical explosion......»»
Protecting just 0.7% of world"s land could help save a third of unique and endangered species
Conservation efforts directed towards just 0.7% of the world's land mass could help protect one third of the world's threatened and unique tetrapod (four-limbed vertebrate) species, new research by Imperial College London, On the Edge, and ZSL has sh.....»»
AI helps distinguish dark matter from cosmic noise
Dark matter is the invisible force holding the universe together—or so we think. It makes up about 85% of all matter and around 27% of the universe's contents, but since we can't see it directly, we have to study its gravitational effects on galaxi.....»»
Appeals judge baffled by X’s loss over Calif. moderation law, orders injunction
Elon Musk takes grandest stands yet in defense of free speech. Enlarge (credit: Marc Piasecki / Contributor | Getty Images Entertainment) Elon Musk's X has won its appeal on free speech grounds to block AB 587, a Califor.....»»
New Waymo data shows self-driving tech drives safer than humans
Self-driving technology company Waymo said its robotaxis are making roads safer in the markets where it operates — and sharing data to back those claims......»»
New filter removes chemical contaminants from water even at very low concentrations
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products pose a major environmental threat. These chemicals, found in everyday items like medicines and cosmetics, can pollute waterways, harming the plants and animals living in the waterways and the humans who use.....»»
Regulatory gene influences shape recognition in medaka fish, scientists discover
Medaka fish that lack functional Hmgn2 genes are unable to distinguish between simple shapes, revealing a new function for the regulatory gene......»»
Most, but not all, dogs play fetch, while cats do so more often than thought
About 4 in 10 cats and nearly 8 in 10 dogs like to play fetch, especially males. Although more common in dogs, 4 in 10 pet cats also choose to play fetch with their owners. Credit: Mikel M. Delgado/CC-BY 4.0.....»»
Australian government trial finds AI is much worse than humans at summarizing
Llama2-70B failed to capture "complex context," but updated models might do better. Enlarge / ASIC evaluators found AI summaries were often "wordy and pointless—just repeating what was in the submission." (credit: Getty Images).....»»
Cats play fetch more often than previously believed, though still less than dogs
About 4 in 10 cats and nearly 8 in 10 dogs like to play fetch, especially males. Although more common in dogs, 4 in 10 pet cats also choose to play fetch with their owners. Credit: Mikel M. Delgado/CC-BY 4.0.....»»
Dozens of viruses detected in Chinese fur farm animals
Dozens of viruses have been detected mixing in animals at fur farms in China, some of which are new and have the potential to spill over into humans, researchers said Wednesday......»»
Fetching in cats is more common than previously thought, researchers find
Although it is more common in dogs, 4 in 10 pet cats also choose to play fetch with their owners, report Mikel Delgado from Purdue University, US, and colleagues in PLOS ONE......»»
The world"s fastest single-shot 2D imaging technique films ultrafast dynamics in flames
Candle flames and airplane engines produce tiny soot particles from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as their precursors, both of which are harmful to humans and the environment. These carbon-based particles are also common in space, making up.....»»