Ecological continuity between orangutans and extinct ancestors highlights their dependence on intact rainforests
An international research team led by Prof. Hervé Bocherens of the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment at the University of Tübingen and his Ph.D. student Sophie G. Habinger has reconstructed the habitat of the ancestors of.....»»
Replica symmetry breaking in 1D Rayleigh scattering system: Theory and validations
In both the natural world and human society, there commonly exist complex systems, such as climate systems, ecological systems, and network systems. Due to the involvement of numerous interacting elements, complex systems can stay in multiple differe.....»»
Companies are crafting new ways to grow cocoa, and chocolate alternatives, to keep up with demand
Climate change is stressing rainforests where the highly sensitive cocoa bean grows, but chocolate lovers need not despair, say companies that are researching other ways to grow cocoa or develop cocoa substitutes......»»
Chocolate"s future could hinge on success of growing cocoa not just in the tropics, but in the lab
Climate change is stressing rainforests where the highly sensitive cocoa bean grows, but chocolate lovers need not despair, say companies that are researching other ways to grow cocoa or develop cocoa substitutes......»»
New species of Antarctic dragonfish highlights its threatened ecosystem
A new species of Antarctic dragonfish, Akarotaxis gouldae or Banded Dragonfish, has been discovered in waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula by researchers at William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). The species, named in ho.....»»
Archaeologists discover diseased Anglo-Saxons that received monastic care
An additional 20 intact human burials and the disturbed remains of many more have been discovered by archaeologists excavating a monastery in Cookham......»»
Research highlights drought risk and awareness gaps in global society
Natural disasters have threatened human beings and the ecosystem. Among the various natural disasters, drought is one of the most insidious and costliest, adversely affecting the global economy and livelihoods. Unlike sudden disasters such as earthqu.....»»
iPadOS 18 has a new Apple Music feature exclusive to iPad
iPadOS 18 isn’t very big on iPad-exclusive features. Most of the update’s highlights are cross-platform, like new customization tools and app updates that are on the iPhone too. But one of the few iPad-only features promises to improve the Apple.....»»
How a salt giant radically reshaped Mediterranean marine biodiversity
A new study paves the way to understanding biotic recovery after an ecological crisis in the Mediterranean Sea about 5.5 million years ago. An international team led by Konstantina Agiadi from the University of Vienna has now been able to quantify ho.....»»
Uncovering the secret communication of marmoset monkeys: They have names
A new study from Hebrew University reveals that marmoset monkeys use specific calls, known as "phee-calls," to name each other, a behavior previously known to exist only in humans, dolphins, and elephants. This discovery highlights the complexity of.....»»
Astronauts stranded in space: Unexpected eight-month stay highlights risks of space exploration
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams took off for the International Space Station in June. The test flight aboard Boeing's Starliner was supposed to last a week, but they have yet to return......»»
LLMs have a strong bias against use of African American English
Feedback gets rid of overt biases but leaves subtle racism intact. Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images) As far back as 2016, work on AI-based chatbots revealed that they have a disturbing tendency to reflect so.....»»
CDK Global outage highlights gaps in finance office preparation
Finance managers had to adapt with no notice or preparation, and many came out of the experience with important lessons learned......»»
Model highlights three roots of online toxicity
In 2022, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience Dean Mobbs began to investigate the relationship between social media use and mental health and well-being. As his research program ramps up to test brain activity and physiological markers of stress durin.....»»
Tomato ripening study highlights cell wall component interactions
Tomato fruit ripening involves intricate biochemical and structural changes, particularly within the cell wall, which are vital for the fruit's final texture and quality. These changes include modifications in polysaccharides and proteins, but the sp.....»»
This bird species was extinct in Europe. Now it"s back, and humans must help it migrate for winter
How do you teach a bird how, and where, to fly? The distinctive Northern Bald Ibis, hunted essentially to extinction by the 17th century, was revived by breeding and rewilding efforts over the last two decades. But the birds—known for their distinc.....»»
Study highlights new advancements to simulate multiscale coastal processes
Simulating flooding where rivers meet the ocean is challenging because existing Earth system models struggle to capture the complex interactions between river flows, ocean tides, and storm surges......»»
How is the Anthropocene helping to rethink the contemporary issue of environmental degradation?
The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch whereby humans are deemed to be the primary drivers of ecological and environmental change, through activities that lead to environmental degradation. This theory that human activity poses more of a thr.....»»
Ancient microbes linked to evolution of human immune proteins
When you become infected with a virus, some of the first weapons your body deploys to fight it are those passed down to us from our microbial ancestors billions of years ago. According to new research from The University of Texas at Austin, two key e.....»»
LLMs are unsuited for meeting the standards of Platonic epistemology in education, researchers find
Researchers from the University of Adelaide advise that more caution should be exercised for the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in educational contexts. This comes after a new study highlights key differences between modern technology.....»»
The overshoot myth: We can"t keep burning fossil fuels and expect scientists of the future to get us back to 1.5°C
Record breaking fossil fuel production, all-time high greenhouse gas emissions and extreme temperatures. Like the proverbial frog in the heating pan of water, we refuse to respond to the climate and ecological crisis with any sense of urgency. Under.....»»