How "sleeping" microorganisms can determine the fate of a population
Microorganisms that temporarily "go to sleep" play an important role in the evolution and survival of a population. Mathematician Shubhamoy Nandan conducted research on the effect of this characteristic called "dormancy" in a novel mathematical model.....»»
Cyber threats cast shadow over 2024 elections
Considering that 2024 is a historic year for elections – with an estimated half of the world’s population taking part in democratic votes – this high threat of cyber interference has significant implications for global free society, threatening.....»»
A different picture of the Serengeti: Competition for food drives planet"s remaining mass migration of herbivores
Upending the prevailing theory of how and why multi-species mass-migration patterns occur in Serengeti National Park, researchers from Wake Forest University have confirmed that the millions-strong wildebeest population pushes zebra herds along in co.....»»
Earthquake fatality measure offers new way to estimate impact on countries
A new measure that compares earthquake-related fatalities to a country's population size concludes that Ecuador, Lebanon, Haiti, Turkmenistan, Iran and Portugal have experienced the greatest impact from fatalities in the past five centuries......»»
Scientists discover "jumping genes" determine cabbage"s exterior
The genetic differences between pointed cabbage and cauliflower are greater than those between humans and chimpanzees. Nevertheless, they are considered the same species. Researchers from Wageningen and China mapped the extensive genetic variation of.....»»
Scientists discover microbe unique to New Zealand
Professor Matthew Stott co-leads a team of researchers from Canterbury and Waikato universities that has identified an endemic genus of geothermal microorganisms—a discovery believed to be a world-first......»»
"Beyond what"s possible": New JWST observations unearth mysterious ancient galaxy
Our understanding of how galaxies form and the nature of dark matter could be completely upended after new observations of a stellar population bigger than the Milky Way from more than 11 billion years ago that should not exist......»»
Microplastics in soils: First consistent risk assessment
Microplastics in soil are extremely diverse and complex. This makes it difficult to determine the risks of plastic pollution to soil life, which is an increasing concern among policymakers and scientists. Researchers from the Spanish Institute IMDEA.....»»
Secrets of night parrot unlocked after first genome sequenced
Researchers at CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, have sequenced the first genome of the night parrot, one of the world's rarest and most elusive birds. The development will answer questions about population genetics and biology that could b.....»»
Trail cameras track "critically low" New York bobcat population
With thousands of strategically placed cameras covering more than 27,000 square miles in central and western New York, biologists have obtained evidence that bobcat populations remain critically low in central and western New York state......»»
How NASA uses simple technology to track lunar missions
NASA is using a simple but effective technology called Laser Retroreflective Arrays (LRAs) to determine the locations of lunar landers more accurately. They will be attached to most of the landers from United States companies as part of NASA's Commer.....»»
China"s doom loop: A dramatically smaller (and older) population could create a devastating global slowdown
China has announced that in 2023 its population declined from 1.4118 to 1.4097 billion people. Forecasting by the UN suggests China's population will dip to 1.313 billion by 2050 and then down to about 800 million by 2100. This is a significant chang.....»»
AI "companions" promise to combat loneliness, but history shows the dangers of one-way relationships
The United States is in the grips of a loneliness epidemic: Since 2018, about half the population has reported that it has experienced loneliness. Loneliness can be as dangerous to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to a 2023 surge.....»»
Fears about falling birthrate in England and Wales are misplaced—the population is due to grow for years to come
The number of babies born in England and Wales in 2022 fell by 3.1% compared to the previous year. The average age of parents is also at a record high, as people choose to delay having children. The average age of mothers is now nearly 31......»»
Global survey shows broad majority of global population supports climate action
A recent study by behavioral researchers at the University of Bonn, the Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE in Frankfurt, and the University of Copenhagen demonstrates for the first time that a broad majority of the world's population suppo.....»»
Scientists identify “universal network” of microbes for decomposing flesh
Findings could help forensic scientists better determine a body's precise time of death. Enlarge / It's tough to precisely determine cause of death in a corpse. Microbes found on decomposing flesh can help. (credit: Ralf Roletsch.....»»
Scandinavia"s first farmers slaughtered the hunter-gatherer population, DNA analysis suggests
Following the arrival of the first farmers in Scandinavia 5,900 years ago, the hunter-gatherer population was wiped out within a few generations, according to a new study from Lund University in Sweden, among others. The results, which are contrary t.....»»
Waymo robotaxi attacked and set on fire in San Francisco
Investigators are trying to determine what prompted a crowd in San Francisco to attack a Waymo robotaxi in San Francisco on Saturday night......»»
Pioneering technique reveals new layer of human gene regulation
A technique can determine for the first time how frequently, and exactly where, a molecular event called "backtracking" occurs throughout the genetic material (genome) of any species, a new study shows......»»
Female mosquitoes found to regulate their own population density at breeding sites using communal cues
When female mosquitoes feed, they don't seem to mind a crowd because lots of carbon dioxide usually means there's food. They were thought to be more solitary, however, when laying eggs. New research has revealed quite the opposite for the deadly Aede.....»»
From growing roots, clues to how stem cells decide their fate
It might look like a comet or a shooting star, but this time-lapse video is actually a tiny plant root, not much thicker than a human hair, magnified hundreds of times as it grows under the microscope......»»