Italian Renaissance: Belief in touch as salvation was stronger than fear of contagion
In 1399, a crowd gathered in the Tuscan city of Pisa, even though people understood that a plague ravaging the area was contagious. Devotees traveled from town to town and carried a crucifix—a sculpture of Jesus on the cross —which the crowd lon.....»»
How the Malleus maleficarum fueled the witch trial craze
Invention of printing press, influence of nearby cities created perfect conditions for social contagion. Between 1400 and 1775, a significant upsurge of witch trials swept across.....»»
A near-Earth microquasar emerges as a source of powerful radiation
Modern astronomy has clung to the belief that the relativistic outflows or jets, responsible for the existence of electromagnetic radiation of particularly high energies, are located in the nuclei of active galaxies distant from Earth. However, a dif.....»»
Florida homeowners fear soaring insurance cost after hurricanes
Florida homeowners fear soaring insurance cost after hurricanes.....»»
South MS restaurant temporarily closing after fire. ‘We’re going to come back stronger’
South MS restaurant temporarily closing after fire. ‘We’re going to come back stronger’.....»»
New Nasal Vaccines Offer Stronger Protection from COVID, Flu, and More—No Needle Needed
Gentle nasal spray vaccines against COVID, the flu and RSV are coming. They may work better than shots in the arm.....»»
Joint German-Italian Battle Tank Venture Could Shake Up European Armor Landscape
Joint German-Italian Battle Tank Venture Could Shake Up European Armor Landscape.....»»
Dutch students warn space mission of noisy white dwarfs
The background noise of gravitational waves from orbiting white dwarf stars will be stronger than the noise from binary black holes. This is what two Dutch master's students and their supervisor predict in two papers in anticipation of the LISA space.....»»
From spooky lore to science fact: Unmasking the "chupacabra"
With its gray, scaley skin, protruding dorsal spines, menacing fangs and proclivity for small livestock, the mythical chupacabra has stoked both curiosity and fear across portions of the Americas for decades......»»
Why leadership outweighs an interdisciplinary mix in the effectiveness of a research team
When it comes to large research projects, strong leadership and experience may be a stronger predictor of team effectiveness than interdepartmental collaboration......»»
Can biodiversity credits unlock billions for nature?
For supporters, biodiversity credits could unlock billions in much-needed funding for nature, but critics fear a repeat of scandals that have dogged other financial approaches to protecting the environment......»»
Changing watering practices to improve tomato plant health
Some people believe that talking to your plants makes them thrive. While there's limited scientific support for sound improving plant health, there's a growing amount of evidence about the benefits of mechanical stimulation, like touch, wind or rain......»»
Apple and Google threaten automaker AI voice assistant push
While automakers toil to build visual interfaces that can compete with big tech, voice assistants represent the next battleground for a key consumer touch point......»»
How artificial intelligence is unmasking bias throughout the recruitment process
New research from the Monash Business School has found that throughout the job recruitment process, women believe artificial intelligence assessments reduce bias, while men fear it removes an advantage......»»
The Juicebox and Enel X shutdown: What comes next?
There are open source projects and companies looking to help. Earlier this month, the Italian energy company Enel X announced an abrupt withdrawal from the North American market......»»
A new plasma-based technological design boosts graphene production by more than 22%
Harder than a diamond, stronger than steel, as flexible as rubber and lighter than aluminum. These are just some of the properties attributed to graphene. Although this material has sparked great interest in the scientific community in recent years,.....»»
How climate change is powering stronger hurricanes
As climate change accelerates, hurricanes are becoming more intense and destructive, bringing heavier rains, stronger winds and devastating storm surges. Hurricanes Helene and Milton serve as stark examples of this—both storms grew stronger due to.....»»
Psychedelic Mushrooms Are Getting Much, Much Stronger
Cultivators are turning to genetic sequencing and cellular-manipulation techniques to breed highly potent mushrooms—leaving some unprepared psychonauts in distress......»»
Stellantis poised to secure Italian approval to sell stake in Comau robotics unit, report says
One Equity, which invests in businesses in the industrial, healthcare and technology industries in the U.S. and Europe, is expected to take a 50.1 percent stake in the robotics unit......»»
Sardinia"s sheep farmers battle bluetongue as climate warms
The sheep huddle together, bleeding from the nose, aborting lambs or suffocating on saliva as they succumb to bluetongue, a virus sweeping through flocks on the Italian island of Sardinia......»»
Nepalis fear more floods as climate change melts glaciers
Mingma Rita Sherpa was not home when the muddy torrent roared into his village in Nepal without warning, but when he returned, he did not recognize his once beautiful settlement......»»