Large mammals shaped the evolution of humans in Africa, says ecologist
That humans originated in Africa is widely accepted. But it's not generally recognized how unique features of Africa's ecology were responsible for the crucial evolutionary transitions from forest-inhabiting fruit-eater to savanna-dwelling hunter. Th.....»»
Broadway embraces particle physics with musical about Higgs boson discovery
The 2013 documentary Particle Fever is being turned into a Broadway musical. A collision between subatomic particles in the Large Hadron Collider's CMS detector. (credit: Research.gov) Particle physics is poised to hit t.....»»
Common tree in São Paulo (Brazil) tolerates extreme drought and can help mitigate adverse effects of climate change
One of the three main tree species in São Paulo city, Brazil—the largest mega-city in the southern hemisphere—is the Tipuana (Tipuana tipu), also known as rosewood or tipu, a tall tree with a large spreading canopy. It is tolerant of extreme dro.....»»
Community focused approaches to fisheries governance transform local perceptions
A new study from WCS reveals that community capacity-building interventions, even those with only indirect environmental links, significantly improved perceptions of fisheries management and conservation in coastal fishing villages in East Africa. Th.....»»
Plants offer fruit to insects to disperse dust-like seeds, botanist discovers
Fruit exist to invite animals to disperse the swallowed seeds. A Kobe University research team found that plants targeting insects rather than birds or mammals for this service are more common than previously thought. These plants produce dust-like s.....»»
Cequence Unified API Protection defends against attacks targeting AI applications
Cequence introduced advancements to its Unified API Protection (UAP) platform, specifically tailored to support the secure use of AI applications like Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs). Cequence’s solutions protect applications deploye.....»»
Planning for climate resilience in California"s freshwater ecosystems
California's unique geomorphology and Mediterranean-type climate have largely shaped the state's freshwater lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands. Now, however, freshwater ecosystems are stressed by water diversion, land use changes, non-native specie.....»»
Modeling Earth systems at a quintillion calculations per second
Climate models compute vast amounts of information about Earth's climate system—from small water droplets to large-scale weather patterns—to re-create past climate or predict future climate. Accurately re-creating how Earth's energy (measured in.....»»
How efficiently different US forests will remove atmospheric carbon in the future
Forests absorb carbon by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making forest carbon stocks an important resource against climate change. In research published in Ecology and Evolution, investigators examined existing tree regeneration pattern.....»»
Sports venues must vet their vendors to maintain security
Sporting events generate a lot of consumer activity, from hotels and restaurants to retail. Large sporting events are held together by webs of connectivity that include vendors, sponsors, employees, and consumers. These networks connect ticketing, me.....»»
Elon Musk declares “it is war” on ad industry as X sues over “illegal boycott”
"We tried peace for 2 years, now it is war," Musk writes. Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images) Elon Musk's X Corp. today sued the World Federation of Advertisers and several large corporations, claiming they "c.....»»
Elephants on the move: Mapping connections across African landscapes
Elephant conservation is a major priority in southern Africa, but habitat loss and urbanization mean the far-ranging pachyderms are increasingly restricted to protected areas like game reserves. The risk? Contained populations could become geneticall.....»»
"Baby talk:" Decoding how children"s vocal and cognitive cues sway adults
Compared to other mammals, human children are dependent on their caregivers for a remarkably long time. Throughout the ages, they have developed "psychological tactics" to endear themselves to adults and thus enhance their chances of survival. This p.....»»
Data protection is poor for African farmers who use digital services: Kenya and Ghana cases highlight gaps
Across Africa, agricultural producers are turning to digital solutions to get information about farming methods, market access or financial services. By 2022, there were 666 of these solutions operating on the continent, the highest number among all.....»»
New open-source platform for high-resolution spatial transcriptomics
A team of researchers from the lab of Prof. Stein Aerts (VIB-KU Leuven) presents Nova-ST, a new spatial transcriptomics technique that promises to transform gene expression profiling in tissue samples. Nova-ST will make large-scale, high-resolution s.....»»
ITSM concerns when integrating new AI services
Let’s talk about a couple of recent horror stories. Late last year, a Chevrolet dealership deployed a chatbot powered by a large language model (LLM) on their homepage. This LLM, trained with detailed specifications of Chevrolet vehicles, was inten.....»»
Researchers identify global hotspots for flows of "dirty money", with Dubai and Hong Kong emerging as focal points
New research from the University of Sussex, published August 5 has identified a large-scale shift from the UK to what researchers are terming the "Dubai-Kong axis" as a new hotspot for illicit financial flows (IFFs)—money tied to corruption, organi.....»»
Horse miscarriages offer clues to causes of early human pregnancy loss
A study of horses—which share many important similarities with humans in their chromosomes and pregnancies—revealed that 42% of miscarriages and spontaneous abortions in the first two months of pregnancy were due to complications from an extra se.....»»
Saturday Citations: Warp drive disasters; cancer prospects across generations; a large COVID vaccination study
This week, researchers reported on the implications of a warp drive containment breach in case you're interested in theoretical space-borne disasters. Scientists in the U.K. report the cardiovascular benefits of COVID-19 vaccination in an extremely t.....»»
Berkshire Hathaway may have continued its streak of selling off Apple stock
Well ahead of Thursday's earnings, the "Oracle of Omaha's" Berkshire Hathaway may have sold a very large quantity of Apple stock, marking the third consecutive quarter of big sales volumes.Warren Buffett [Berkshire Hathaway]Apple stock has had an int.....»»
Not the day after tomorrow: Why we can"t predict the timing of climate tipping points
A study published in Science Advances reveals that uncertainties are currently too large to accurately predict exact tipping times for critical Earth system components like the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), polar ice sheets, or.....»»