Most humans haven"t evolved to cope with the cold, yet we dominate northern climates—here"s why
Humans are a tropical species. We have lived in warm climates for most of our evolutionary history, which might explain why so many of us spend winter huddled under a blanket, clutching a hot water bottle and dreaming of summer......»»
Australian dragon study reveals surprising link between motor systems control and sleep rhythms
Sleep is one of the most mysterious, yet ubiquitous components of our biology. It has been described in all major groups of animals, including worms, jellyfish, insects or cephalopods, and in all vertebrates, from fish to humans. Common characteristi.....»»
9to5Mac Gift Guide: Zac’s bag of 2024 tech
Every great holiday gift guide deserves a punchy theme that captures your attention and inspires your gift giving season. My theme this year? Stuff I received to review but haven’t yet, and stuff I honestly use daily. What… the smart home gift gu.....»»
Biologists discover how plants evolved multiple ways to override genetic instructions
Biologists at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered the origin of a curious duplication that gives plants multiple ways to override instructions that are coded into their DNA. This research could help scientists exploit a plant's existin.....»»
"Shallow" sports and "deep" social hierarchies: Not all pecking orders are created equally
University of Michigan researchers have added a new dimension to the mathematics used to predict the outcomes of all manner of competitions, including sports, games and social hierarchies in both humans and animals......»»
The frozen carbon of the northern permafrost is on the move—we estimated by how much
Among the most rapidly changing parts of our planet are the coldest landscapes near the top of the globe, just south of the Arctic. This region is warming two to four times faster than the global average......»»
New bird flu outbreak confirmed in UK
The UK government warned bird keepers to remain vigilant after bird flu was detected at a commercial poultry farm in northern England, the second outbreak this year and first of the season......»»
Braving sharks and hordes of urchins, scientists are growing kelp one forest at a time
The weathered UC Davis Marine Laboratory looms in thick fog on the edge of the ocean near Bodega Bay. Inside, an experiment is playing out that gives a badly-needed boost to Northern California's kelp forests—underwater cathedrals of green and gold.....»»
Decades after global regulations, the Arctic Ocean"s legacy persistent organic pollutants haven"t dropped
The presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in all the world's oceans but one has been in steady decline since 2001, when 152 countries agreed on a comprehensive global ban. The exception has been the Arctic Ocean, which has seen a sharp ris.....»»
Deaf male mosquitoes don"t mate, researchers discover
Romance is a complex affair in humans. There's personality, appearance, seduction, all manner of physical and social cues. Mosquitoes are much more blunt. Mating occurs for a few seconds in midair. And all it takes to woo a male is the sound of a fem.....»»
Novel flame aerosol system excels at creating nanoparticles
Since prehistoric times, humans have used fire to transform raw materials into valuable goods. Examples include using flames to turn clay into pottery, and silica into glass......»»
Valencia floods: Warming climate is making once-rare weather more common and more destructive, says researcher
In the last few days, a seasonal weather system known in Spain as the "cold drop" or DANA (an acronym of "depresión aislada en niveles altos": isolated depression at high levels) has caused heavy rain and flooding across Spain's Mediterranean coast.....»»
Portal to the past: Geologist identifies metamorphic rock as a crucial feature of the ancient Earth"s carbon cycle
If Earth's history were a calendar year, humans would not appear until the last few minutes before midnight on Dec. 31. During the Proterozoic Eon—2.5 billion years to 543 million years ago—the sun was still a young star, much dimmer than today,.....»»
Ethiopian farmers improve soil and feed with forage mixtures
Yordanos Anju is a dedicated farmer from the Bilate Zuria district in the Northern Sidama region. For generations, his family has relied on farming and livestock production......»»
Monkeys know who will win the election—primal instincts humans share with them shape voters" choices
As Election Day looms with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump locked in a dead heat, pollsters and pundits are scrambling for clues to predict the outcome......»»
Computer modeling research reveals the changing history of a global ice sheet
Imagine that a massive ice sheet covered Canada and oozed down over a large part of the northern United States, like icing spilling down the side of a cake. That was the situation somewhere between 19,000 and 26,000 years ago. The ice sheet covered l.....»»
My Apple Watch-fueled fitness journey -- how hardware and software are helping me fix my health
My health is something that I haven't always done a great job of protecting. That changes now thanks to an Apple Watch Series 10 and a swathe of supporting software and hardware.The Apple Watch Series 10 is a huge part of my fitness journey.Apple has.....»»
What the Thai cave rescue can teach us about unconventional leadership
Leadership can emerge from unexpected places, especially during times of crisis. One such example occurred during the 2018 rescue of a group of 12 young soccer players and their coach, who were trapped in a cave in northern Thailand after heavy rains.....»»
Apple’s new M4 Max is the fastest CPU on the market, and we haven’t even seen M4 Ultra
Apple unveiled its new MacBook Pro models this week, with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chipsets. The new M4 Pro chip in the Mac mini already showed some very promising results, making it the fastest Mac ever. However, M4 Max takes it to an all new level, a.....»»
Not too big, not too small: Why modern humans are the ideal size for speed
The fastest animal on land is the cheetah, capable of reaching top speeds of 104 kilometers per hour. In the water, the fastest animals are yellowfin tuna and wahoo, which can reach speeds of 75 and 77 km per hour respectively. In the air, the title.....»»
African Sahara "greening" can alter Northern Hemisphere climate, modeling study finds
Africa's Sahara Desert may be considered a vast expanse of barren sand with limited vegetation, an extreme environment for plants and animals to thrive, but life always finds a way. Indeed, vegetation growth in the desert has waxed and waned over mil.....»»