Neolithic bones reveal isolated Yersinia pestis infections, not pandemics
Since the catastrophic pandemics of the Middle Ages, one disease has almost proverbially symbolized contagion and death: the plague. It is now known that the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis has been present in Central and Northern Europe for more th.....»»
Found in the wild: The world’s first unkillable UEFI bootkit for Linux
"Bootkitty" is likely a proof-of-concept, but may portend working UEFI malware for Linux. Over the past decade, a new class of infections has threatened Windows users. By infectin.....»»
Shells, teeth and bones of "weird and wonderful organisms" provide historical environmental clues
An international study shows how chemical fingerprints left by "underappreciated" aquatic organisms could help scientists monitor global environmental change......»»
Astronomers discover a "hot Neptune" in a tight orbit
A Neptune-sized planet, TOI-3261 b, makes a scorchingly close orbit around its host star. Only the fourth object of its kind ever found, the planet could reveal clues as to how planets such as these form......»»
The lasting influence of experiences: How memorable consumption shapes well-being and decision-making
Challenging the traditional view of consumption as an isolated, immediate event, Stefania Minardi of HEC Paris and Andrei Savochkin of Bocconi University's Department of Decision Sciences explore the idea that experiences can create lasting mental im.....»»
NASA satellite data reveal role of green spaces in cooling cities
As any urban dweller who has lived through a heat wave knows, a shady tree can make all the difference. But what happens when there's no shade available?.....»»
To catch financial rats, a better mousetrap: New tool helps reveal companies" accounting tricks to hide problems
Enron. Lehman Brothers. More recently, General Electric and Supermicro. During the past quarter century, a variety of high-profile companies have been caught cooking their books......»»
Researchers reveal exploitable flaws in corporate VPN clients
Researchers have discovered vulnerabilities in the update process of Palo Alto Networks (CVE-2024-5921) and SonicWall (CVE-2024-29014) corporate VPN clients that could be exploited to remotely execute code on users’ devices. CVE-2024-5921 CVE-2.....»»
X-ray measurements reveal an unexpected role for copper in photocatalysts
Copper is a promising catalyst for sustainably converting carbon dioxide into substances with more electrons (called reduced species). This is an important step in converting carbon dioxide into fuels. This reaction is often initiated by electrical e.....»»
Scientists develop AI tool for personalized phage therapy as a targeted alternative to antibiotics
With the rapid development of antibiotics in the 1930s, phage therapy—using viruses known as bacteriophages or phages to tackle bacterial infections—fell into oblivion. But as the current rise in antibiotic resistance is making it increasingly di.....»»
Focaccia: A Neolithic culinary tradition dating back 9,000 years ago
A study led by researchers from the UAB and the University La Sapienza in Rome indicates that during the Late Neolithic, between 7000 and 5000 BCE, the fully agricultural communities in the Fertile Crescent region of the Near East, developed a comple.....»»
Astronomers discover a rare group of dwarf galaxies
Astronomers from the Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea and elsewhere have discovered a rare isolated group of five star-forming dwarf galaxies in the local universe. The finding was reported in a research paper published November 19 in The Astr.....»»
Healthy elbow room: Social distancing in Neolithic mega-settlements
The term "social distancing" spread out across the public vocabulary in recent years as people around the world changed habits to combat the COVID pandemic. New research led by UT Professor Alex Bentley, however, reveals the practice of organized elb.....»»
Satellite data and algorithms reveal which ships emit excessive nitrogen
Ships are still emitting too much nitrogen oxide. Until now, it has been impossible to measure this at sea, but that is set to change. Solomiia Kurchaba combined satellite data and developed algorithms to identify which ships are emitting too much. K.....»»
Study: Yes, tapping on frescoes can reveal defects
Acousticians put a traditional "knock" test for delaminated areas to the test. The US Capitol building in Washington, DC, is adorned with multiple lavish murals created in the 19t.....»»
Astronomers take first close-up picture of a star outside our galaxy
Located a staggering 160,000 light-years from us, the star WOH G64 was imaged thanks to the impressive sharpness offered by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope Interferometer (ESO's VLTI). The new observations reveal a star puffi.....»»
Scientists discover a new giant virus that infects freshwater algae
Scientists from the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences found forty new freshwater viruses infecting aquatic microorganisms this year. The first one, which they isolated and described in detail, was named Budvirus after the South Bohemian.....»»
Predicting the next supernova explosion: New simulations reveal the physics of supernova shock breakout
Stars with masses between 10 and 30 times that of the sun, in their final evolutionary stages, form an iron core that ultimately collapses into a neutron star. This collapse releases a tremendous amount of gravitational potential energy through neutr.....»»
Graykey iPhone hacking tool can ‘partially’ access iPhone 16 – but betas protect
Leaked documents reveal that the Graykey iPhone hacking tool is able to “partially” access iPhone 16 models – but not if they are running any of the iOS 18 betas. Graykey is a competitor to Cellebrite, and is intended for use by law enforcem.....»»
Virtual reality could be gamechanger in police-civilian crisis encounters
Mental illness significantly increases the risk of arrest during police encounters, with 25% of those with mental health conditions reporting arrest histories. Studies reveal frequent use of excessive force and 25% of fatal police encounters involve.....»»
Engineered antibiotic D22 shows promise against drug-resistant bacteria
Antibacterial drugs are important for treating infections. But increasingly, bacterial resistance to current drugs—so they don't work well, or even at all—means new ones are urgently needed......»»