Omicron-specific vaccine boosters are now in humans as trials begin
The boosters may be ready in March, but what comes next is anyone's guess. Enlarge / A vial of the current Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (credit: Getty | Ivan Romano) The first doses of omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccines went into.....»»
Humans have near-equal numbers of male and female babies, unlike many other animals—a new genetic study looks for clues
We know that boys and girls are produced in much the same frequency. But how—and why—is this 1:1 ratio achieved?.....»»
Researchers develop database for catalytic bioparts with experimental evidence
Catalytic bioparts are fundamental to the design, construction and optimization of biological systems for specific metabolic pathways. A research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has recently developed a Registry and Database of Biopar.....»»
Coastal cities have a hidden vulnerability to storm-surge and tidal flooding that"s entirely caused by humans
Centuries ago, estuaries around the world were teeming with birds and turbulent with schools of fish, their marshlands and endless tracts of channels melting into the gray-blue horizon......»»
mRNA vaccines for disease outbreaks can be synthesized in less time with new technique
In an era where viral outbreaks can escalate into global pandemics with alarming speed, the ability to quickly develop new vaccines has become crucial. However, the speed of vaccine production is limited because the mRNA used in it is partly chemical.....»»
DNA confirms these 19th century lions ate humans
“Tsavo Man-Eaters” killed dozens of people in late 1890s, including Kenya-Uganda Railway workers. For several months in 1898, a pair of male lions turned the Tsavo region of K.....»»
Human Origins Look Ever More Tangled with Gene and Fossil Discoveries
Fossil and gene discoveries paint an ever-more-intertwined history of humans combining with vanished species like Neandertals.....»»
Reports: Tesla’s prototype Optimus robots were controlled by humans
But the prototypes used "artificial intelligence" to control their walking. After Elon Musk provided his "long-term" vision for autonomous, humanoid robots at last week's "We, Rob.....»»
Is the physics of red blood cells in bats a key to "artificial hibernation" for humans?
The mechanical properties of red blood cells (erythrocytes) at various temperatures could play an important role in mammals' ability to hibernate. This is the outcome of a study that compared the thermomechanical properties of erythrocytes in two spe.....»»
How "vaccinating" plants could reduce pesticide use and secure global food supplies
In a growing and changing world, we need to find ways of putting food on everyone's table. Pesticides have enabled mass cultivation on an incredible scale, but they can have harmful secondary effects on humans and wildlife, and pests are rapidly evol.....»»
Ancient hominins had humanlike hands, indicating earlier tool use, study reveals
An analysis by Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany, on the manual capabilities of early hominins reveals that some Australopithecus species exhibited hand use similar to modern humans......»»
Invisible text that AI chatbots understand and humans can’t? Yep, it’s a thing.
A quirk in the Unicode standard harbors an ideal steganographic code channel. What if there was a way to sneak malicious instructions into Claude, Copilot, or other top-name AI ch.....»»
Ancient humans were so good at surviving the last ice age, they didn"t have to migrate like other species
Humans seem to have been adapted to the last ice age in similar ways to wolves and bears, according to our recent study, challenging longstanding theories about how and where our ancestors lived during this glacial period......»»
What colors do bees see? And how do we know?
I was reading a children's book about insects to my daughter, and it said that bees see colors differently than humans do. My daughter immediately asked, in short succession: "What colors do they see? Why? How do we know?" I did some homework to find.....»»
Mexico has prototypes for its own compact EV, President Claudia Sheinbaum says
The president didn’t name specific companies that could produce EVs, but said that Mexican manufacturers of motors will work together with researchers on potentially multiple models......»»
Climate change: Care for humans, other species and the natural environment is the key to a just transition
Communities across the world are facing two worsening crises: a climate crisis and a care crisis......»»
TikTok lays off hundreds in favor of AI moderators while Instagram blames humans for its own issues
TikTok developer ByteDance laid off hundreds of human moderators in favor of AI, while Threads blamed its human moderators on a recent string of account lockouts......»»
Why a diabetes drug fell short of anticancer hopes
Studies suggested it could treat cancer, but the clinical trials were a bust. Pamela Goodwin has received hundreds of emails from patients asking if they should take a cheap, read.....»»
TikTok lays off hundreds for AI moderators while Instagram blames humans for its own issues
TikTok developer ByteDance laid off hundreds of human moderators in favor of AI, while Threads blamed its human moderators on a recent string of account lockouts......»»
Hidden in the teeth: DNA study finds these 19th century lions preyed on humans and giraffes
In 1898, two male lions terrorized an encampment of bridge builders on the Tsavo River in Kenya. The lions, which were massive and maneless, crept into the camp at night, raided the tents and dragged off their victims. The infamous Tsavo "man-eaters".....»»
Gazing at your dog can connect your brains, research suggests
It might sound far-fetched, but recent research suggests that dogs' and humans' brains synchronize when they look at each other......»»