Perfecting propulsion: How we’ll get humans to Mars
Perfecting propulsion: How we’ll get humans to Mars.....»»
Study shows naming farm animals reduces preschoolers" desire to eat them
Giving a chicken, turkey or pig a name and pointing out its individual qualities may change children's attitudes towards animals. It makes children perceive animals as more similar to humans. They will prefer to befriend the animals rather than eat t.....»»
Meteorites from Mars help scientists understand the red planet"s interior
Of the more than 74,000 known meteorites—rocks that fall to Earth from asteroids or planets colliding together—only 385 or so stones came from the planet Mars......»»
Could resources on Mars support human explorers?
In the coming decades, multiple space agencies and private companies plan to establish outposts on the moon and Mars. These outposts will allow for long-duration stays, astrobiological research, and facilitate future solar system exploration. However.....»»
Big boost for new epigenetics paradigm: CoRSIVs, first discovered in humans, now found in cattle
A study published in Genome Biology opens new possibilities to improve production efficiency in the cattle industry and potentially animal agriculture more broadly. A team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Cornell University and the USDA.....»»
Much of Neanderthal genetic diversity came from modern humans
Neanderthals' low diversity means their population was even smaller than we thought. Enlarge (credit: Halamka) The basic outline of the interactions between modern humans and Neanderthals is now well established. The two.....»»
Social contagion research explores how ant colonies regulate group behaviors
In the world of social creatures, from humans to ants, the spread of behaviors through a group—known as social contagion—is a well-documented phenomenon. This process, driven by social imitation and pressure, causes individuals to adopt behaviors.....»»
History shows that humans are good for biodiversity… sometimes
Humans have been an important driver of vegetation change over thousands of years, and, in some places, had positive impacts on biodiversity, according to a new study......»»
"A history of contact": Geneticists are rewriting the narrative of Neanderthals and other ancient humans
Ever since the first Neanderthal bones were discovered in 1856, people have wondered about these ancient hominins. How are they different from us? How much are they like us? Did our ancestors get along with them? Fight them? Love them? The recent dis.....»»
Can you do better than top-level AI models on these basic vision tests?
Abstract analysis that is trivial for humans often stymies GPT-4o, Gemini, and Sonnet. Enlarge / Whatever you do, don't ask the AI how many horizontal lines are in this image. (credit: Getty Images) In the last couple of.....»»
Mars likely had cold and icy past, new study finds
The question of whether Mars ever supported life has captivated the imagination of scientists and the public for decades. Central to the discovery is gaining insight into the past climate of Earth's neighbor: Was the planet warm and wet, with seas an.....»»
Study finds pumpkin pathogen not evolving, which could make a difference for management
The pathogen that causes bacterial spot is very good at what it does. Forming small lesions on the rinds of pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, and other cucurbits, it mars the fruits' appearance and ushers in secondary pathogens that lead to rot and severe.....»»
We Cannot Cede Control of Weapons to Artificial Intelligence
I watched United Nations delegates debate AI-based weapons that can fire without human initiation. Humans cannot be taken out of that decision-making.....»»
Wolves" return has had only small impact on deer populations in Washington state, study shows
Humans drove wolves to extinction in Washington state around the 1930s. Thanks to conservation efforts, by about 80 years later, wolves had returned—crossing first from the Canadian border into Washington around 2008 and later entering the state fr.....»»
Rice gone wild: How humans have inadvertently selected for "weedy" rice
University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers have discovered that the anatomical adaptation helping weedy rice varieties to proliferate is not, as previously believed, confined only to these pest varieties. The research, published recently in the.....»»
Egg cell maintenance: Long-lived proteins may be essential for fertility
Female mammals—including humans—are born with all of their egg cells. Of a woman's one to two million egg cells, about 400 mature before menopause and can be fertilized. Some egg cells therefore survive for several decades—and need to remain fu.....»»
Ars Live: Join us TODAY for a lively discussion on time travel in the movies
Bill and Ted co-creator Ed Solomon joins physicists Sean Carroll and Jim Kakalios Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson/Getty Images) Since antiquity, humans have envisioned various means of time travel into the future or the p.....»»
CubeSat propulsion technologies are taking off
CubeSats are becoming ever more popular, with about 2,400 total launched so far. However, the small size limits their options for fundamental space exploration technologies, including propulsion. They become even more critical when mission planners d.....»»
Brain size riddle solved as humans exceed evolutionary trend
The largest animals do not have proportionally bigger brains—with humans bucking this trend—a study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution has revealed......»»
Crew of NASA"s earthbound simulated Mars habitat emerge after a year
The crew of a NASA mission to Mars emerged from their craft after a yearlong voyage that never left Earth......»»
Repurposed technology used to probe new regions of Mars" atmosphere
Using the repurposed equipment, a team including Imperial College London researchers have measured parts of the Martian atmosphere that were previously impossible to probe. This includes areas that can block radio signals if not properly accounted fo.....»»