Phylogenetic analysis suggests fully aquatic mammals are unlikely to evolve back into terrestrial creatures
A trio of biologists and environmental scientists, two with the University of Fribourg and the third with the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, has found that fully aquatic mammals, such as whales and porpoises, are very unlikely to evolve back into.....»»
Plant lineage study provides insights into the ecological and evolutionary effects of different reproductive strategies
Hang Sun's group from Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences has demonstrated the ecological and evolutionary effects of changes in plant reproductive strategies on phylogenetic evolution. The study is published in the journal Scien.....»»
Sloth survival under threat due to climate change, study finds
A new PeerJ study has revealed that sloths, the famously slow-moving creatures of Central and South America, may face existential threats due to climate change. The research, conducted by scientists studying the metabolic response of sloths to rising.....»»
Study suggests moon may have been captured from space rather than formed from collision particles
Over six missions to the moon, from 1969 to 1972, Apollo astronauts collected more than 800 pounds of lunar rock and soil. Chemical and isotopic analysis of that material showed that it was similar to the rock and soil on Earth: calcium-rich, basalti.....»»
Amazon staff very upset about return-to-office order, survey suggests
Amazon's corporate workers were recently told they'll soon have to return to the office five days a week. And most seem very unhappy about it......»»
Dark matter could have slight interaction with regular matter, study suggests
The reason we call dark matter dark isn't that it's some shadowy material. It's because dark matter doesn't interact with light. The difference is subtle, but important. Regular matter can be dark because it absorbs light. It's why, for example, we c.....»»
The first Intel Battlemage GPU benchmarks have leaked
A leaked Geekbench listing suggests that Intel is preparing to launch its next-gen Battlemage GPUs very soon......»»
US Mac shipments flat, ahead of expected M4 Mac launch
A new market intelligence report suggests that US Mac shipments were flat in the previous quarter, with Apple’s market share slightly declining. Mac was up just half a percent year-on-year, against an overall average of 3.7%, but it’s likely t.....»»
Who lives in the rainforest treetops? DNA-collecting drone provides insights
Squinting into the treetops won't reveal the tiny organisms up there. But these creatures leave clues, in the form of DNA, on the leaves and branches. Now, researchers report in Environmental Science & Technology that they have developed a way to col.....»»
NASA analysis shows irreversible sea level rise for Pacific islands
In the next 30 years, Pacific Island nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, and Fiji will experience at least 8 inches (15 centimeters) of sea level rise, according to an analysis by NASA's sea level change science team. This amount of rise will occur reg.....»»
Meta reveals Orion, its first fully holographic AR glasses and ‘neural interface’
At the end of the Meta Connect keynote, Meta shared an exclusive look at its first fully functioning prototype of "Orion" -- fully holographic AR glasses......»»
Meta announces Orion, its first fully functional AR glasses prototype
Meta has shown off Orion: its first fully functional AR glasses protype......»»
Study suggests US politicians support climate action when linked to certain other environmental issues
The US House of Representatives is more likely to vote on climate action when it is linked with certain other environmental issues, according to a study published September 25, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS Climate by Kayla Morton of the Unive.....»»
Nuking a huge asteroid could save Earth, lab experiment suggests
Humanity could use a nuclear bomb to deflect a massive, life-threatening asteroid hurtling towards Earth in the future, according to scientists who tested the theory in the laboratory by blasting X-rays at a marble-sized "mock asteroid"......»»
Murine study suggests cosmic radiation in outer space may affect long-term cognition
During missions into outer space, galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) will penetrate current spacecraft shielding and thus pose a significant risk to human health......»»
Cricket study suggests mating filter narrows when males are trying to save energy
A trio of biologists at the University of Minnesota has found that when male crickets need to save energy, they narrow their mating filter, to focus more exclusively on females......»»
Humbug damselfish use "motion dazzle" to evade predators
When thinking of animal camouflage, we typically imagine creatures remaining still, blending seamlessly into their surroundings. But remaining motionless isn't always practical, and many animals are highly mobile, constantly moving through their envi.....»»
Afar mantle plume study offers new insight into deep Earth processes
Sophisticated analysis of tiny bubbles of ancient gas trapped in volcanic rocks, combined with new geophysical modeling, has cast new light on long-held assumptions about the deep Earth......»»
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom review: a good start, but not yet royal
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's item-cloning puzzle hook is delightfully clever, but it's not quite fully realized yet......»»
Naked mole-rat found to have lost infection-resistant proteins
Scientists have found that the naked mole-rat—an underground rodent that lives up to 40 years—has lost a number of CD1 functional genes. The CD1 gene family in mammals is responsible for protein synthesis that protects the body against infectious.....»»
Ancient DNA helps uncover the Iberian lynx"s potential secret weapon against extinction
Many large mammals have lost genetic diversity, often thanks to the actions of people shrinking their populations. The implications can be severe because without genetic diversity, a population does not have a "genetic database" to fall back on to ad.....»»