Polarization, diversity, and democratic robustness
Polarization is dangerous for democracy. Though the U.S. Constitution was designed to harness rivalry with a diverse, redundant, and modular set of institutions, if that rivalry curdles into the belief that your competitors are your enemies, those in.....»»
"Alien" wasps thriving in tropical forests, study finds
Researchers say they have discovered a high diversity of Darwin wasps in a tropical rainforest in Brazil, wasps which were previously thought to thrive more in cooler habitats......»»
Genetic analysis shows head lice evolution mirrors human migration and colonization in the Americas
A new analysis of lice genetic diversity suggests that lice came to the Americas twice—once during the first wave of human migration across the Bering Strait, and again during European colonization. Marina Ascunce, currently at the USDA-ARS, and co.....»»
New study using 3D scans of 85% of all known bird species sheds light on extraordinary avian diversity
A new study, using the digitized scans of beaks from over 8,700 bird species, is shedding light on how evolution changes at different scales. While the general principles of evolution by natural selection have been known for over 160 years, the 3D sc.....»»
Q&A: Birds of East Africa—their extraordinary diversity and changing behavior
101 Curious Tales of East African Birds is a new book that uses academic research to tell fascinating stories about the tropical birds of east Africa, from well-known species to rare ones. It also explores changing bird behavior in the region. Its au.....»»
Establishing the science of stone walls
New England's landscape is known for many things, such as the brilliant diversity of colorful foliage on display each autumn. It is at this time of the year when another iconic landscape feature re-emerges as the leaves fall—thousands of miles of s.....»»
Large herbivores such as elephants, bison and moose shown to contribute to tree diversity
Using global satellite data, a research team has mapped the tree cover of the world's protected areas. The study shows that regions with abundant large herbivores in many settings have a more variable tree cover, which is expected to benefit biodiver.....»»
Workplace tensions: How and when bystanders can make a difference
In today's climate of global political tensions and polarization, workplaces are filled with conflicting viewpoints. When employees hold political identities and perspectives that do not align with their co-workers, they perceive greater incivility f.....»»
Analysis finds diversity on the smallest scales in sulfur-cycling salt marsh microbes
At the surface, salt marshes and their windswept grasses can look deceptively simple. But those marshes are teeming with biodiversity, from the insects and migrating birds in the air all the way down to the microbes that live in the soil. Scientists.....»»
Interacting polarons: Physicists simulate interacting quasiparticles in ultracold quantum gas
An electron moving through a solid generates a polarization in its environment due to its electric charge. In his theoretical considerations, the Russian physicist Lev Landau extended the description of such particles by their interaction with the en.....»»
A new hybrid subspecies of puffin is likely the result of climate change
Serious loss of genetic diversity still poses risks for their future. Enlarge / Atlantic puffin, Spitsbergen, Svalbard Islands, Norway. (credit: Sergio Pitamitz/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) The brisk i.....»»
Oldest family of jewel wasps discovered in Cretaceous amber from Lebanon
Jewel wasps (Chalcidoidea) are one of the most diverse groups of insects, with more than 120,000 species described and an estimated true diversity of nearly 1 million. The chalcids are parasitoid wasps, which attack other insects to lay their eggs up.....»»
Political rhetoric changes views on democratic principles, study finds
Most people will agree that over the past several years, American political leaders have been saying—and sharing on social media—unusual things that politicians would never have said a decade or two ago. At times, their words can seem out of char.....»»
Research highlights gender diversity problems in Australian prisons
Trans and gender diverse people housed in male or female prison facilities face dangerous and stressful daily hazards that Australia's prison systems are trying to address to raise standards......»»
Research finds global precipitation patterns a driver for animal diversity
Since the HMS Beagle arrived in the Galapagos with Charles Darwin to meet a fateful family of finches, ecologists have struggled to understand a particularly perplexing question: Why is there a ridiculous abundance of species some places on Earth and.....»»
Researcher scans tropical forest with mixed-reality device
Rice University scientists used a commercially available mixed-reality headset with custom-designed software to measure and analyze forest floor vegetation, demonstrating a correlation between animal diversity and the mapped habitat of a Tanzanian na.....»»
What do a Black scientist, nonprofit executive and filmmaker have in common? They all face racism in workplace culture
American workplaces talk a lot about diversity these days. In fact, you'd have a hard time finding a company that says it doesn't value the principle. But despite this—and despite the multibillion-dollar diversity industry—Black workers continue.....»»
AI models identify biodiversity from animal sounds in tropical rainforests
Tropical forests are among the most important habitats on our planet. They are characterized by extremely high species diversity and play an eminent role in the global carbon cycle and the world climate. However, many tropical forest areas have been.....»»
Genomic analysis in snakes shows link between neutral, functional genetic diversity
In the world of threatened and endangered species conservation, the genomic revolution has raised some complicated questions: How can scientists justify assessing species genetic diversity without consulting entire genomes now that they can be sequen.....»»
Scientists present the first set of global maps showing geographic patterns of beta-diversity in flowering plants
Beta-diversity serves as a crucial metric for gauging shifts in species composition over spatial or temporal scales, bridging the spectrum between localized (alpha) and broader regional (gamma) diversity. In the fields of ecology, biogeography and co.....»»
Rational design of mRNA nanovaccine for cancer immunotherapy
Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines are revolutionizing the therapy of cancer. They can be flexibly developed in a short period of time, allowing transient expression of multiple antigens for safe and efficient immunization. A diversity of mRNA vaccines is.....»»