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.....»»
Microsoft fixes exploited zero-day (CVE-2024-49138)
On December 2024 Patch Tuesday, Microsoft resolved 71 vulnerabilities in a variety of its products, including a zero-day (CVE-2024-49138) that’s been exploited by attackers in the wild to execute code with higher privileges. CVE-2024-49138 expl.....»»
AI company trolls San Francisco with billboards saying “stop hiring humans”
Company boasts "AI workers" that never complain about work-life balance. Since the dawn of the generative AI era a few years ago, the march of technology—toward what tech compan.....»»
The Talos Principle: Reawakened adds new engine, looks, and content to a classic
The game that was asking lots of questions about AI ethics 10 years ago is back. Are humans just squishy machines? Can an artificially intelligent robot create a true moral compas.....»»
World"s oldest known wild bird is expecting again, aged 74
Parenting can be tough, even for the young and energetic, but one elderly albatross is about to go through it all again—at the ripe old (and apparently record-setting) age of 74......»»
A nature conservation paradox: Invasive species are often threatened in their native habitat
Non-native species introduced by humans are among the main causes of global species decline—they were partly responsible for 60% of the species that have become extinct worldwide in recent decades. Non-native mammals in Central Europe include speci.....»»
Feral female buffalo build friendships based on similar personality traits, study reveals
Similar social personalities strongly influence friendships in humans, yet we know relatively little about how animals choose their friends. But a new study by researchers at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) investigating a unique free-ranging.....»»
Experiments show coating rice seedling with nanoscale carbon dots from durian helps rice plants thrive in salty soil
Extreme weather and pollution have increased the salt content in some soil, making growing conditions harsh for salt-sensitive crops like rice. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Nano detail a possible solution that doesn't require genetic modificatio.....»»
Scientists identify mutation that could facilitate H5N1 bird flu virus infection and potential transmission in humans
Avian influenza viruses typically require several mutations to adapt and spread among humans, but what happens when just one change can increase the risk of becoming a pandemic virus?.....»»
Study shows chimpanzees perform the same complex behaviors that have brought humans success
A new study suggests that the fundamental abilities underlying human language and technological culture may have evolved before humans and apes diverged millions of years ago. The findings were published 5 December 2024 in the journal PeerJ......»»
Neanderthals and modern humans must be classed as separate species to best track our origins, study claims
A new study published by researchers at London's Natural History Museum and Institute of Philosophy, KU Leuven has reinforced the claim that Neanderthals and modern-day humans (Homo sapiens) must be classed as separate species in order to best track.....»»
Limestone quarries could be vital for wild bee conservation
A research team has investigated the importance of limestone quarries for wild bee conservation. Diverse landscapes with good connectivity between quarries and calcareous grasslands proved to be particularly valuable. Calcareous grasslands—meaning.....»»
Biologist explores why humans have sex—and sexes—in a world where life requires neither
University of Maryland biology Professor Eric Haag has spent his career studying animal reproduction, but people's sex lives never factored into his research. That changed in 2014 when a cancer diagnosis prompted Haag to take stock of his career......»»
Trump nominates Jared Isaacman to become the next NASA administrator
"We will never again lose our ability to journey to the stars and never settle for second place." President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday he has selected Jared Isaacman,.....»»
Isotope analysis reveals mammoth as key food source for ancient Americans
Scientists have uncovered the first direct evidence that ancient Americans relied primarily on mammoth and other large animals for food. Their research sheds new light on both the rapid expansion of humans throughout the Americas and the extinction o.....»»
Archaeological remains in Alaska show humans and dogs bonded 12,000 years ago
"Dog is man's best friend" may be an ancient cliché, but when that friendship began is a longstanding question among scientists. A study led by a University of Arizona researcher is one step closer to an answer to how Indigenous people in the Americ.....»»
Assessing the sustainability of the Pacific walrus population over the next 75 years
The Pacific walrus, a critically important resource for Alaska and Chukotka Native communities, is subject to rapid habitat loss associated with climate change and increasing human activity in the Arctic. New research published in The Journal of Wild.....»»
Neanderthals were making hand stencil rock art more than 66,000 years ago, U-series dating suggests
A discovery deep within a cave in Spain has challenged the history of human artistic expression. Researchers have determined that hand stencils in Maltravieso Cave are more than 66,000 years old, suggesting that Neanderthals, not modern humans, were.....»»
Caving expedition yields valuable insight into cognitive performance under stress
Lab-based research is a bedrock of how modern science is practiced, but it cannot account for most experiences humans encounter outside the lab. Likewise, most of these experiences cannot be replicated in a lab setting......»»
Climate warming is reducing rice quality in East Asia, research reveals
Rice is a food staple for billions of people worldwide, with demand doubling over the past 50 years, and is predominantly grown in Asia before being exported globally. This crop is sensitive to weather conditions and, as such, understanding how yield.....»»
Deep-sea marvels: How anglerfish defy evolutionary expectations
A Rice University study sheds light on the extraordinary evolution of anglerfish, a group of deep-sea dwellers whose bizarre adaptations have captivated scientists and the public alike. The research, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, uncovers.....»»