The Raging Evolutionary War Between Humans and Covid-19
Fighting the pandemic isn’t only about vaccines and drugs. It’s about understanding how viruses mutate and change inside us, and among us......»»
Online schooling is not just for lockdowns. Could it work for your child?
During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone away......»»
This AI-controlled jet fighter has now flown against human pilots
After flying against simulated opponents, the AI agent has taken on humans. Enlarge / The X-62A VISTA Aircraft flying above Edwards Air Force Base, California. (credit: Kyle Brasier, U.S. Air Force) An AI test pilot has.....»»
Marine microbial populations: Potential sensors of the global change in the ocean
Animal and plant populations have been extensively studied, which has helped to elucidate ecosystem processes and evolutionary adaptations. However, this has not been the case with microbial populations, due to the impossibility of isolating, culturi.....»»
How insects control their wings: The mysterious mechanics of insect flight
Many of us would love the superpower to fly, and for good reason: Flight offers a crucial evolutionary advantage. Flying enables an animal to travel large distances quickly, in search of food and new habitats, while expending far less energy than wal.....»»
Mobile genetic elements can inadvertently suppress bacterial immune systems, research reveals
Bacterial restriction-modification systems are responsible for protecting cells from foreign genetic material, for example, bacteriophages and plasmids. Immune systems require strict regulation, as bacteria, like humans, can have autoimmune reactions.....»»
The Atlas Robot Is Dead. Long Live the Atlas Robot
Before the dear old model could even power down, Boston Dynamics unleashed a stronger new Atlas robot that can move in ways us puny humans never can......»»
Researchers identify genetic variant that helped shape human skull base evolution
Humans, Homo sapiens, have unique features compared with other closely related hominin species and primates, including the shape of the base of the skull. The evolutionary changes underlying these features were significant in allowing the evolution o.....»»
Arboviruses, mosquitoes and potential hosts tracked in real time in São Paulo city
The technology used to sequence SARS-CoV-2 at record speed early in the COVID-19 pandemic has been successfully tested as a technique to monitor arboviruses and diseases transmitted mainly by mosquitoes......»»
Electronic tongue can detect white wine spoilage before humans can
While the electronic tongue bears little physical resemblance to its namesake, the strand-like sensory probes of the "e-tongue" still outperformed human senses when detecting contaminated wine in a recent study......»»
Study investigates coronavirus dynamics in bats: Lower biodiversity means more pathogens
The loss of biodiversity poses a challenge for nature and humans alike. A study led by Ulm University shows that a decline in biodiversity promotes the spread of potentially zoonotic pathogens......»»
Next up is launch, as Boeing"s Starliner takes trek to Cape Canaveral
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, set to take its first humans on board during the Crew Flight Test mission next month, was transported from Boeing's Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a 10-mile trip to Cape.....»»
Earth Day: How a senator"s idea more than 50 years ago got people fighting for their planet
Millions of people around the world will pause on Monday, at least for a moment, to mark Earth Day. It's an annual event founded by people who hoped to stir activism to clean up and preserve a planet that is now home to some 8 billion humans and asso.....»»
They Experimented on Themselves in Secret. What They Discovered Helped Win a War
The untold, top-secret story of the British researchers who found the key to keeping humans alive underwater—and helped make D-Day a success......»»
Twisted pollen tubes induce infertility in plants with multiple sets of chromosomes
Most mammals and humans have a double set of chromosomes—and as a rule, plants do, too: One set comes from the father, the other from the mother. Such organisms are called diploids. However, sometimes the number of chromosome sets doubles from one.....»»
How do Australia"s desert animals avoid inbreeding during dry spells?
Some Australian desert mammals use distinct strategies to promote evolutionary fitness in response to changing environmental conditions over short timescales, according to a new study......»»
How to keep Earth from being cooked by the ever-hotter Sun
Here are two options for future humans to keep us in the habitable zone. I’d wager a guess that we are, as a species, rather fond of our home planet (our wanton carbon emissions notwithstanding). But the ugly truth is that the Eart.....»»
Millions of gamers advance biomedical research by helping to reconstruct microbial evolutionary histories
Leveraging gamers and video game technology can dramatically boost scientific research, according to a new study published today in Nature Biotechnology......»»
Lessons from South Australia"s business recovery amidst bushfires and pandemic
New research has given insight into the resilience and recovery of businesses in two South Australian regions following a major bushfire event and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic......»»
This is the new spaceship that will take humans back to the moon
The completed Orion spacecraft, built by NASA and ESA, is seen fully stacked in a newly released photo. This craft will fly around the moon on the Artemis II mission. Next year, NASA will blast astronauts back to the moon. This is their 21st-ce.....»»
Bird Flu Is Spreading in Alarming New Ways
H5N1 has infected cattle across the US and jumped from a mammal to a human for the first time. Experts fear it may someday evolve to spread among humans......»»