The surprising origins of the Tarim Basin mummies
As part of the Silk Road and located at the geographical intersection of Eastern and Western cultures, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has long served as a major crossroads for trans-Eurasian exchanges of people, cultures, agriculture, and lang.....»»
Researchers uncover "parallel universe" in tomato genetics
In a paper appearing in Science Advances, Michigan State University researchers have unraveled a surprising genetic mystery centered on sugars found in what gardeners know as "tomato tar.".....»»
Microsoft’s Phi-3 shows the surprising power of small, locally run AI language models
Microsoft’s 3.8B parameter Phi-3 may rival GPT-3.5, signaling a new era of “small language models." Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) On Tuesday, Microsoft announced a new, freely available lightweight AI language model.....»»
Secrets of the Octopus takes us inside the world of these “aliens on Earth”
Dr. Alex Schell on the surprising things we're learning about these amazing creatures Enlarge / A Day octopus (Octopus cyanea) named Scarlet parachutes her web over a coral head while Dr. Alex Schnell observes. (credit: National.....»»
Green mystery: Plumbian orthoclase reveals hidden resources
Plumbian orthoclase is a bit of a mystery, but this unique Aussie mineral is part of a mining industry revolution. The mineral's glowy green hue feels otherworldly. Although this Aussie kryptonite's origin is terrestrial, it's no less surprising......»»
Research reveals a surprising topological reversal in quantum systems
In principle, one shouldn't compare apples to oranges. However, in topology, which is a branch of mathematics, one must do just that. Apples and oranges, it turns out, are said to be topologically the same since they both lack a hole—in contrast to.....»»
Instinct for "fight or flight" may be much older than we thought
Evidence in lampreys for the presence of a rudimentary sympathetic nervous system, previously thought to be unique to jawed vertebrates, has been presented in Nature. The finding may prompt a rethink of the origins of the sympathetic nervous system,.....»»
Every rumored video game console: Nintendo Switch 2, PS5 Pro and more
From the Nintendo Switch 2 to the PlayStation 5 Pro, you can expect a surprising amount of video game consoles to launch in the next year......»»
Australian court is the latest to attack Apple on behalf of rich corporations
Apple Fellow Phil Schiller has been testifying in an Australian Federal Court about the origins of the App Store in 2008, and it's just the latest example of pointless attacks on the company.Phil Schiller (left) and Steve Jobs with the first online A.....»»
Unraveling the song of ice and fire across the American landscape with machine learning
In the rugged terrain of the western United States, where wildfires rage unchecked, a surprising connection emerges with the tumultuous skies of the central US. A recent study published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences explores the intriguing rela.....»»
Study on climate-damaging palm oil production in Indonesia shows push for industrialization
Understanding governments' motives is crucial to strengthening climate action. Indonesia, the world's fourth largest country by population, has the biggest rainforests after Brazil and the Congo Basin. But it has cleared huge areas in the past 20 yea.....»»
Four decades of glacial data reveals substantial losses and water worries
An analysis of glacial data spanning four decades has provided valuable insights into the changes taking place in the glaciers of the Pir Panjal range within the Kashmir basin in India. The research, published in the International Journal of Hydrolog.....»»
Surprising role of female sex pheromone in crop pest points to new biocontrol possibilities
INRAE researchers have discovered that female pheromones play a remarkable role in the African cotton moth. In general, these pheromones trigger mate attraction, promoting encounters between males and females during reproductive periods. Astonishingl.....»»
Tesla reaches settlement in autopilot death case of Apple engineer
Tesla was prepared to contest claims of wrongful death related to its Autopilot system in court but has chosen to settle the case instead.Tesla agrees to pay settlement in tragic autopilot crashIn a surprising turn, Tesla has opted for a settlement w.....»»
Why there may be oceans inside dwarf planets beyond Pluto—and what this means for the likely abundance of life
Earth was long thought to be the only planet in our solar system with an ocean, but it is beginning to look as though there are underground oceans inside even the most surprising icy bodies......»»
New research reveals that chickens were widely raised across southern Central Asia from 400 BCE
Chickens are one of the most economically important animals in the world today. However, the story of their origins and dispersal across the ancient world is still poorly understood. In fact, new archaeological techniques have recently led to the rec.....»»
Researchers discover 125,000-year-old coastal ecosystem underneath spaceport in Kourou
In what is an intriguing mix of past and future, an international team of researchers, including some from the University of Bonn, has stumbled upon a surprising window to the past in Kourou in French Guiana. In the clay underneath the new launch pad.....»»
Japan attempts to revive moon lander after second lunar night
Japan's space agency said on Tuesday it will try to revive its moon lander after a second frigid, two-week lunar night, following a surprising awakening last month......»»
How did nervous systems, with their incredible complexity, evolve across different species?
New research supported by the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute's Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Scholars program zeroes in on the surprising observation that many genes found in brain cells and synapses—the points of communication between neurons—.....»»
Astronauts have surprising ability to know how far they "fly" in space
New research led by York University finds astronauts have a surprising ability to orient themselves and gauge distance traveled while free from the pull of gravity......»»
Large Language Models’ Emergent Abilities Are a Mirage
A new study suggests that sudden jumps in LLMs’ abilities are neither surprising nor unpredictable, but are actually the consequence of how we measure ability in AI......»»