This Cow and Pig Influenza Virus Could Infect Humans: What We Know So Far
Influenza D is only known to sicken cattle and pigs, but it “has everything it needs” to jump into people.....»»
Can the "hard steps" in the evolutionary history of human intelligence be recast with geological thresholds?
What took so long for humans to appear on Earth? The Earth is 4.6 billion years old, and life began about 4 billion years ago, yet humans—the only intelligent, technological species we know of in the universe—have existed only for the last 200,0.....»»
Cryo-ET study provides viral close-up of HTLV-1, the "overlooked cousin of HIV"
In collaboration with the University of Minnesota and Cornell University, Martin Obr and Florian Schur from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) provide new details into the architecture of HTLV-1 (Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1.....»»
New study shows that word-initial consonants are systematically lengthened across diverse languages
Speech consists of a continuous stream of acoustic signals, yet humans can segment words from each other with astonishing precision and speed. To find out how this is possible, a team of linguists has analyzed durations of consonants at different pos.....»»
Businesses trying to come clean about their impact on nature can end up concealing more than they reveal
Humans have overfished the ocean, cleared forests, polluted water and created a climate crisis by burning fossil fuels. These actions are affecting biodiversity around the world, from remote islands to our own backyards......»»
Can our stockpiles of Tamiflu protect against a bird flu pandemic?
Governments are banking on this old drug in the event of an H5N1 outbreak. Enlarge / A box and a tablet of Roche Pharmaceuticals' Tamiflu pills for influenza. (credit: Nikos Pekiaridis/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Since re.....»»
How a bacterial pathogen that causes dysentery manipulates molecular activity to assure its survival
Virginia Tech researchers have learned how bacteria manipulate molecules to infect the host organism. Daniel Capelluto and his research team have discovered the mechanism by which the bacterial pathogen Shigella flexneri, the causative agent of dysen.....»»
Scientists in South Africa say they have identified the first known outbreak of rabies in seals
Scientists in South Africa say they have identified an outbreak of rabies in seals that is believed to be the first time the virus has spread in sea mammals......»»
This Elegant Math Problem Could Help You Make the Best Choice in House-Hunting and Even Love
Math’s “best-choice problem” could help humans become better decision-makers, at everything from choosing the best job candidate to finding a romantic partner.....»»
We Finally Know Where Humans and Neanderthals Interbred
We Finally Know Where Humans and Neanderthals Interbred.....»»
Genetic tracing at the Huanan Seafood market further supports COVID animal origins
A new international collaborative study provides a list of the wildlife species present at the market from which SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, most likely arose in late 2019. The study is based on a new analysis of meta.....»»
First-of-its kind tool allows scientists to manipulate cells without touching them
When studying the spread of cancer or the behavior of a virus like the one that causes COVID-19, the irony is that working with these harmful pathogens requires gentleness. Especially in the case of COVID, the particles do not survive well when makin.....»»
How humans are affecting the Northern Hemisphere"s wind patterns
The summer of 2024 was the hottest on record and, unfortunately, this came as no surprise. Summers have been getting hotter and drier around the world, including in the Northern Hemisphere, leading to intense droughts and heat waves in North America.....»»
The relationship between emotions and economic decision-making differs across countries, multi-national analysis finds
When making economic decisions, humans can be driven by various factors, including their goals and emotions. Past studies have hypothesized that emotions play a crucial role in economic decisions, particularly those that involve risk or trade-offs be.....»»
Norway reports first cases of bluetongue disease in livestock since 2009
Norway reported Thursday dozens of confirmed and suspected cases of bluetongue, an insect-borne virus that is harmless to humans but can be fatal to sheep and other livestock, for the first time in the country since 2009......»»
Moving as one: Discovering how synchronous movements strengthen social bonds
Sharing stories over a cup of coffee; dancing in a group; cheering a football game in a crowd: these everyday rituals are among many different types of shared experiences that help humans develop social cohesion......»»
Unraveling an ancient European extinction mystery: Disappearance of dwarf megafauna on paleolithic Cyprus
Scientists have unraveled a mystery about the disappearance of dwarf hippos and elephants that once roamed the picturesque landscape on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus before paleolithic humans arrived......»»
Researchers find evidence that bumblebees make the same memory errors as humans
Psychologists at the University of Stirling have carried out research that shows wild bumblebees make the same memory errors as humans......»»
How bacteria actively use passive physics to make biofilms
When we think about bacteria, we may imagine single cells swimming in solution. However, similarly to humans, bacterial cells often socialize, using surfaces to coalesce into complex heterogeneous communities called biofilms. Within a group, bacteria.....»»
AI chatbots might be better at swaying conspiracy theorists than humans
Co-author Gordon Pennycook: "The work overturns a lot of how we thought about conspiracies." Enlarge / A woman wearing a sweatshirt for the QAnon conspiracy theory on October 11, 2020 in Ronkonkoma, New York. (credit: Stephanie.....»»
Say "neigh" to west Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis
As summer turns to fall, most of the U.S. officially enters peak mosquito season. And with peak mosquito season comes a rise in mosquito-borne illnesses, including West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)......»»