Understanding the octopus and its relationships with humans
A new book tracks the human fascination with octopuses across centuries. A giant Pacific octopus shows its colors at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. (credit: Monterey Bay Aquarium) While other octopus books study the animal's.....»»
New method improves understanding of light-wave propagation in anisotropic materials
Understanding how light travels through various materials is essential for many fields, from medical imaging to manufacturing. However, due to their structure, materials often show directional differences in how they scatter light, known as anisotrop.....»»
Atmospheric lidar instrument on climate satellite enhances understanding of aerosols and clouds
The atmospheric lidar ATLID, the last of four instruments on board the EarthCARE satellite launched in May, has now been successfully put into operation. The joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) is des.....»»
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......»»
Symmetry model sheds light on the chemistry surrounding peptide helices
Helices are structures found naturally in many important molecules, such as proteins. These helices possess a twist that depends on the arrangement of their basic components. By understanding how a helix is formed, we can gain deeper insights into ho.....»»
Technique to study how proteins bind to DNA is easily misused: Researchers offer a solution
Researchers at University of California San Diego have published new guidelines that could help scientists significantly improve their results when quantifying the interactions between DNA and proteins. Understanding these interactions is critical to.....»»
Device malfunctions from continuous current lead to discovery that can improve design of microelectronic devices
A new study led by researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities is providing new insights into how next-generation electronics, including memory components in computers, break down or degrade over time. Understanding the reasons for degrada.....»»
Early dark energy could resolve cosmology"s two biggest puzzles
A new study by MIT physicists proposes that a mysterious force known as early dark energy could solve two of the biggest puzzles in cosmology and fill in some major gaps in our understanding of how the early universe evolved......»»
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.....»»
Team develops new tool to map fossil fuel emissions from space
University of Minnesota researchers have developed a new tool to measure ethane from space, leading to a better understanding of fossil fuel emissions worldwide. Ethane is commonly found in natural gas and is primarily used in plastics manufacturing......»»
Human "molecular map" contributes to the understanding of disease mechanisms
Scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar (WCM-Q) have created an intricate molecular map of the human body and its complex physiological processes based on the analysis of thousands of molecules in blood, urine and saliva samples from 391 volunt.....»»
Clovis people used Great Lakes camp annually about 13,000 years ago, researchers confirm
The earliest humans to settle the Great Lakes region likely returned to a campsite in southwest Michigan for several years in a row, according to a University of Michigan study......»»
New classical algorithm enhances understanding of quantum computing"s future
In an exciting development for quantum computing, researchers from the University of Chicago's Department of Computer Science, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, and Argonne National Laboratory have introduced a classical algorithm that simula.....»»
Carbohydrate polymers could be a sweet solution for water purification
Water polluted with heavy metals can pose a threat when consumed by humans and aquatic life. Sugar-derived polymers from plants remove these metals but often require other substances to adjust their stability or solubility in water......»»
Private astronauts on daring trek ahead of historic spacewalk
A private crew set out on an audacious orbital expedition Tuesday, journeying deeper into the cosmos than any humans in half a century as they prepare for the first ever spacewalk by non-professional astronauts......»»
Multiple ways to evolve tiny knee bone could have helped humans walk upright
The evolution of bones in primates' knees could have implications for how humans evolved to walk upright, a new study has found......»»
Thanks to humans, Salish Sea waters are too noisy for resident orcas to hunt successfully
The Salish Sea—the inland coastal waters of Washington and British Columbia—is home to two unique populations of fish-eating orcas, the northern resident and the southern resident orcas. Human activity over much of the 20th century, including red.....»»
Pollution of the potent warming gas methane soars and people are mostly to blame
The amount and proportion of the powerful heat-trapping gas methane that humans spew into the atmosphere is rising, helping to turbocharge climate change, a new study finds......»»
Opinion: Researchers don"t take enough account of variation in biology—doing so could unlock new understanding
The natural world is filled with variety. Ecological systems can look very different in different parts of the Earth. Every species has genetic variation, which means individuals can look and behave very differently. Diseases can affect people differ.....»»
How viruses move through insects for transmission of diseases
Viruses are master parasites that have adapted to infect many host species. Some viruses even use multiple hosts to spread their infections—such as arboviruses that use insects to move their infections to mammalian hosts like humans. Understanding.....»»