Unraveling the mathematics behind wiggly worm knots
For millennia, humans have used knots for all kinds of reasons—to tie rope, braid hair, or weave fabrics. But there are organisms that are better at tying knots and far superior—and faster—at untangling them......»»
The mathematics of cell boundary "ruggedness"
Researchers have uncovered both the mathematical and biological mechanism behind the rugged structures at cell boundaries found in tissues such as the kidneys and nasal glands. The team hopes that their new insights can help develop new ways of treat.....»»
Give roundworms some weed and they’ll get the munchies, study finds
Work could further our understanding of endocannabinoid system, help drug development. Enlarge / Image of worm that is genetically engineered so that certain neurons and muscles are fluorescent. Green dots are neurons that respo.....»»
Cutting cable bacteria with a laser puts an end to a bacterial party
The party-poopers cutting the cable bacteria are researchers from the Center for Electromicrobiology (CEM) at Aarhus University. The center's work focuses on unraveling the mysteries of how cable bacteria work......»»
How a worm"s embryonic cells change its development potential
Researchers have spotted how specific proteins within the chromosomes of roundworms enable their offspring to produce specialized cells generations later, a startling finding that upends classical thinking that hereditary information for cell differe.....»»
Using dark matter distribution to test the cosmological model
An international team of astrophysicists and cosmologists at various institutes including the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU) have submitted a set of five papers, measuring a value for the "clumpiness" of.....»»
Canadian statistics professor games Tim Hortons contest for 80-98% win rates
An app-based version of a giveaway contest was a rich target for mathematics. Enlarge / Tim Hortons is a coffee and donut chain popular with Canadians, Canadian-adjacent regions of the US, and statistics professors. (credit: Robe.....»»
Mathematician uncovers methods to shrink sampling errors in large-dimensional data sets
A professor in Florida State University's Department of Mathematics has made a breakthrough that will allow scientists across academic disciplines and financial institutions to shrink sampling errors concerning high-dimensional financial data......»»
Worm genetics reveal important pathways for sleep regulation
Although the regulation of sleep—how much, when, and how sleep occurs—is mainly considered to be controlled by the brain, sleep deprivation also affects the body, and signals from the body can affect sleep. However, the ways in which the body reg.....»»
As the worm turns: New twists in behavioral association theories
Physicists have developed a dynamical model of animal behavior that may explain some mysteries surrounding associative learning going back to Pavlov's dogs. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) published the findings, based on e.....»»
"Deep proteome" project provides atlas for human complexity
A major puzzle of biology is that while the human genome contains roughly 20,000 genes, many comparatively primitive organisms—including the universally-studied worm C. elegans—have almost the same number of genes......»»
Unraveling nature"s chorus: AI detects bird sounds in Taiwan"s montane forests
Montane forests, known as biodiversity hotspots, are among the ecosystems facing threats from climate change. To comprehend potential impacts of climate change on birds in these forests, researchers set up automatic recorders in Yushan National Park,.....»»
Knots smaller than human hair make materials unusually tough
In the latest advance in nano- and micro-architected materials, engineers at Caltech have developed a new material made from numerous interconnected microscale knots......»»
Mezcal worm in a bottle: DNA evidence suggests it is a single moth species
A new study published in the journal PeerJ looked to identify the species of larva found in bottles of Mezcal. Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave......»»
Reproductive strategy of deep-sea worms provides clues to evolutionary mystery
Deep on the ocean floor, strange worm-like creatures can be found, the evolution of which has long perplexed scientists. Now, in a recently published study, researchers from Japan have observed an interesting mode of reproduction, which could shed li.....»»
Bringing verbs into the language of economics
In the last 50 years, economic theory has come to be based almost solely on mathematics. This brings logical precision, but according to a new paper by SFI economist Brian Arthur, it restricts what economics can easily talk about......»»
Challenging cost misconceptions in STEM education
Job seekers, students, and career changers around the world want to pursue roles related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) across different industries, but say they are not familiar with career options, according to IBM. At.....»»
Shipping activities on the high seas could hamper worldwide carbon mitigation and sustainability efforts
A new study on carbon mitigation has been published by Dr. Shouyang Wang from the Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Dr. Dabo Guan from Tsinghua University......»»
Black girls benefit most when STEM teachers pursue professional development, shows study
When middle and high school teachers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) pursue continuing professional development, their students benefit, and a new study from Rice University shows the payoff can be dramatic......»»
Not blaming women is key to increasing their presence in tech professions, says researcher
Women account for only 34% of graduates in the EU in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The percentage is even lower in the STEM fields that are not directly related to care. The fact is that girls are systematical.....»»
Ancient fossils shed new light on evolution of sea worm
Ancient fossils have shed new light on a type of sea worm linking it to the time of an evolutionary explosion that gave rise to modern animal life......»»