Whale menopause sheds light on human evolutionary mystery
Why do humans experience menopause? It's a question that some women going through the symptoms might have asked themselves more than once......»»
Wireless antennas harness light to decode cellular communication signals
Monitoring electrical signals in biological systems helps scientists understand how cells communicate, which can aid in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions like arrhythmia and Alzheimer's......»»
Structural analysis reveals how human eyelashes promote water drainage
Throughout human evolution, body and facial hair have notably diminished, yet eyelashes have remained a distinguishing feature. The physiological or functional purpose of eyelashes—traditionally thought to be for catching dust or filtering air—ha.....»»
Discovery of enzyme pathway may lead to lifesaving leishmaniasis treatments
A breakthrough in understanding how a single-cell parasite makes ergosterol (its version of cholesterol) could lead to more effective drugs for human leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease that afflicts about 1 million people and kills about 30,000 peopl.....»»
Inequality weakens local governance and public satisfaction, study finds
Local governments in developing countries are crucial for providing public services that promote human development and address challenges like extreme weather, unemployment and crumbling infrastructure. Yet, they often face difficulties in implementi.....»»
New electron microscopy technique reveals complex spin structures at femtosecond timescales
Plasmons are collective oscillations of electrons in a solid and are important for a wide range of applications, such as sensing, catalysis, and light harvesting. Plasmonic waves that travel along the surface of a metal, called surface plasmon polari.....»»
Advancing light control: New opportunities for metasurfaces in optoelectronics
A global review of advancements in integrating metasurfaces—thin planar arrays of nanostructures—into optoelectronic devices highlights their potential to transform technologies such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, optical modulators, an.....»»
Heterogeneous host populations drive evolution of more virulent pathogens, modeling study shows
The evolution of pathogens has received attention in a wide range of scientific fields, such as epidemiology, demography, and evolutionary ecology. Understanding pathogen evolution is particularly urgent for rapidly evolving pathogens, such as SARS-C.....»»
Mitigating animal-vehicle collisions with field sensors, AI and ecological modeling
Collisions between animals and vehicles are a threat to conservation efforts and human safety, and have a massive cost for transport infrastructure managers and users......»»
Biosensors mimic human olfactory system to discriminate between very similar odors
The human olfactory system discriminates between thousands of odors by interacting specifically with olfactory receptors on sensory neurons. Each receptor can detect several odorants at different intensities, and the same odorant can activate more th.....»»
Shedding light on snow"s crucial role in Earth"s climate system
EU researchers are braving extreme Arctic conditions to shed light on snow's crucial role in Earth's climate system......»»
First results from 2021 rocket launch shed light on aurora"s birth
Results from a 2021 experiment led by a University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist have begun to reveal the particle-level processes that create the type of auroras that dance rapidly across the sky......»»
The technosphere: A hidden long-term carbon sink in everyday items
We know a lot about how much fossil-derived carbon is emitted to the atmosphere but less about how much is stored in human-made products......»»
Simulations of hominin Lucy help show how long distance running evolved in modern humans
A team of natural scientists, musculoskeletal specialists, and evolutionary biologists affiliated with several institutions in the U.K., working with a colleague from the Netherlands, has found via simulations, that the famous early hominin Lucy, cou.....»»
Sea snakes regain advanced color vision, recovering a complex trait once lost to evolutionary time
Nine species of sea snakes have now been identified as having regained the genetic requirements for advanced color vision, demonstrating that once a complex trait has been lost to evolutionary time, it may be regained in some way......»»
Compact on-chip polarimeter measures light polarization with high accuracy
Reliably measuring the polarization state of light is crucial for various technological applications, ranging from optical communication to biomedical imaging. Yet conventional polarimeters are made of bulky components, which makes them difficult to.....»»
How to solve the Three Eyed Gate puzzle in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Even Indy doesn't like light puzzles in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The three eyed gate puzzle is mandatory, though, so we will help you solve it......»»
The New Glenn rocket’s seven powerful engines may light up as soon as today
"Maybe, maybe, maybe today, maybe soon. I think it's very soon." In a widely anticipated test, Blue Origin may ignite the seven main engines on its New Glenn rocket as soon as Thu.....»»
Evolutionary study reveals toxic reach of disease-causing bacteria across plant kingdom
The capacity of bacteria to spread disease across the plant kingdom may be much more widespread than previously suspected, according to new analysis......»»
Prototype sunscreen uses TiO₂ nanoparticles to cool skin while blocking UV rays
Wearing sunscreen is important to protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation but doesn't cool people off. However, a new formula, described in Nano Letters, protects against both UV light and heat from the sun using radiative cooling......»»
Scientists recreate molecular timers to control nanomachine activation rates
Living organisms monitor time—and react to it—in many different ways, from detecting light and sound in microseconds to responding physiologically in pre-programmed ways, via their daily sleep cycle, monthly menstrual cycle, or to changes in the.....»»