Science & Technology
Decades-old crustaceans coaxed from lake mud give up genetic secrets revealing evolution in action
An ancient Daphnia pulicaria individual resurrected from South Center Lake (Minnesota, USA). This individual was hatched from an egg recovered from sediments that date back to circa 1418-1301 A. D. OU scientists have recently studied other members of this species to understand rapid evolution to human-caused pollution in lake ecosystems. Credit: Dagmar Frisch Human actions are changing
News at a glance: Pandemic declarations, job satisfaction in the COVID-19 era, and a nuclear-powered rocket
SPACE FLIGHTNuclear rocket eyed for Mars trips NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) plan to launch and test a nuclear-powered rocket engine in space as soon as 2027, the agencies announced last week. Such engines promise higher thrust and efficiency than conventional ones, enabling faster travel times and bigger payloads for human
A Revolutionary New Physics Hypothesis: Three Time Dimensions, One Space Dimension
The researchers hope that their findings will contribute to a better understanding of the phenomenon of spontaneous symmetry breaking associated with the mass of the Higgs particle and other particles in the Standard Model, particularly in the early universe.How would our world be perceived by observers moving faster than light in a vacuum? According to
Looking beyond microplastics: Cotton and synthetic microfibers impact behavior and growth of aquatic organisms
Larval inland silversides with cotton microfibers in their digestive tracts. Credit: Oregon State University While microplastics have received significant attention in recent years for their negative environmental impacts, a new study from Oregon State University scientists found microfibers from synthetic materials as well as cotton impacted the behavior and growth of water organisms. "We're trying
More Airports to Use Greener ‘Glide’ Approach to Landing
A growing number of U.S. airports are trying swoop landings rather than staircase descents, a method that saves fuel, cuts emissions and reduces noise Credit: Jetlinerimages/Getty ImagesEleven more U.S. airports plan to adopt a new way of landing planes that reduces both emissions and noise — all by having incoming planes turn off their engines
Machines Learn Better if We Teach Them the Basics
Imagine that your neighbor calls to ask a favor: Could you please feed their pet rabbit some carrot slices? Easy enough, you’d think. You can imagine their kitchen, even if you’ve never been there — carrots in a fridge, a drawer holding various knives. It’s abstract knowledge: You don’t know what your neighbor’s carrots and
NCSC for Startups inducts four companies into programme
Four more startups are set to join the NCSC accelerator, which helps the UK government develop technology and approaches to pressing cyber security challenges By Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Senior reporter Published: 01 Feb 2023 16:45 The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and innovation hub Plexal have selected four startups to join their NCSC for Startups
Common Food Additives Linked to an Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Foods that commonly use nitrite preservatives include processed meats such as bacon, ham, hot dogs, sausages, corned beef, and cured meats. Additionally, some cheeses, smoked fish, and pickled products may also contain nitrite preservatives.A new study has found a link between consuming nitrites from drinking water and diet and the risk of developing type 2
Why we shouldn’t get too excited about bioplastics
This article was originally featured on Hakai Magazine, an online publication about science and society in coastal ecosystems. Read more stories like this at hakaimagazine.com. Plastics produced from plants are often considered less environmentally damaging than plastics made from petrochemicals. But scientists are warning that we should be careful making such assumptions. A new literature review examining the results
Singapore can now order social media sites to block access, as ‘online safety’ law kicks in
Singapore now can issue directives for social media platforms to block local access to what it deems as “egregious” content. The new regulation also allows access to such sites to be cut, if the operators refuse to comply with the directive. Effective from February 1, the Online Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act enables industry regulator Infocomm Media
β-blockers may reduce aggression in persons with major psychiatric disorders
Reductions in violence are seen in individuals using Beta adrenergic-blocking agents (β-blockers) compared with periods that they are not taking the medication, in a study published January 31st in the open access journal PLOS Medicine. If the findings are confirmed by other studies, β-blockers could be considered as a way to manage aggression and hostility
Which groups of people tend to overestimate their IQ?
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Vaitsa Giannoul, a social scientist with European University Cyprus, has looked into the question of which group or groups of people tend to overestimate their own level of intelligence. The study is published in the journal Brain and Behavior. Giannoul begins by noting that intelligence in humans is difficult to assess
Meet the 12 African startups in the Inaugural Lagos ARM Labs Techstars Accelerator Programme
Global startup accelerator Techstars, in partnership with Lagos-based innovation ARM Labs, has announced its inaugural class of 12 startups for the new ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator Program. The lagos-based programme which is focused on building early-stage African fintech and proptech startups has chosen a cohort of 10 Nigerian and 2 Kenyan startups, with 50%
When Does the Brain Operate at Peak Performance?
Over the last few decades, an idea called the critical brain hypothesis has been helping neuroscientists understand how the human brain operates as an information-processing powerhouse. It posits that the brain is always teetering between two phases, or modes, of activity: a random phase, where it is mostly inactive, and an ordered phase, where it
Apple Watch Ultra review
Live Science Verdict The Apple Watch Ultra isn’t for everyone, but it should be the blueprint for the Apple Watch going forward — particularly in terms of battery life. Pros +Big, bright display+Customizable action button+Improved battery life Cons -Battery life still not as good as some competitors -Pricey, comparatively Why you can trust Live Science
Apple Watch Series 9: Everything we expect and hope to see in 2023
Image: Foundry The Apple Watch has been a huge success for the company, pretty much tying up the wearables sector at the first attempt. With 2023 underway, we’re looking forward to seeing what Apple will do with the next generation of its digital timepiece. So, here’s all the news, rumors we’ve discovered so far about
Yes, we have enough materials to power the world with renewable energy
Powering the world with renewable energy will take a lot of raw materials. The good news is, when it comes to aluminum, steel, and rare-earth metals, there’s plenty to go around, according to a new analysis. In the 2015 Paris Agreement, world leaders set a goal to keep global warming under 1.5 °C, and reaching
MI5 unlawfully collected and held millions of people’s data
Secretive court finds MI5 knowingly acted unlawfully in use of bulk surveillance warrants, and the Home Office continued granting warrants despite information the agency was operating outside the law By Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Senior reporter Published: 31 Jan 2023 14:28 UK security service MI5 unlawfully gathered and retained millions of people’s private data, Britain’s most
Would Baidu’s answer to ChatGPT make a difference?
Baidu, China’s top search engine provider and robotaxi developer, is apparently working on its own counterpart to ChatGPT. The news, first reported by Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, sent Baidu’s stock price rising on Monday to reach its highest point since September. A spokesperson for Baidu declined to comment on the reports. But it
Disordered eating is not only a disease of affluent girls
Predominant stereotypes about eating disorders suggest that it is a condition mainly associated with girls from wealthy backgrounds. However, a new study from Michigan State University found that boys living in disadvantaged circumstances are at an increased risk for disordered eating, particularly if they have underlying genetic risk factors. “This is critical information for health
Astronomers Suggest More Galaxies Were Formed in the Early Universe Than Previously Thought
The discovery of such a vast number of galaxies in the early universe suggests a potential revision of prior knowledge on galaxy formation.Exploring the universe’s earliest galaxies with NASA’s new space telescope.A team of astronomers, headed by Haojing Yan at the University of Missouri, have used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Early Release Observations
Sony: Would-be PlayStation 5 buyers “should have a much easier time” now
9th Generation Consoles — “You should now have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally.” Samuel Axon – Jan 30, 2023 11:10 pm UTC Enlarge / The PlayStation 5. In a blog post published on Monday, Sony hardware VP Isabelle Tomatis announced that there is now an “increased supply” of PlayStation 5 game
Why you should update your iPhone ASAP, even if it is ancient
Over the past week, Apple has rolled out some important security updates—including updates to iOS 16, iOS 15, and even iOS 12 to protect iPhones from a major vulnerability that’s still in the wild. That extends to older iPhone models too. Although the iPhone 5s was released back in 2013 and discontinued in 2016, it
US proposes to ease blood donor restrictions on gay and bisexual men
The US Food and Drug Administration has proposed that blood donor assessments measure individual risk and do not exclude people based on their sexual orientation or gender Health 30 January 2023 By Grace Wade The US is proposing new rules that do not limit blood donation based on gender or sexual orientationBelish/Shutterstock On 27 January
A Famed Dolphin-Human Fishing Team Up Is in Danger of Disappearing
A call for help sounds to ensure survival of a 140-year-old fishing partnership pairing cetaceans and humans Credit: Lars Mik Photography/500px/Getty ImagesPeople in Laguna proudly refer to their southern Brazilian city as the “national capital of fish-herding dolphins.” For at least 140 years, artisanal fishers and bottlenose dolphins have worked together in careful synchrony to catch
ChatGPT Is Making Universities Rethink Plagiarism
Although Daily acknowledges that this technological growth incites new concerns in the world of academia, she doesn’t find it to be a realm entirely unexplored. “I think we’ve been in a version of this territory for a while already,” Daily says. “Students who commit plagiarism often borrow material from a ‘somewhere’—a website, for example, that
