65 articles from THURSDAY 26.12.2019
How I changed my mind about the biology of race | Philip Ball
Angela Saini’s book Superior showed me our misconceptions about race and science arise from a habit of the mindIt has been common for several years now to assert that science shows the concept of race has no biological basis, and that we must see it instead as a social construct. That case was argued, for example, by Kenan Malik in his 2008 book Strange Fruit, and it is presented, too, in Angela...
Brain-like functions emerging in a metallic nanowire network
- ScienceDaily
- 19/12/26 14:44
An international joint research team succeeded in fabricating a neuromorphic network composed of numerous metallic nanowires. Using this network, the team was able to generate electrical characteristics similar to those associated with higher order brain functions unique to humans, such as memorization, learning, forgetting, becoming alert and returning to calm. The team then clarified the...
Mosquitoes can sense toxins through their legs
- ScienceDaily
- 19/12/26 14:44
Researchers have identified a completely new mechanism by which mosquitoes that carry malaria are becoming resistant to insecticide.
In leap for quantum computing, silicon quantum bits establish a long-distance relationship
- ScienceDaily
- 19/12/26 14:43
In an important step forward in the quest to build a quantum computer using silicon-based hardware, researchers have succeeded in making possible the exchange of information between two qubits located relatively far apart -- about the length of a grain of rice, which is a considerable distance on a computer chip. Connecting two silicon qubits across this distance makes possible new and more...
Intermittent fasting: Live 'fast,' live longer?
- ScienceDaily
- 19/12/26 14:43
For many people, the New Year is a time to adopt new habits as a renewed commitment to personal health. Newly enthusiastic fitness buffs pack into gyms and grocery stores are filled with shoppers eager to try out new diets.
Seeing the new Star Wars? Be careful what you wish for
- ScienceDaily
- 19/12/26 14:43
How much you enjoy the new Star Wars movie will depend a lot on your expectations going in, a new study suggests. Researchers surveyed 441 people before and after they saw the last episode in the popular franchise, Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi, released in 2017. They wanted to see how audiences' expectations affected their actual enjoyment of the movie.
So you got a new tech device for Christmas? Here's how to keep your info safe
Whether you are installing new security cameras or playing around with VR gaming, experts say it's important to make sure you are protecting your personal...
The 'ring of fire' eclipse witnessed across Asia
Crowds have gathered to watch the 'once in a lifetime' eclipse in a number of countries.
The five biggest space failures of 2019
Between NASA and SpaceX, Earth and Mars, there was plenty to groan about in 2019.
Science made astonishing progress. It was also hijacked by those with an axe to grind | Laura Spinney
Attacks and scepticism are on the rise, even as leaps are made in fields from gene editing and AI to interplanetary explorationThe 2010s were the decade in which we were reminded that science is just a method, like the rhythm method. And just like the rhythm method, it can be more or less rigorously applied, sabotaged, overrated, underrated and ignored. If you don’t treat it with respect, you...
The power of earthworm poop and how it could influence climate change
Scientists are trying to figure out how earthworms are influencing climate change. Some species are speeding up how much carbon gets dumped into the atmosphere, and others are helping lock carbon in the...
In an African forest, the enduring mystery of a giant butterfly
Suspended from branches high above the ground, Nicolas Moulin looked through his binoculars over a seemingly endless sea of emerald green.
Typhoon Phanfone kills at least 16 in Philippines
A typhoon that swept across remote villages and popular tourist areas of the central Philippines on Christmas day claimed at least 16 lives, authorities said on Thursday.
'Ring of fire' eclipse wows across Asia
Skywatchers from Saudi Arabia and Oman to India and Singapore were treated to a rare "ring of fire" solar eclipse Thursday.
'Ring of fire' eclipse enthrals skywatchers in Middle East, Asia
Thousands of skywatchers gathered across parts of the Middle East and Asia on Thursday to glimpse the sun forming a ring of fire around the moon in a rare annular solar eclipse. An annular eclipse occurs when the moon covers the sun's center but leaves its outer edges visible to form a ring. Thursday's was visible in Saudi Arabia as well as Singapore, India, Sri Lanka and...
Gender norms affect attitudes towards gay men and lesbian women globally
Gay men and lesbian women have often been the targets of prejudice and even violence in society. To better understand what shapes these attitudes and prejudices, Maria Laura Bettinsoli, Alexandra Suppes, and Jamie Napier (all New York University—Abu Dhabi) tested how beliefs about gender norms (expectations of society for how men and women act and look) and people's attitudes towards gay men and...
Scientists attempt to recreate 'Overview effect' from Earth
Researchers aim to recreate intense emotional experience astronauts reported on seeing Earth from space for the first timeThe spectacle of Earth suspended in space was so overwhelming for Edgar Mitchell that the Apollo 14 astronaut and sixth man on the moon wanted to grab politicians by the scruff of the neck and drag them into space to witness the view.Such drastic measures may not be necessary,...
Rare 'ring of fire' solar eclipse - in pictures
Annular solar eclipse, in which the moon does not completely cover the sun as it transits across the star’s face, was seen from Asia to the Middle East Continue reading...
2019 EurekAlert! Trending Release List the most international ever
- EurekAlert
- 19/12/26 06:00
The EurekAlert! 2019 Trending Release List is the most geographically diverse to date, with more than half of the top 10 from outside the United States.
Brain tumor organoids may be key to time-sensitive treatments for glioblastomas
- EurekAlert
- 19/12/26 06:00
Lab-grown brain organoids developed from a patient's own glioblastoma, the most aggressive and common form of brain cancer, may hold the answers on how to best treat it. A new study in Cell from researchers at Penn Medicine showed how glioblastoma organoids could serve as effective models to rapidly test personalized treatment strategies.
Development of ultrathin durable membrane for efficient oil and water separation
- EurekAlert
- 19/12/26 06:00
Researchers led by Professor MATSUYAMA Hideto and Professor YOSHIOKA Tomohisa at Kobe University's Research Center for Membrane and Film Technology have succeeded in developing an ultrathin membrane with a fouling-resistant silica surface treatment for high performance separation of oil from water. Furthermore, this membrane was shown to be versatile; it was able to separate water from a wide...
Eye changes from spaceflight compared to simulated weightlessness
- EurekAlert
- 19/12/26 06:00
Some astronauts who fly long missions to the International Space Station experience eye changes. This study investigated whether the eye changes from the traditional spaceflight analog (an experience on earth meant to mimic spaceflight) of simulated weightlessness from 30 days of bed rest with head tilted down were similar to those experienced by astronauts during spaceflight.
FEFU scientists participate in development of ceramic materials that are IR-transparent
- EurekAlert
- 19/12/26 06:00
Scientists from Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) teamed up with colleagues from Institute of Chemistry (FEB RAS), Institute for Single Crystals (Ukraine), and Shanghai Institute of Ceramics (Chinese Academy of Sciences) to develop Y2O3?MgO nanocomposite ceramics with uniform distribution of two phases, microhardness over 11 GPa, and average grain size of 250 nm. It capable of transmitting...
Finally, machine learning interprets gene regulation clearly
- EurekAlert
- 19/12/26 06:00
A new brand of artificial neural network has solved an interpretability problem that has frustrated biologists. With it, scientists may solve mysteries about gene regulation and drug discovery.