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48 articles from ScienceDaily

Effect of odor on helpfulness in rats

Despite their reputation, rats are surprisingly sociable and regularly help each other out. Researchers have shown that a rat just has to smell another rat that is engaged in helpful behavior to increase their own helpfulness. This is the first study to show that just the smell of a cooperating rat is enough to trigger a helpful response.

Offshore submarine freshwater discovery raises hopes for islands worldwide

Twice as much freshwater is stored offshore of Hawai'i Island than previously thought, revealed a new study with important implications for volcanic islands around the world. An extensive reservoir of freshwater within the submarine southern flank of the Hualalai aquifer was mapped by researchers with Hawai'i EPSCoR 'Ike Wai project, showing a way in which substantial volumes of freshwater are...

Obesity is not only the individual's responsibility

Analysis of survey results has revealed that in women, obesity is linked to various social and economic factors. In addition, this study is the first in Japan to illuminate the connection between abuse during childhood and obesity in adulthood. These results highlight the importance of taking these factors into account when implementing policies to tackle obesity.

A microscope for everyone: Researchers develop open-source optical toolbox

Researchers have developed an optical toolbox to build microscopes for a few hundred euros that deliver high-resolution images comparable to commercial microscopes that cost up to a thousand times more. The 3D printed open-source modular system can be combined in the way the research question requires -- from the observation of living organisms in the incubator to a toolbox for education.

Ice sheets on the move: How north and south poles connect

Over the past 40,000 years, ice sheets thousands of kilometers apart have influenced one another through sea level changes, according to new research. New modelling of ice sheet changes during the most recent glacial cycle demonstrates, for the first time, that during this period, changes in the Antarctic ice sheet were driven by the melting ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere.

Space travel can adversely impact energy production in a cell

Studies of both mice and humans who have traveled into space reveal that critical parts of a cell's energy production machinery, the mitochondria, can be made dysfunctional due to changes in gravity, radiation exposure and other factors. These findings are part of an extensive research effort across many scientific disciplines to look at the health effects of travel into space.

New insights into how the CRISPR immune system evolved

Although CRISPR-Cas has found many uses in biotechnology and medicine, it originates in nature, where it functions as a microbial immune system. Scientists shed new light on how CRISPR-Cas emerged early during the development of life on Earth, as well as how this immune system is constantly adapting to new challenges.