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39 articles from ScienceDaily

‘Less than 1% probability’ that Earth’s energy imbalance increase occurred naturally

Sunlight in, reflected and emitted energy out. That's the fundamental energy balance sheet for our planet -- and for decades, it has been out of balance. The extra energy manifests as higher temperatures, rising sea levels, floods, droughts, more powerful blizzards and hurricanes, and deadlier extreme events. Not only is the imbalance growing, but there's a 99% chance that the growth is due to...

Does testosterone influence success? Not much, research suggests

With the Olympics underway, higher testosterone has often been linked to sporting success, and other kinds of success too. But beyond sport, new research has found little evidence that testosterone meaningfully influences life chances for men or women. In fact, the study suggests that despite the social myths surrounding testosterone, it could be much less important than previously thought.

Neanderthal and Denisovan blood groups deciphered

The blood groups of three Neanderthals one Denisovan have been determined by a team including a palaeoanthropologist, population geneticists, and haematologists. Their research provides new data for understanding the origins, history, and health of these extinct hominin lineages.

Water as a metal

Under normal conditions, pure water is an almost perfect insulator. Water only develops metallic properties under extreme pressure, such as exists deep inside of large planets. Now, an international collaboration has used a completely different approach to produce metallic water and documented the phase transition at BESSY II.

A caffeine buzz helps bees learn to find specific flowers

Researchers have shown that feeding bumble bees caffeine helps them better remember the smell of a specific flower with nectar inside. While previous studies have shown that bees like caffeine and will more frequently visit caffeinated flowers to get it, this study shows that consuming caffeine in their nest actually helps bees find certain flowers outside of the nest.

Researchers develop 'dimmer switch' to help control gene therapy

In a major advancement in the field of gene therapy for rare and devastating diseases, researchers have developed a "dimmer switch" system that can control levels of proteins expressed from gene therapy vectors. The system is based on alternative RNA splicing using an orally available small molecule and works effectively in tissues throughout the body, including the brain.

Nearly half of surveyed female surgeons experienced major pregnancy complications

Researchers surveyed 1,175 surgeons and surgical trainees from across the U.S. to study their or their partner's pregnancy experiences. They found that 48 percent of surveyed female surgeons experienced major pregnancy complications, with those who operated 12-or-more hours per week during the last trimester of pregnancy at a higher risk compared to those who did not.

Hybrid cars are twice as vulnerable to supply chain issues as gas-powered models

The global computer chip shortage has hit car manufacturers especially hard, indicating the importance of supply chain resilience. Yet, for hybrid electric vehicles, it isn't clear how their production could be impacted by fluctuating supplies and high prices. To get a grasp of these vulnerabilities compared to those for gas-powered models, researchers conducted a thorough analysis, finding that...

Magnetic fields implicated in the mysterious midlife crisis of stars

Middle-aged stars can experience their own kind of midlife crisis, experiencing dramatic breaks in their activity and rotation rates at about the same age as our Sun, according to new research. The study provides a new theoretical underpinning for the unexplained breakdown of established techniques for measuring ages of stars past their middle age, and the transition of solar-like stars to a...