Can we infer someone's cultural group from their laugher, even when we do not know what they are laughing at? And what kind of laughter do we find most positive? A new study shows that our laughter gives us away. The study included Dutch and Japanese producers of laughter and listeners. Listeners could detect whether a laughing person is from their own or another cultural group by only hearing a...

A new study of brain activity patterns in people doing a memory task finds that the way we make inferences -- finding hidden connections between different experiences -- changes dramatically as we age. The study's findings might one day lead to personalized learning strategies based on a person's cognitive and brain development. The researchers found that whereas adults build integrated memories...

As climate conditions change, tree species are shifting their ranges. Wildfire is accelerating this process, likely by reducing competition from established species -- a finding that raises questions about how to manage land in an era of shifting ecosystems.

Fifteen years ago, the African Union decided on an ambitious program: degraded ecosystems in parts of the Sahel are to be successively restored in order to secure food for the people living there and to protect the soil against further degradation. At the same time, the African Great Green Wall is an important contribution to combating climate change. A study now shows that it also makes economic...

Protein production (translation) is a complex process involving machinery called ribosomes. How do cells counter ribosomal destabilization leading to premature termination of translation? Scientists have uncovered a novel role of nascent protein chains in stabilizing translating ribosomes. They suggest that longer peptide sequences spanning the ribosomal exit tunnel and bulky amino acid residues...

After decades of uncertainty, researchers have confirmed the existence of lunar carbon dioxide cold traps that could potentially contain solid carbon dioxide. The discovery will likely have a major influence in shaping future lunar missions and could impact the feasibility of a sustained robot or human presence on the moon.

The prediction of high impact climate phenomena can be substantially improved by a new mathematical approach that analyses the connectivity and patterns between geographical locations, scientists say in a new publication. This can potentially save thousands of lives and avoid billions in economic losses. Prediction times for events like El Niño, monsoons, droughts or extreme rainfall could be...

Investigators found elevated levels of tau and a phosphorylated form of the tau protein in brain tissue from deceased people who had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and carried a mutation in the C9orf72 gene. The team also identified new genetic mutations in the tau gene that may exacerbate ALS onset or progression. Tau in the cerebrospinal fluid may be a viable biomarker for ALS because...

Researchers have trained computers to predict the next designer drugs before they are even on the market, technology that could save lives. Identifying these so-called 'legal highs' within seized pills or powders can take months, during which time thousands of people may have already used a new designer drug. But new research is already helping law enforcement agencies around the world to cut...

A large analysis of health records from 87 health care centers across the United States found that people taking a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), particularly fluoxetine, were significantly less likely to die of COVID-19 than a matched control group.

A new technique opens a possibility to replace silicon with 2D materials in semiconducting technology.

By mimicking photosynthesis, researchers have designed a new type of photocatalyst that can absorb light and use it to help catalyze a variety of chemical reactions that would otherwise be difficult to perform.

New research has shown the drug losartan, normally used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), is not effective in slowing down the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in people with mild-to-moderate disease after 12 months of treatment. However, the drug could still be of benefit if prescribed for longer and if given to people with very early disease.

Researchers have discovered a therapy that targets host cells rather than bacterial cells in treating bacterial pneumonia in rodents. The method involves white blood cells of the immune system called macrophages that eat bacteria, and a group of compounds that are naturally produced in mice and humans called epoxyeicosatrienoic acids or EETs.

In a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of babies ranging in age from two to nine months, researchers have found regions of the infant visual cortex that show strong preferences for either faces, bodies, or scenes, just as they do in adults.

Fat-free chocolate milk processed for the first time with high-pressure jet technology exhibits enhanced viscosity, stabilizing cocoa particles in the fluid and eliminating the need for adding a controversial emulsifier. That's the conclusion of a team of researchers, whose study suggests that the new technology can preclude the use of carrageenan in chocolate milk. The widely used food additive...

An undergraduate leads the discovery of a way to synthesize a rare molecule drawn from poppies. The molecule could become a building block for painkillers and other drugs.

A simple surgical technique during cardiac surgery was associated with a 56 percent reduction in the incidence of an irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation that can lead to stroke, with no added risks or side effects, according to a new study. The findings suggest that the method, called posterior left pericardiotomy, has significant potential for preventing prolonged hospital stays...

A new study using genetically engineered mice and human cell and tissue samples has added to evidence that higher levels of inflammatory chemicals involved in fat metabolism occur in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the neuromuscular disorder, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

How are chemical elements produced in our Universe? Where do heavy elements like gold and uranium come from? Using computer simulations, a research team shows that the synthesis of heavy elements is typical for certain black holes with orbiting matter accumulations, so-called accretion disks. The predicted abundance of the formed elements provides insight into which heavy elements need to be...

Experts have developed a unique method for retrieving high resolution images of fingermarks from curved objects like bullet casings that offers greater detail and accuracy than traditional forensic methods.

More than 70% of microplastics found in samples from oceans and rivers could come from the scientists collecting them. A new article investigates procedural contamination when sampling for microparticles in aquatic environments. The study shows that a significant amount of microplastics and microfibres from scientists' clothing and gear mixes with environmental pollution in the water samples.

A new analysis of the Hubble constant to show that the Gaussian Processes data reconstruction technique may not actually be independent of all cosmological models -- and that it may be time to question the validity of model independence itself.

A new electrocatalyst called a-CuTi@Cu converts carbon dioxide (CO2) into liquid fuels. Active copper centered on an amorphous copper/titanium alloy produces ethanol, acetone, and n-butanol with high efficiency.