132 articles from THURSDAY 11.5.2023
Examining ethical considerations for human remains
In 2022, the Penn Museum announced that it would rebury the skulls of dozens of Black Philadelphian individuals whose remains were unethically obtained in the mid-1800s. Some in the community of the individuals' descendants, who felt they were not consulted, filed a formal opposition to Penn Museum's plan. In 2023, a judge ruled that the community had no legal standing to decide how their dead are...
Taboo words, disability and marginalized communities
Flinders University and U.K. researchers have analyzed the use of disability-related taboo words to better understand how certain terms are used in the community and shed light on their negative and positive impact on people with disabilities.
Researcher uses artificial intelligence to discover new materials for advanced computing
A team of researchers led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Trevor David Rhone, assistant professor in the Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, has identified novel van der Waals (vdW) magnets using cutting-edge tools in artificial intelligence (AI). In particular, the team identified transition metal halide vdW materials with large magnetic moments that are predicted to be...
New hemp-based biomaterial to help with global microplastic pollution crisis
Plastic is cheap and light, and conceivably recyclable, which makes it an easy choice for packaging when it comes to food and cosmetics. But it's also potentially toxic and biologically harmful, making it a non-starter for many environmentally responsible and socially conscious companies in Canada and around the world.
New research could help breed for less 'spooky' horses
In the wild, horses must be alert for predators that might attack them. This means that even domesticated horses are hardwired to be aware of danger and can scare easily.
2-year-old bitten by coyote in Port Coquitlam, B.C., park
A two-year-old was attacked by a coyote at Lions Park in Port Coquitlam, B.C., on Wednesday night, according to the B.C. Conservation Officer...
Land use linked to water quality and quantity
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:46
Researchers recently published a study that focuses on the Sudbury-Assabet and Concord watershed in eastern Massachusetts, and which links hydrological changes, including floods, drought and runoff, to changing patterns of land use.
Brain-belly connection: Gut health may influence likelihood of developing Alzheimer's
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:46
A new study pinpoints 10 bacterial groups associated with Alzheimer's disease, provides new insights into the relationship between gut makeup and dementia.
Singing humpback whales respond to wind noise, but not boats
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:46
A new study has found humpback whales sing louder when the wind is noisy, but don't have the same reaction to boat engines.
Metal-filtering sponge removes lead from water
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:46
Engineers have developed a new sponge that can remove metals -- including toxic heavy metals like lead and critical metals like cobalt -- from contaminated water, leaving safe, drinkable water behind. In proof-of-concept experiments, the researchers tested their new sponge on a highly contaminated sample of tap water, containing more than 1 part per million of lead. With one use, the sponge...
Understanding the speed of brain communication
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:46
Called the human connectome, this structural system of neural pathways develops as people age. A new study shows transmission speed among brain regions increases into early adulthood. Learning more about neuron transmission may improve the understanding of psychological disorders.
Researchers find new approach to explore earliest universe dynamics with gravitational waves
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:46
Researchers have discovered a new generic production mechanism of gravitational waves generated by a phenomenon known as oscillons.
Great Basin: History of water supply in one of the driest regions in the USA
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:46
An international team has reconstructed the evolution of groundwater in the Great Basin, USA -- one of the driest regions on Earth -- up to 350,000 years into the past with unprecedented accuracy. The results shed new light on the effects of climate change on water supply and provide important insights for the sustainable use of groundwater resources.
Hidden supermassive black holes brought to life by galaxies on collision course
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:46
Astronomers have found that supermassive black holes obscured by dust are more likely to grow and release tremendous amounts of energy when they are inside galaxies that are expected to collide with a neighbouring galaxy.
Global warming puts whales in the Southern Ocean on a diet
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:46
In the autumn, when right whales swim towards the coasts of South Africa, they ought to be fat and stuffed full. But in recent years, they have become thinner because their food is disappearing with the melting sea ice.
Bacteria killing material could tackle hospital superbugs
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:46
Researchers have used a common disinfectant and antiseptic to create a new antimicrobial coating material that effectively kills bacteria and viruses, including MRSA and SARS-COV-2.
Culprit behind destruction of New York's first dinosaur museum revealed
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:46
A new paper rewrites the history of the darkest, most bizarre event in the history of palaeontology.
Our thoughts alter our tactile perception
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:46
If we sincerely believe that our index finger is five times bigger than it really is, our sense of touch improves. Researchers demonstrated that this is the case in an experiment in which the participants were put under professional hypnosis. When the participants signaled that they understood the opposite hypnotic suggestion that their index finger was five times smaller than it actually was,...
Celestial monsters at the origin of globular clusters
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:45
Globular clusters are the most massive and oldest star clusters in the Universe. They can contain up to 1 million of them. The chemical composition of these stars, born at the same time, shows anomalies that are not found in any other population of stars. Explaining this specificity is one of the great challenges of astronomy. After having imagined that supermassive stars could be at the origin, a...
Better than humans: Artificial intelligence in intensive care units
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:45
With the help of extensive data from intensive care units of various hospitals, an artificial intelligence was developed that provides suggestions for the treatment of people who require intensive care due to sepsis. Analyses show that artificial intelligence already surpasses the quality of human decisions. However, it is now important to also discuss the legal aspects of such methods.
Hidden views of vast stellar nurseries
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:45
Astronomers have created a vast infrared atlas of five nearby stellar nurseries by piecing together more than one million images. These large mosaics reveal young stars in the making, embedded in thick clouds of dust. Thanks to these observations, astronomers have a unique tool with which to decipher the complex puzzle of stellar birth.
Traditional medicine plant could combat drug-resistant malaria
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:45
Much of what is now considered modern medicine originated as folk remedies or traditional, Indigenous practices. These customs are still alive today, and they could help address a variety of conditions. Now, researchers have identified compounds in the leaves of a particular medicinal Labrador tea plant used throughout the First Nations of Nunavik, Canada, and demonstrated that one of them has...
Bacteria: Radioactive elements replace essential rare earth metals
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:45
Bacteria can use certain radioactive elements to sustain their metabolism.
New research could help breed for less 'spooky' horses
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:45
Researchers are working to identify genes that influence horses' tendency to react to perceived danger.
How bacteria evolve resistance to antibiotics
- ScienceDaily
- 23/5/11 22:45
Bacteria can rapidly evolve resistance to antibiotics by adapting special pumps to flush them out of their cells, according to new research. Antimicrobial resistance is a growing problem of global significance. The rise of resistant 'superbugs' threatens our ability to use antimicrobials like antibiotics to treat and prevent the spread of infections caused by microorganisms. It is hoped that the...