Other Sciences News

Huang et al. showed that the brain’s functional geometry (e.g., network distance in the gradient space) and temporal dynamics (e.g., occurrence rates of co-activation patterns) covary with the state of consciousness. Image credit: Gerd Altmann.

Brain’s Functional Geometry Encodes Dimensions of Consciousness, Neuroscientists Say

Jan 12, 2023 by News Staff

Consciousness is a multidimensional phenomenon, but key dimensions such as awareness and wakefulness have been described conceptually rather than neurobiologically....

An examples of animal depiction associated with dots. Image credit: Bacon et al., doi: 10.1017/S0959774322000415.

Archaeologists Uncover Upper Paleolithic Proto-Writing System

Jan 6, 2023 by News Staff

In at least 400 European caves such as Lascaux, Chauvet and Altamira, Upper Paleolithic humans drew, painted and engraved non-figurative signs from at...

Ionocaloric refrigeration would eliminate the risk of greenhouse gases escaping into the atmosphere by replacing them with solid and liquid components. Image credit: Jenny Nuss / Berkeley Lab.

Ionocaloric Cooling: Novel Method of Refrigeration Developed

Jan 4, 2023 by News Staff

Solid- or liquid-state cooling strategies often rely on caloric effects in which materials are taken through some sort of phase change. Researchers from...

Naqvi et al. recently developed a data-driven approach to phenotyping complex, multidimensional traits; this multivariate approach, when applied to facial surface images, revealed numerous genomic loci with no previously known role in human face shape variation; in the new study, the team implemented this approach to discover associations between common genetic variants and brain shape, using MRI data from middle-aged participants in the UK Biobank. Image credit: Gerd Altmann.

Study: Voice and Face Recognition are Linked More Intimately than Previously Thought

Jan 3, 2023 by News Staff

In the study, five epilepsy surgery patients were presented with images of famous speakers (U.S. presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton)...

Network modeling of fluid intelligence. Image credit: Cipolotti et al., doi: 10.1093/brain/awac304.

Neuroscientists Identify Brain Regions Necessary for Fluid Intelligence

Jan 3, 2023 by News Staff

Fluid intelligence is arguably the defining feature of human cognition. It predicts educational and professional success, social mobility, health, and...

Dmitrieva et al. tested the hypothesis that optimal hydration may slow down the aging process. Image credit: StockSnap.

Optimal Hydration Slows Down Aging Process, New Study Suggests

Jan 2, 2023 by News Staff

In a large population-based observational study with a long 25-years follow-up, scientists at the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute analyzed links...

The SMART 5-A-DAY app tells the user whether they have consumed a full or partial portion, what is needed to make up a full portion, and keeps a running tally of their progress to 5 a day. Image credit: Bournemouth University.

New Mobile Phone App to Help People Reach Target of Eating 5 Portions of Fruits, Vegetables a Day

Dec 29, 2022 by News Staff

The SMART 5-A-DAY app is available in the Google Play Store for Android phones from December 29, 2022. It tells users whether they are eating the right...

This map illustrates the geography of Beringia, the land bridge that formed between North America and Asia during the last glaciation. Humans crossed Beringia from Asia to North America during the glacial period depicted on this map. Lakes and drainages have been reconstructed to provide a better perspective on the environment of the land mass according to bathymetric data having a grid spacing of 1 km (100 m for Norton Sound). Some of the lake basins are shallow and may have been wetlands rather than open water bodies. Image credit: J.D. Bond / Yukon Geological Survey / Government of Yukon.

Bering Land Bridge Remained Flooded Until 35,700 Years Ago, Scientists Say

Dec 27, 2022 by News Staff

In new research, led by the University of California, Santa Cruz and Princeton University, scientists reconstructed the history of sea level at the Bering...

Bear skins have high insulating properties and might have played a role in the adaptations of Middle Pleistocene hominins, such as Homo heidelbergensis depicted here, to the cold and harsh winter conditions of Northwestern Europe. Image credit: Benoît Clarys.

320,000-Year-Old Cutmarked Bones Provide Evidence for Exploitation of Bear Skins

Dec 23, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

Researchers from the University of Tübingen and elsewhere have unearthed the cutmarked bones of cave bears at the Middle Pleistocene site of Schöningen...

Example of wireless sensor modules (A) comprising acoustoelectric RF-to-DC converters; the illustration also shows expanded views of a sensor module (B) and its acoustoelectric RF-to-DC converter (C, D). Image credit: Reza Abdolvand / Hakhamanesh Mansoorzare.

New Technology Converts Radio Frequency Signals into DC Electricity

Dec 20, 2022 by News Staff

The new technology, developed by researchers at the University of Central Florida, can reduce the electronic industry’s reliance on batteries and broaden...

The flint chips from Schöningen, Germany, which were created as ‘waste’ during the re-sharpening of knife-like tools; they are sorted by size in millimeters. Scale bar - 3 cm. Image credit: Flavia Venditti.

300,000-Year-Old Microartifacts Provide Glimpse into Life of Middle Pleistocene Hominins

Dec 15, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

Scientists at the University of Tübingen have performed a careful and in-depth analysis of tiny resharpening flakes from the famous Middle Pleistocene...

Drummond-Clarke et al. show that trees were an essential component of the hominin adaptive niche, with bipedalism evolving in an arboreal context, likely driven by foraging strategy. Illustration by Arturo Asensio, via Quo.es.

Human Bipedalism May Have Evolved in Trees, Study Says

Dec 15, 2022 by News Staff

Bipedalism — walking upright on two legs — us a defining feature of the human lineage. It is thought to have evolved as forests retreated in...

Shlosberg et al. present a method to simultaneously absorb carbon dioxide while producing an electrical current with minimal engineering requirements. Image credit: Shlosberg et al., doi: 10.1021/acsami.2c15123.

Researchers Turn Succulent Plant into Living ‘Bio-Solar Cell’

Dec 14, 2022 by News Staff

Harvesting an electrical current from biological photosynthetic systems, such as live cells, is typically achieved by immersion of the system into an electrolyte...

To create fusion ignition, NIF’s laser energy is converted into X-rays inside the hohlraum, which then compress a fuel capsule until it implodes, creating a high temperature, high pressure plasma. Image credit: National Ignition Facility, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Physicists Achieve Key Milestone in Nuclear Fusion Energy

Dec 13, 2022 by News Staff

Physicists with the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have successfully produced a nuclear fusion reaction resulting...

Denisovan DNA Shaped Papuans’ Immune System, New Study Shows

Dec 9, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

Modern humans have admixed with multiple species of archaic hominins. Papuans, in particular, owe up to 5% of their genome to Denisovans, a sister group...

Iberian owl-like plaques and local owl species: (a) engraved slate plaque found in Cerro de la Cabeza, Valencina de la Concepción, Sevilla, Spain; (b) wild little owl (Athene noctua) pictured in an agricultural area in Valencina de la Concepción in 2021; (c) slate plaque from Mértola, Alentejo, Portugal; the orifices on the upper part may have been used to insert actual feathers; (d) long-eared owl (Asio otus) with erected ear tufts, pictured in Valencina de la Concepción in 2021. Image credit: Juan J. Negro.

Iberian Owl-Shaped Plaques Were Toys Made by Copper Age Children: Study

Dec 5, 2022 by News Staff

In the Copper Age, around 5,000 years ago, owl-shaped, engraved plaques were produced massively in the southwestern corner of the Iberian Peninsula. Researchers...

Varrette et al. run an exploratory study on whether intentionally introduced cognitive behavioral therapy, delivered through the medium of TTRPG groups, could positively affect social skills, reduce anxiety symptoms and behaviors, and enhance the mental well-being of participants. Image credit: Edwin Francisco.

Tabletop Role-Playing Games Reduce Anxiety, New Research Shows

Dec 5, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

In new research, a team of scientists from the Bodhana Group and the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology explored whether intentionally introduced...

In older women, greater habitual dietary flavonoid intake associates with less extensive abdominal aortic calcification. Image credit: Parmenter et al., doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.122.318408.

Flavonoid-Rich Diet May Lower Cardiovascular Risks in Older Women

Nov 29, 2022 by News Staff

In a study of 881 elderly women, a team of researchers from Edith Cowan University and elsewhere found that the participants were far less likely to have...

Carter et al. compared postprandial changes in appetite-regulating hormones and self-reported appetite ratings after consuming almonds or an isocaloric carbohydrate-rich snack bar. Image credit: PIRO.

Almond Consumption May Reduce Risk of Obesity: Study

Nov 22, 2022 by News Staff

A snack of 30-50 grams of almonds could help people cut back on the number of calories they consume each day, according to a new study led by University...