Other Sciences News

The World Magnetic Model 2020. Image credit: NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information / British Geological Survey.

Earth’s North Magnetic Pole Keeps Drifting towards Siberia, Latest World Magnetic Model Shows

Dec 27, 2019 by News Staff

Researchers from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information and the British Geological Survey earlier this month released a new version of...

Märtin et al define the molecular identity of striatal projections neurons, focusing on the characterization of the patch and matrix compartments; genetic labeling of mu opioid receptor (Oprm1)-expressing neurons reveals the identity of neuron subtypes, and also establishes spatial markers for the identification of subregions in striatum. Image credit: Märtin et al, doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.11.096.

Scientists Create Molecular Map of Striatum

Dec 24, 2019 by News Staff

Striatum, the inner part of the brain, is considered central to decision-making and the development of various addictions. In mouse models and with methods...

Verigin et al found that self-reported good liars (i) may be responsible for a disproportionate amount of lies in daily life, (ii) tend to tell inconsequential lies, mostly to colleagues and friends, and generally via face-to-face interactions, and (iii) highly rely on verbal strategies of deception, most commonly reporting to embed their lies into truthful information, and to keep the statement clear, simple and plausible. Image credit: Ryan McGuire.

New Study Identifies Key Characteristics of Expert Liars

Dec 23, 2019 by News Staff

According to a new study published in the journal PLoS ONE, good liars lean towards telling inconsequential lies, mostly to colleagues and friends, and...

Study: Iron Crystals Accumulate and Compact into Thick Layer on Top of Earth’s Inner Core

Dec 20, 2019 by News Staff

Tiny iron particles fall from Earth’s molten outer core and pile on top of the planet’s solid inner core, according to new research published in the...

This is an artist's reconstruction of Homo erectus. Image credit: Yale University.

Last Population of Homo erectus Survived in Central Java until 108,000 Years Ago

Dec 20, 2019 by News Staff

An international team of researchers has pinpointed the first comprehensive age for the last known occurrence of the early hominin species Homo erectus. This...

An enteroendocrine cell (green) lies within the epithelium (red) that lines the intestines of a zebrafish larvae. Image credit: Lihua Ye.

Study: High-Fat Meal Can Silence Communication between Intestine and Rest of the Body

Dec 18, 2019 by News Staff

According to a new study performed in zebrafish (Danio rerio), a high-fat meal can shut down the communication between the enteroendocrine cells —...

Bed elevation of the Antarctic ice sheet color coded between minus 2 and 1 km (minus 1.2 and 0.6 miles) above sea level. The white lines delineate the basins from the ice sheet mass balance inter-comparison exercise (IMBIE). Image credit: Morlighem et al, doi: 10.1038/s41561-019-0510-8.

Scientists Create New Bed Topography Map of Earth’s Southernmost Continent

Dec 16, 2019 by News Staff

BedMachine Antarctica is a new bed topography map based on ice thickness data from different research institutes dating back to 1967, encompassing nearly...

Westlake et al revealed strong and systematic variation in altruistic tendencies across urban suburbs of different socio-economic characteristics; this variance appears to be conditioned by the education and occupation level of residents in the suburb, and was not consistently influenced by economic resources or crime rate. Image credit: Sasin Tipchai.

Study Provides New Insight into Human Altruistic Behavior

Dec 14, 2019 by Enrico de Lazaro

Altruism blossoms in neighborhoods populated with highly educated people working in high-status jobs, according to new research. Westlake et al revealed...

Playing sports has many benefits, including boosting physical, cardiovascular, and mental fitness. Image credit: Mike Kaplan / U.S. Air Force photo.

Athletes Have Quieter Brains, New Research Shows

Dec 10, 2019 by News Staff

Playing sports — including football, soccer and hockey — increases the gain of the external sound signal by turning down the background noise...

A moderate coffee intake is considered to be 3-5 cups of coffee a day. Image credit: Jill Wellington.

Low-to-Moderate Coffee Consumption Cuts Risk of Metabolic Syndrome, New Report Says

Dec 6, 2019 by News Staff

Coffee consumption at a level of 1-4 cups of coffee per day is associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, according to a new report from the...

This map shows locations of samples analyzed to estimate crustal thickness during the Laramide orogeny. Text in white boxes is the average crustal thickness and average age for locations (labeled in brown) with over 5 samples. CRM - Catalina-Rincon Mountains, BM - Baboquivari Mountains. Image credit: Chapman et al, doi: 10.1130/G47117.1.

Southwestern U.S. Was Once Similar to Today’s Tibetan Plateau: Study

Dec 5, 2019 by News Staff

New research suggests that during the Late Cretaceous epoch to the Early Paleogene epoch (80-50 million years ago), much of the southwestern United States...

People can infer cats’ affective states from subtle aspects of their facial expressions -- although most find this challenging -- and some individuals are very good at doing so. Image credit: CaptainMeo.

Cats Have Facial Expressions and Some People Can Read Them, Scientists Say

Dec 3, 2019 by News Staff

A new study, published in the journal Animal Welfare, shows that some people are particularly good at identifying feline emotions from cats’ faces; women...

King Charles II of Spain was the last in the Habsburg line and one of the most afflicted with the facial deformity.

‘Habsburg Jaw’ Was Result of Inbreeding, New Research Confirms

Dec 3, 2019 by News Staff

A facial condition called the ‘Habsburg jaw’ (mandibular prognathism) owes its name to its high prevalence in the Habsburg dynasty of Spanish and Austrian...

Fabrication of the liquid-entrenched smooth surface: (a) schematic showing the two-step spray-coating process to form the LESS coating; the molecularly grafted polymer layer creates chemical affinity to the lubricant; (b) optical images showing the individual coating processes on glass; the lubricant used was silicone oil, and the blue testing liquid was dyed water. Image credit: Wang et al, doi: 10.1038/s41893-019-0421-0.

Innovative Toilet Coating Could Reduce Cleaning Water Consumption by 90%

Dec 2, 2019 by News Staff

A team of materials scientists and engineers from the Pennsylvania State University and Cranfield University has designed and fabricated a new toilet coating...

Schematic of the team’s ultracold chemistry apparatus; ground-state KRb molecules at 500 nK are trapped by a crossed optical dipole trap: (A) absorption image of KRb molecules; the color bar indicates the optical depth of the KRb cloud; CCD - charge-coupled device; (B) the trapped molecules are surrounded by velocity-map imaging (VMI) ion optics , which consist of a series of disk-shaped electrodes; the researchers use a pulsed UV laser to photoionize the molecules; B - magnetic field; (C) example time of flight (TOF) spectrum; (D) for each species identified in the mass spectrum, the scientists also obtain a velocity-map image from which the momentum distribution can be inferred. Image credit: Hu et al, doi: 10.1126/science.aay9531.

Chemists Directly Observe Coldest Ever Chemical Reaction

Dec 2, 2019 by News Staff

When two diatomic molecules collide, they can sometimes swap partners. For instance, two potassium-rubidium (KRb) molecules can produce K2 and Rb2. The...

A range of now extinct megafauna that was present when humans first arrived in Australia. Image credit: Peter Trusler, Monash University.

Study: Humans and Climate Change Drove Australian Megafauna to Extinction

Dec 2, 2019 by News Staff

Ancient Australia’s super-sized animals, the megafauna, became extinct about 42,000 years ago, but the role of humans in their demise has been debated...

Mice receiving extra-virgin olive oil displayed improved memory and cognition which was associated with increased basal synaptic activity and short-term plasticity; this effect was accompanied by an upregulation of complexin 1, a key presynaptic protein; moreover, extra-virgin olive oil treatment resulted in a significant reduction of tau oligomers and phosphorylated tau at specific epitopes. Image credit: Skica911.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil-Rich Diet Protects Mice from Multiple Forms of Dementia

Dec 2, 2019 by News Staff

Extra-virgin olive oil, a major component of the Mediterranean diet, is rich in cell-protecting antioxidants and known for its multiple health benefits....

Neanderthal. Image credit: Neanderthal Museum.

Were Neanderthals, Denisovans and Other Archaic Humans Victims of Sixth Mass Extinction?

Dec 1, 2019 by The Conversation

Nine human species walked the Earth 300,000 years ago. Now there is just one. A reconstruction of a Neanderthal man. Image credit: Neanderthal Museum. Neanderthals...

Chen & van Breemen found drugs in blood supply used for research. Image credit: Allinonemovie.

Researchers Find Caffeine, Other Chemicals in Donor Blood Serum

Nov 28, 2019 by News Staff

In new research, Oregon State University scientists worked with biomedical suppliers to purchase and analyze 18 batches of human blood serum pooled from...