Science & Technology
First European farmers’ heights did not meet expectations
A combined study of genetics and skeletal remains show that the switch from primarily hunting, gathering and foraging to farming about 12,000 years ago in Europe may have had negative health effects as indicated by shorter than expected heights in the …
Kisspeptin: A new drug to treat liver disease?
A hormone that triggers puberty and controls fertility in humans might be developed as a treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, according to new Rutgers research.
Can artificial intelligence reveal why languages change over time?
American Sign Language (ASL) signs that are challenging to perceive — those that are rare or have uncommon handshapes — are made closer to the signer’s face, where people often look during sign perception. By contrast, common ones, and those with mor…
Human gene variant produces attention deficit disorder-like problems in mice
Mutant mice are providing scientists with a new neurobiological framework to understand the brain changes observed in distractible humans who carry a common gene variant whose frequency has been associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder …
Computerized, rolling DNA motors move molecular robotics to next level
Chemists integrated computer functions into rolling DNA-based motors, opening a new realm of possibilities for miniature, molecular robots. These DNA-based motors combine computational power with the ability to burn fuel and move in an intentional dire…
After ‘mama,’ children’s first words include ‘this’ and ‘that’
Across languages and cultures, words that help direct caregivers’ attention are likely to be among the first children learn and use frequently, according to a new study of early vocabulary development in an Indigenous language.
Hunting for gravitational waves from monster black holes
Our universe is a chaotic sea of ripples in space-time called gravitational waves. Astronomers think waves from orbiting pairs of supermassive black holes in distant galaxies are light-years long and have been trying to observe them for decades, and no…
Researchers engineer electrically tunable graphene devices to study rare physics
Scientists have developed a tunable graphene-based platform that allows for fine control over the interaction between light and matter in the terahertz (THz) spectrum to reveal rare phenomena known as exceptional points. The work could advance optoelec…
An immune ‘fingerprint’ reveals path for better treatment of autoimmune diseases
Most autoimmune diseases are easy to diagnose but hard to treat. A new article proposes using your unique immune cell fingerprint to rapidly identify which treatments will work for your autoimmune disease.