Science & Technology
How triple-pane windows stop energy (and money) from flying out the window
Next generation triple-pane windows provide builders with lower cost options and help homeowners conserve energy, reduce noise, and lower home energy bills.
Magnetic excitations could provide information transfer without heat loss
Just as electrons flow through an electrical conductor, magnetic excitations can travel through certain materials. Such excitations, known in physics as ‘magnons’ in analogy to the electron, could transport information much more easily than electrical …
How can the computer chip predict the future of gene synthesis?
Creating synthetic life could be easily within our grasp soon based on a comparison with the evolution of computer chips. Computer programming and gene synthesis appear to share little in common. But according to an expert, leaps forward in technology …
Temperature variation could help new touchscreen technology simulate virtual shapes
High-fidelity touch has the potential to significantly expand the scope of what we expect from computing devices, making new remote sensory experiences possible. The research on these advancements could help touchscreens simulate virtual shapes.
The future of data storage is double-helical, research indicates
Researchers added seven new letters to DNA’s molecular alphabet and developed a precise, letter-perfect sequencing method. These innovations helped transform the double helix into a robust, sustainable data storage platform fit for the Information Age …
Brain stimulation shows promise as treatment for cannabis use disorder in people with schizophrenia
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was associated with a reduction in self-reported cannabis use by up to 60 per cent among people with schizophrenia who have cannabis use disorder (CUD), according to a new study.
Joro spiders likely to spread beyond Georgia, US
The Joro spider first arrived stateside around 2013 and has since spread across the state and Southeast. But new research suggests the invasive arachnids could spread through most of the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S.
New research suggests a causal link between blood group and severe COVID-19
A new study has analysed over 3000 proteins to identify which are causally linked to the development of severe COVID-19. This is the first study to assess such a large number of proteins for their connection to COVID-19. The findings provide insight in…
Researchers find ‘genetic baggage’ accumulates in the genomes of aging mutant animals
You are probably familiar with the term that some people carry ‘a lot of extra baggage.’ Usually that term refers to that person’s emotional history, but in genetics and our genomes, ‘extra baggage’ can also describe the transposons lurking in our geno…
Communication defect in psychotic disorders
Communication between brain areas is crucial for the brain to correctly process sensory signals and adopt an appropriate behavioural response. Yet, dysfunctions in these communication pathways could be strongly correlated with the onset of schizophreni…
Rapid evolution fuels transcriptional plasticity in fish species to cope with ocean acidification
A research team has revealed the basis to variability across different fish species and uncovered that some species evolve more rapidly, providing them with evolved molecular toolkits and allowing them able to cope with future ocean acidification.
Energy-harvesting wearable device made from recycled waste
Wearable devices could soon be entirely made of recycled waste materials — and powered by human movement, thanks to a new energy-harvesting device.
Two-faced orchestrator: Tis gene regulates positive and negative immune responses in plants
The mechanism of plant defense mediated by the non-expressor of pathogenesis-related (NPR) genes in monocots (plants having a single embryonic leaf) is not well-documented. Now, scientists have discovered how the NPR family of genes regulate immune res…
Physics race pits Usain Bolt against Jurassic Park dinosaur
Scott Lee is a physics professor at the University of Toledo who has developed numerous learning activities to help intro-level students get enthusiastic about the topic. His latest innovative activity poses the question: Is Usain Bolt faster than a 90…
Seeing is believing when it comes to health risk and behavior change
Using medical imaging technologies that can visualize health may discourage risk-related behaviors more than non-visual information. A new meta-analysis finds that when individuals undergo an imaging procedure and are shown visual personalized informat…
Lipid profiling can predict risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease decades before onset
Simultaneous measurement of dozens of types of fats in the blood (‘lipidomics’) can predict the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) years in the future, according to a new study. Such early prediction through lipid…
Changing your mind based on information, or simply to conform? Brain activity differentiates between types of social influence
Researchers have characterized brain activity that occurs when we are socially influenced to change our minds. The study shows how the brain distinguishes between different types of social conformity when revising one’s opinions.
Working, studying in ‘off’ hours can harm motivation
Working a nontraditional schedule, and checking in at all hours of the day, night and weekends, is not necessarily beneficial for the 21st-century workforce, according to new research.
Vaccine and antibody treatment effectiveness blunted by all three Omicron subvariants
A new study finds that COVID vaccines and monoclonal antibody treatments offer less protection against new Omicron subvariants.