Science & Technology

Forest-dependent people living across the Gran Chaco have been put on the map for the first time. As agribusiness expands into the dry forest on which they rely, the impact of that expansion on them has been difficult to document because their homestea…

As a foundational species, giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) is vital to the ecosystem of the temperate, shallow, nearshore waters where it grows. When the kelp flourishes, so do the communities that rely on the fast-growing species for food and shelter.

Exposure to the heavy metal cadmium is known to irritate the stomach and lungs or cause kidney disease, but new research links another health issue to inadvertently ingesting low doses of the pollutant: high activation of the antibodies that cause an a…

A team of physicists has demonstrated numerically a dynamical one-parameter scaling called ‘Family-Vicsek (FV) scaling,’ originally found in surface growth physics, in disordered quantum systems.

Researchers have uncovered a surprisingly complex yet precisely ordered map of visual space in area V2 of the cortex. Challenging previously held beliefs, this novel organization redefines mapping of visual space and reveals a newfound flexibility not …

Whales use a combination of rapid echolocation adjustments and nimble brain responses to zero in on fast-moving prey, suggests a new study.

Cells can control their ability to move through the body by using a protein called fascin to control the stiffness of neighbouring cells, suggests a new study.

Meteorologists and emergency workers continue to contest the popular thinking that waiting out a tornado under an overpass is safe. According to the National Weather Service, doing so could actually increase the risk of death, in part because the wind …

Scientists have used down-scaled laboratory models to show how sand dunes move through a landscape, revealing the conditions that determine whether they will pass through hurdles in their path — like pipelines or walls — or get stopped in their tracks.

An international team of scientists has identified a new connection between certain molecules produced by the microbiome and the function of a protein that impacts gut inflammation.

The next time you buy a new couch, you may not ever have to leave your old one to get a feel for the texture of the new material. Researchers are working to better define how the finger interacts with a device with the hope of aiding in the further dev…

Water is a scarce commodity in many countries worldwide, but new cost-effective technology pioneered by researchers in Australia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia could ensure sustainable water supplies for decades to come.

Psychologists have created body-maps of the sensations which arise during hallucinations in people experiencing psychosis.

According to a study of couples in the Houston area before and after Hurricane Harvey, natural disasters can actually bring married couples closer together, at least temporarily. This surprised researchers because in previous studies looking at everyda…

Changing levels of the chemical dopamine, a chemical most associated with motivation, may help explain why stressful experiences during infancy can lead to lasting behavioral issues, a new study shows.

Accurate forecasting of epidemic scenarios is critical to implementing effective public health intervention policies. Researchers used dynamical stochastic modeling techniques to reveal that infection and recovery rate fluctuations play a critical role…