Science & Technology
Sunlight can break down marine plastic into tens of thousands of chemical compounds, study finds
Sunlight was once thought to only fragment plastics in the marine environment into smaller particles that chemically resemble the original material and persist forever. However, scientists more recently have learned that sunlight also chemically transf…
Behind the scenes, brain circuit ensures vision remains reliable
As mice watched movies, neuroscientists watched their brains to see how vision could be represented reliably. The answer is that consistency in representation is governed by a circuit of inhibitory neurons.
Combining sunlight and wastewater nitrate to make the world’s No. 2 chemical
Engineers have created a solar-powered electrochemical reaction that not only uses wastewater to make ammonia — the second most-produced chemical in the world — but also achieves a solar-to-fuel efficiency that is 10 times better than any other compa…
Steps per day matter in middle age, but not as many as you may think
Walking at least 7,000 steps a day reduced middle-aged people’s risk of premature death from all causes by 50% to 70%, compared to that of other middle-aged people who took fewer daily steps.
Using electricity to give chemistry a boost
Chemists have discovered an efficient and sustainable way to produce iron-based metal organic framework (MOF) materials directly using renewable electricity at room temperature. Previously, MOFs — which have applications as catalysts, sensors and for …
Platelets key to blood vessel damage in COVID-19 patients
Abnormal crosstalk between blood platelets and cells lining blood vessels is one cause of deadly organ damage in patients with severe COVID-19, a new study finds.
Forest edges in the tropics increase carbon emissions
Tropical rain forests are becoming fragmented at a higher rate than expected. By analyzing high-resolution satellite data, researchers were able to measure even the smallest piece of tropical forest and study the changes in tropical fragmentation. In a…
Research uncovers new mechanism that promotes wound healing in skin
A study identifies a new molecular pathway that promotes the healing of wounds in the skin.
What the brain shows: The benefits of virtual reality in creative arts therapies
Researchers examined the differences in prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation between two distinct drawing tasks in virtual reality. Results of the study indicated significant differences between a rote tracing task and a creative self-expression task, wi…
People with Parkinson’s may benefit from seven walking strategies
Various strategies can help people with Parkinson’s who have difficulty walking, but a new study finds that many people have never heard of or tried these strategies. The study also found that how well different compensation strategies worked depended …
No serious COVID-19 vaccine side effects in breastfeeding moms, infants, study finds
Researchers found that breastfeeding mothers who received either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccination reported the same local or systemic symptoms as what has been previously reported in non-breastfeeding women, with no serious side effects in th…
Soft components for the next generation of soft robotics
Researchers have developed electrically-driven soft valves to control hydraulic soft actuators. These valves could be used in assistive and therapeutic devices, bio-inspired soft robots, soft grippers, surgical robots, and more.
‘MRI’ scan reveals spectacular ice age landscapes beneath the North Sea
Spectacular ice age landscapes beneath the North Sea have been discovered using 3D seismic reflection technology. Similar to MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) the images reveal in unprecedented detail huge seafloor channels – each one 10 times wider tha…
Environmental conditions of early humans in Europe
The conditions under which early members of the genus Homo dispersed outside Africa were analysed on a broader scale, across Europe during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. The model is based on the comparison of functional trait distribution of large …
Forest fires linked to tens of thousands of avoidable deaths
Setting fire to forest and agricultural land in Southeast Asia to prepare it for cultivation or grazing causes air pollution that is contributing to an estimated 59,000 premature deaths a year, according to a new study.
Good sleep-time recovery is associated with a healthier diet and lower alcohol consumption
Good sleep-time recovery is associated with a health-promoting diet and health-promoting eating habits, as well as with lower consumption of alcohol, according to a new study investigating psychological and physiological well-being among working-age Fi…
New information on the early stages of dementia with Lewy bodies
Results from a new study reinforce the notion that dementia with Lewy bodies can be pathologically classified into two different disease types.