Science & Technology
Mimicking a bird’s sticky spit to create cellulose gels
Using a small bird’s nest-making process as a model, researchers have developed a nontoxic process for making cellulose gels.
Familiarity breeds contempt for moral failings
People judge members of their own circles more harshly than they judge individuals from other groups for the same transgressions, new research has found.
Whaling wiped out far more fin whales than previously thought
Whaling in the 20th century destroyed 99% of the Eastern North Pacific fin whale breeding population. Because there is enough genetic diversity, current conservation measures should help the population rebound without becoming inbred. The future of fin…
Human Lung Chip leveraged to faithfully model radiation-induced lung injury
Researchers have developed a human in vitro model that closely mimics the complexities of radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) and radiation dose sensitivity of the human lung. Using a previously developed microfluidic human Lung Alveolus Chip lined by…
Researchers test seafloor fiber optic cable as an earthquake early warning system
One of the biggest challenges for earthquake early warning systems (EEW) is the lack of seismic stations located offshore of heavily populated coastlines, where some of the world’s most seismically active regions are located. In a new study, researcher…
Mitochondrial protein plays key role in glioblastoma and therapeutic resistance
Glioblastoma is the most common type of brain tumor that affects adults and, unfortunately, still remains incurable. In a new study, researchers have demonstrated that a specific mitochondrial protein plays an important role in glioblastoma, and can th…
Orchid without bumblebee on island finds wasp, loses self
Because the bumblebee that an orchid relies on for pollination does not exist on a remote island, the plant gets pollinated by an island wasp. Researchers found that this came at the cost of being hybridized with another orchid species adapted to being…
Adults with ADHD are at increased risk for developing dementia
Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are nearly three times more likely to develop dementia than adults without ADHD, according to a new study. The study followed more than 100,000 older adults in Israel over 17 years to examine …
Subalpine forests in the Northern Rockies are fire resilient–for now
Using lake sediment cores, scientists determined how these subalpine ecosystems recovered after 4,800 years of fire.
New recipe for efficient, environmentally friendly battery recycling
Researchers are now presenting a new and efficient way to recycle metals from spent electric car batteries. The method allows recovery of 100 per cent of the aluminum and 98 per cent of the lithium in electric car batteries. At the same time, the loss …
Smarter CT scans may approach the level of MRI
In certain cases, a new method can provide as much information from brain images taken with computed tomography (CT) as images captured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The method could enhance diagnostic support, particularly in primary care, fo…
New study reveals similarities between chimpanzee and human language development
Scientists examining the evolutionary roots of language say they’ve discovered chimp vocal development is not far off from humans.
Critical step made for managing brushtail possums
Researchers say mapping the genetic code of the brushtail possum will benefit those working to both conserve and control the animal.
Art with DNA — Digitally creating 16 million colors by chemistry
The DNA double helix is composed of two DNA molecules whose sequences are complementary to each other. The stability of the duplex can be fine-tuned in the lab by controlling the amount and location of imperfect complementary sequences. Fluorescent mar…
Surprising discovery about coral’s resilience could help reefs survive climate change
A team has studied the mountainous star coral, Orbicella faveolata, to determine whether coral populations that have survived higher temperatures can pass their heat tolerance on to their offspring. To the scientists’ surprise, the results showed the …
How to help save plants from extinction
Now is the time to identify the conditions that cause plants to die. Doing so will allow us to better protect plants by choosing conservation targets more strategically, botanists argue.