Tuesday 31 December 2019

People with depression feel better after listening to sad music, research suggests

People with depression feel better after listening to sad music, research suggests

Once more, with feeling.

Continue reading...

Study uncovers how brain damage increases religious fundamentalism

Study uncovers how brain damage increases religious fundamentalism

Research has found religious belief is associated with certain regions of the human brain, but there is still much to learn about how these areas influence religious belief. A new study in the journal Neuropsychologia found that lesions in a particular brain region tend to increase religious fundamentalism.

Continue reading...

Animated, interactive digital books may help kids learn better

Animated, interactive digital books may help kids learn better

Digital books may have a few advantages over ordinary ones when it comes to kids remembering their contents, according to a new study. Animations, especially ones keyed to verbal interactions, can significantly improve recall of story details — but they have to be done right.

Continue reading...

I'm testing an experimental drug to see if it halts Alzheimer's

I'm testing an experimental drug to see if it halts Alzheimer's

In January, we broke the news that we may finally know what causes Alzheimer’s disease. For decades, it had been thought that the condition is caused by a protein called beta-amyloid going awry in the brain. But in 2019, evidence pointed the finger elsewhere: at Porphyromonas gingivalis, a type of bacteria involved in gum disease.

Continue reading...

How an Alzheimer’s ‘cabal’ thwarted progress toward a cure - STAT

How an Alzheimer’s ‘cabal’ thwarted progress toward a cure - STAT

This stifling of competing ideas, say a growing number of scholars, is a big reason why there is no treatment for Alzheimer’s.

Continue reading...

The first U.S. trials in people put CRISPR to the test in 2019

The first U.S. trials in people put CRISPR to the test in 2019

When it was unveiled in 2012, people had great hopes that the gene editor CRISPR/Cas9 could treat or even cure hundreds to thousands of genetic diseases. This year, researchers in the United States began testing the gene editor in people, a crucial first step in determining whether the technology can fulfill its medical promise.

Continue reading...

Monday 30 December 2019

Is the Future Already Written?

Is the Future Already Written?

A conscientious cosmologist rejects Einstein’s notion that time is an illusion and the future is set

Continue reading...

Hydrogen-powered drones point way to future travel

Hydrogen-powered drones point way to future travel

Hydrogen-powered drones have several advantages to lithium ion-powered ones, says Dr Enass Abo-Hamed.

Continue reading...

Can technology reduce traffic congestion, these mathemeticians say yes

Can technology reduce traffic congestion, these mathemeticians say yes

Scientists at St. Petersburg State University, proposed a solution to traffic congestion…

Continue reading...

10-year-old boy forced to take off clothe before boarding a flight over snake picture

10-year-old boy forced to take off clothe before boarding a flight over snake picture

A New Zealand family said their 10-year-old son was forced to take off his T-shirt and wear another one before boarding a flight because it had picture of a snake on it. On December 17, Stevie Lucas embarked on a family trip from New Zealand to South Africa to visit his grandparents. His parents Steve and Marga said security officers at Johannesburg airport told them snake toys and printed clothing was not allowed on board.

Continue reading...

Kenya Installs the First Solar Plant That Transforms Ocean Water Into Drinking Water, and It Could Be the Solution to the Global Lack of Water

Kenya Installs the First Solar Plant That Transforms Ocean Water Into Drinking Water, and It Could Be the Solution to the Global Lack of Water

The Earth is a watery place. In fact, 71 percent of our planet is covered in water. Despite this, one in nine people do not have access to safe drinking water – that’s around 785 million people.

Continue reading...

Sunday 29 December 2019

The Biggest Alien Planet Discoveries of 2019

The Biggest Alien Planet Discoveries of 2019

The year did not disappoint.

Continue reading...

Magic mushroom compound psilocybin found safe for consumption in largest ever controlled study

Magic mushroom compound psilocybin found safe for consumption in largest ever controlled study

The largest controlled study of psilocybin – the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms – has found the compound safe for human consumption, bringing researchers one step closer to developing a psilocybin-based treatment for depression.

Continue reading...

The tiny desert community that could hold the secret to how language first spread

The tiny desert community that could hold the secret to how language first spread

Researchers are hoping a remote Aboriginal community can help them unlock the secrets of language.

Continue reading...

Rainbow Eucalyptus–The Most Colorful Tree on Earth

Rainbow Eucalyptus–The Most Colorful Tree on Earth

These trees may look like they've been painted on, but these colors are all natural. This peculiar tree is called Eucalyptus deglupta, commonly known as the Rainbow Eucalyptus, and also known as the Mindanao Gum, or the Rainbow Gum. The multi-coloured streaks on its trunk comes from patches of outer bark that are shed annually at different times, showing the bright-green inner bark.

Continue reading...

This Type of Chocolate May Help Prevent Depression

This Type of Chocolate May Help Prevent Depression

New research finds that dark chocolate could reduce the risk of depression.

Continue reading...

Elon Musk says Las Vegas tunnel will hopefully be operational in 2020

Elon Musk says Las Vegas tunnel will hopefully be operational in 2020

Elon Musk said that Las Vegas is "hopefully" getting a fully operational underground commercial tunnel in 2020.

Continue reading...

The five biggest space failures of 2019

The five biggest space failures of 2019

2019 was the shot. 2020 is the chaser.

Continue reading...

We know contact with nature makes you feel better. Can virtual contact do the same?

We know contact with nature makes you feel better. Can virtual contact do the same?

The positive effects of spending time with nature on psychological wellbeing and health are well documented. However, not everyone can enjoy a trip to a green-space.

Continue reading...

Paul Krugman on climate, robots, single-payer, and so much more

Paul Krugman on climate, robots, single-payer, and so much more

The Nobel prize-winning economist explains it all.

Continue reading...

Artificial Intelligence Identifies Previously Unknown Features Associated with Cancer Recurrence

Artificial Intelligence Identifies Previously Unknown Features Associated with Cancer Recurrence

December 27, 2019 — Artificial intelligence (AI) technology developed by the RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP) in Japan has successfully found features in pathology images from human cancer patients, without annotation, that could be understood by human doctors.

Continue reading...

Saturday 28 December 2019

Sky shepherds: the farmers using drones to watch their flocks by flight

Sky shepherds: the farmers using drones to watch their flocks by flight

For some farmers in New Zealand, Britain and Australia, drones are not just a toy – they’re an increasingly vital tool

Continue reading...

3D Printing Is Going to Reshape Retail in These 4 Ways

3D Printing Is Going to Reshape Retail in These 4 Ways

3D printing can create a product from almost any material at mass scale, generating large quantities while individually tailoring each product to consumers.

Continue reading...

Chimpanzees Sway, Clap Their Hands When They Hear Music

Chimpanzees Sway, Clap Their Hands When They Hear Music

While the chimps didn't match the beat, it's an indication they respond instinctively to sounds.

Continue reading...

The Oldest Known Tattoo Art Found in Egyptian Mummy

The Oldest Known Tattoo Art Found in Egyptian Mummy

Scientists discovered the world’s oldest known tattoo art on an ancient Egyptian mummy exhibited at the British Museum for 100 years. Previously, academics and museum visitors saw only pale and dark spots on the right arm of the mummified man. However, recent infrared research has revealed that the marks are actually tattoos depicting two animals, a giant wild bull and a wild North African goat-like creature.

Continue reading...

The 15 most awe-inspiring space images of the decade 

The 15 most awe-inspiring space images of the decade 

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019.

Continue reading...

Friday 27 December 2019

Europe's Mars lander passes parachute test

Europe's Mars lander passes parachute test

Ground tests designed to validate the deployment of the parachutes that will be used on the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars lander next year have started well at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. ESA’s ExoMars 2020 mission consists of the UK-built Rosalind Franklin rover, which will look for signs of past or present life, and the Russian Kazachok surface platform, which will monitor the local environment at the landing site.

Continue reading...

Will Elon Musk’s Solar Panels Blanket America? They Probably Should.

Will Elon Musk’s Solar Panels Blanket America? They Probably Should.

This might be where Elon Musk is best able to make a lasting mark.

Continue reading...

How Microbiomes Affect Fear

How Microbiomes Affect Fear

New studies help to explain how microbes in the gut can shape a host’s fear responses.

Continue reading...

Boeing documents show 'very disturbing picture' about the 737 MAX

Boeing documents show 'very disturbing picture' about the 737 MAX

Boeing provided new documents to federal investigators that 'point to a very disturbing picture' about the 737 MAX aircraft. CEO Dennis Muilenburg resigned on Monday.

Continue reading...

U.S. tests ways to sweep space clean of radiation after nuclear attack

U.S. tests ways to sweep space clean of radiation after nuclear attack

The U.S. military thought it had cleared the decks when, on 9 July 1962, it heaved a 1.4-megaton nuclear bomb some 400 kilometers into space: Orbiting satellites were safely out of range of the blast. But in the months that followed the test, called Starfish Prime, satellites began to wink out one by one, including the world’s first communications satellite, Telstar. There was an unexpected aftereffect: High-energy electrons, shed by radioactive debris and trapped by Earth’s magnetic field, were fritzing out the satellites’ electronics and solar panels.

Continue reading...

Why your cat is lousy at chess yet way smarter than even the most advanced AI

Why your cat is lousy at chess yet way smarter than even the most advanced AI

If you share your home with a dog or a cat, look at it carefully and you will get a good overview of everything we don’t know how to do in artificial intelligence. “But my cat does nothing all day except sleep, eat and wash herself,” you may think.

Continue reading...

Scientists Likely Found Way To Grow New Teeth For Patients

Scientists Likely Found Way To Grow New Teeth For Patients

Tooth loss is an unfortunate health condition that people all over the world can suffer from. Whether from decay, gum disease, or fractures, you can experience tooth loss in a variety of ways. But what if there was a way to grow back those lost teeth?

Continue reading...

Scientists attempt to recreate 'Overview effect' from Earth

Scientists attempt to recreate 'Overview effect' from Earth

The spectacle of Earth suspended in space was so overwhelming for Edgar Mitchell that the Apollo 14 astronaut and sixth man on the moon wanted to grab politicians by the scruff of the neck and drag them into space to witness the view. Such drastic measures may not be necessary, however. Scientists are about to welcome the first participants on an unprecedented clinical trial that aims to reproduce the intense emotional experience, known as the “Overview effect”, from the comfort of a health spa.

Continue reading...

Diving and driving on icy moons: One strategy for exploring Enceladus and Europa

Diving and driving on icy moons: One strategy for exploring Enceladus and Europa

Over the past 60 years, NASA has explored the solar system from the sun to the Kuiper belt. While many of these missions, especially those beyond Saturn, have been one-shot flybys, others have charted many of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn extensively by repeated orbital passes.

Continue reading...

Photos Of How People Will Look Like in 2100

Photos Of How People Will Look Like in 2100

A company has created a 3D model of a future human, based on some of these scientific predictions - and the result is truly horrifying.

Continue reading...

Astronomers are wondering whether Orion's shoulder will soon explode

Astronomers are wondering whether Orion's shoulder will soon explode

The dramatic dimming of a giant star has astronomers wondering whether it's getting ready to go supernova. If Betelgeuse, the shoulder on the left side in the constellation Orion, were to explode, it would become as bright as a full moon.

Continue reading...

Thursday 26 December 2019

Tuesday 24 December 2019

Monday 23 December 2019

Warp speeds in 'Star Trek' are achingly slow, and a simple animation by a former NASA scientist proves it

Warp speeds in 'Star Trek' are achingly slow, and a simple animation by a former NASA scientist proves it

The animation shows how long it takes the starship Enterprise in "Star Trek" to reach Pluto at warp factors that break the known laws of physics.

Continue reading...

Our Attitude Toward Aliens Proves We Still Think We’re Special

Our Attitude Toward Aliens Proves We Still Think We’re Special

One summer’s day in 1950, the great Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi was having lunch with the physicists Edward Teller, Emil Konopinski, and Herbert York at Los Alamos when the conversation turned to a flood of recent UFO sightings all over the United States. There were also, coincidentally, reports of trashcans going missing in New York City at the time.

Continue reading...