Category Archives: Research

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – Oct. 3, 2024

Volume 634 Issue 8032

Nature Magazine – October 2, 2024: The latest issue features ‘Wiring Diagram’ – A complete map of neuronal connections in an adult fruit fly’s brain…

Why cannibal queens make a meal of fungus-ridden larvae

Ant larvae infected with a pathogenic fungus had better watch out for Mum.

Bronze Age clash was Europe’s oldest known interregional battle

Artefacts found in modern-day Germany suggest that northern and southern peoples clashed in the Tollense Valley millennia ago.

Mathematicians discover new class of shape seen throughout nature

‘Soft cells’ — shapes with rounded corners and pointed tips that fit together on a plane — feature in onions, molluscs and more.

Research Preview: Science Magazine – Sept. 27, 2024

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Science Magazine – September 19, 2024: The new issue features ‘Worth The Effort’ – Removing derelict fishing gear reduces monk seal entanglement rates…

Doomsday delayed at vulnerable Antarctic glacier

Thwaites collaboration finds glacier has stabilized somewhat—in the short term

Rare photos reveal North Korea’s nuclear program

Nation appears to have upgraded its bombmaking capacity, experts say

When the Mediterranean dried to a salty crust, life was devastated

Tens of thousands of fossils detail the sea’s dramatic loss and eventual rebound

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – Sept. 26, 2024

Volume 633 Issue 8031

Nature Magazine – September 18, 2024: The latest issue features ‘Hostile Takeover’ – Parasitic wasp targets adult fruit flies to host its offspring…

Black holes as big as atoms might be speeding through the Solar System

Primordial black holes, which are smaller than their better-known cousins, visit the inner Solar System once a decade, simulations suggest.

This ‘scuba diving’ lizard has a self-made air supply

A bubble of air on its snout extends the water anole’s underwater time by more than a minute.

Thalidomide-like drug staunches bleeding from genetic disease

Severe nosebleeds caused by hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia dwindled in people who took a drug used to treat cancer

Research Preview: Science Magazine – Sept. 20, 2024

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Science Magazine – September 19, 2024: The new issue features ‘RATS’ – Our perennial rodent companions…

Claim of seafloor ‘dark oxygen’ faces doubts

Mining companies and others skeptical that metallic nodules electrically split seawater

Ice skater

Beneath Europa’s icy crust is a salty ocean, perhaps the best place in the Solar System to look for life. A NASA spacecraft will soon set off to probe the jovian moon

Hot and cold Earth through time

Reconstructing ancient Earth’s temperature reveals a global climate regulation system

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – Sept. 19, 2024

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Nature Magazine – September 18, 2024: The latest issue features ‘Jumbo Jets’ – Record-breaking beams from a supermassive black hole…

Brain region boosts avoidance of unpleasantness and pain — in mice

Discovery could help to identify ways to prevent relapse into opioid usage.

The Amazon’s gargantuan gardeners: manatees

The aquatic mammals disperse seeds of their favourite foods as they migrate, according to a serendipitous study of their poo.

Plagued by mosquitoes? Try some bite-blocking fabrics

Scientists create textiles with just the right weave and yarn to keep biting insects at bay.

Islands are rich with languages spoken nowhere else

Extremely remote islands are more likely than less isolated ones to have a high number of endemic languages.

Science Focus Magazine – October 2024 Preview

New issue: A cure for ageing | BBC Science Focus Magazine

BBC Science Focus Magazine (September17, 2024) The latest issue features ‘A Cure For Aging’ – How Medicine is tackling the final frontier of health

Secrets of the Pyramids

The technical knowledge of Egyptian architects once again exceeds expectations. Was Egypt’s oldest pyramid, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, built using some seriously high-tech kit? And what’s with the huge, unexplained cavity that’s been discovered in the Great Pyramid of Giza?

Living fossils

Meet the creatures for whom time has almost stood still. These animals give us a glimpse into what life was like millions of years ago, and show us just how resilient some groups have been to the calamitous events that have consigned others – such as the dinosaurs – to extinction.

A mysterious UFO

There’s a mysterious object hurtling at one million miles per hour across the Milky Way. It’s moving so fast that it could exit the Milky Way entirely – and scientists are still trying to figure out what it is. Not quite a planet and not quite a star, so what is it?

Proba-3

The Proba-3 mission aims to unravel the mysteries of the Sun’s atmosphere by creating artificial eclipses on demand. But achieving this feat means teaching two spacecraft to perform a complicated dance with an unprecedented level of precision. If the mission is successful, scientists will be able to study the Sun’s corona in unprecedented detail, ushering in a new era for space observation.

Plus

Impostor syndrome: Ever feel like you’re an impostor, who’s bluffing their way through life? You’re not alone. Even the world’s most brilliant minds suffer from the fear of being ‘found out’. But what causes impostor syndrome? And more importantly, how can you overcome it?

Q&A: Boost your general knowledge! This issue: How do I break free of blame culture? How often should I change my toothbrush? How are identical twins created? Did dinosaurs have fleas? Why does my computer screen look so weird when I take a picture of it? What’s the smelliest animal? And more.

Sleep gadgets: A bad night’s sleep can follow you for days, making you tired and grumpy. Our tech experts have rounded up the best gadgets to help perfect your sleep routine and make the most of your shut-eye.

Ideas: Scientific American Magazine – October 2024

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Scientific American (September 16, 2024): The October 2024 issue features ‘How To Go Back To The Moon’ – Inside NASA’s ambitious, controversial Artemis mission; The science of Empathy and Hope for Sickle Cell Disease…

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – Sept. 12, 2024

Volume 633 Issue 8029

Nature Magazine – September 11, 2024: The latest issue features ‘Island Life’ – Genomic analysis sheds light on population history of Rapa Nui….

Ancient fish dined on bats — or died trying

Fossils hint that bats’ wings sometimes lodged in fish’s throats, leading the bat-eater to die of hunger.

Lassa fever to have a fearsome toll without vaccination

Modelling suggests that the Lassa virus could infect millions in a decade, but vaccines under development could sharply reduce deaths.

Simple steps could shrink US beef industry’s carbon hoofprint

Beef production accounts for 3% of country’s carbon emissions, but measures such as tree-planting offer help.

Research Preview: Science Magazine – Sept. 6, 2024

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Science Magazine – September 5, 2024: The new issue features Memory Servews – Chickadees with better spatial memories have longer lives….

Indian knowledge

To distance its science education systems from centurieslong British colonialism, India is leaning into its history and traditions—but at what cost?

Learning from a climate disaster: The catastrophic floods in southern Brazil

The catastrophic floods that affected southern Brazil last May should serve as a warning to human societies that, despite the still widespread climate change skepticism or denial, mitigation and adaptation to cope with the ongoing climate crisis are urgently needed. The toll was 213 people killed or missing; 2.4 million people affected, including 600,000 displaced; and unprecedented losses in urban and rural infrastructure, including livestock.

Emotional contagion builds resilience

Mice that witness cage mates in distress withstand future negative emotions better

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – Sept. 5, 2024

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Nature Magazine – September 4, 2024: The latest issue features ‘About Time’ – Ultra-precise nuclear clocks become a practical reality…

A familiar drug can repair a broken heart

An existing treatment for multiple sclerosis also prevents heart cell death and improves organ function, animal experiments show.

Bumblebees’ sense of smell can’t take the heat

Climate change could compromise the pollinators’ ability to detect flowers.

Natural acid makes super-sticky eco-friendly glue

Recyclable spray, patch and film adhesives work as well as existing petroleum-based products.