Research: New Scientist Magazine – August 26, 2023
Tag Archives: Research
Research Preview: Science Magazine – August 18, 2023
‘Still in shock.’ Amid wildfire tragedy, Maui scientists assess their research losses
Blazes and high winds blew projects apart and left a tight-knit research community shaken. What will it take to prevent future island fires?
In the wake of a series of powerful wildfires that ripped through Maui’s dry forests and the historic city of Lahaina this week killing more than 50 people, researchers on the island remain concerned about the personal fallout for fellow scientists and their families. Some are reeling from disruption to their projects: Studies of whales may be disrupted, for example, and a rare plant facility sustained damage. “We’re still wrapping our heads around what this really means, because right now, most of us are still in shock,” says marine mammal ecologist Marc Lammers. “And, of course, we’re thinking about our colleagues.”
Research Preview: Nature Magazine – August 17, 2023
Anti-obesity drug also protects against heart disease — what happens next?
Clinical-trial data suggest that semaglutide, sold under the name Wegovy, slashes risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular incidents.
Can oyster farming help save the planet?
Ecologist Elena Tamburini hopes to show that shellfish farming efficiently absorbs carbon.
Science Review: Scientific American – September 2023
Rare ‘Pinwheel’ Stars Are a Beautiful Astronomical Puzzle
The doomed class of stars named Wolf-Rayets produce mysterious pinwheel shapes
Deep-Sea Mining Could Begin Soon, Regulated or Not
Mining the seafloor could boost global production of clean energy technology—and destroy the ocean in the process
How Sauropod Dinosaurs Became the Biggest Land Animals Again and Again
New research hints at how sauropod dinosaurs got to be so gargantuan
Research Preview: Science Magazine – August 11, 2023
First up on this week’s podcast, we hear about the skewed perception of our own hands, extremely weird giant viruses, champion regenerating flatworms, and more from Newsletter Editor Christie Wilcox
Research: New Scientist Magazine – August 12, 2023
How working out your ageotype could help you live healthier for longer
Your body is ageing down one of four – or more – possible pathways. Figuring out your “ageotype” could help you zero in on the things you can do to stay healthier for longer
THERE is a (probably apocryphal) story about Henry Ford sending agents out to junkyards across the US in search of scrapped Model Ts. The famous industrialist wanted to know which of the car’s vital components failed first, so he could do something about it. The agents reported back that every bit of the car was susceptible to failure, but some were more susceptible than others, except for one – a component of the steering system called the kingpin, which almost never failed. They expected Ford to announce plans to extend the working lives of the weaker components. Instead, he ordered his engineers to make less resilient kingpins. No point wasting good money on a component that always outlived the others.
Cave of Bones review: Lee Berger on the discovery of Homo naledi
Sewage crisis: The truth about British rivers and how to clean them up
From time crystals to wormholes: When is a quantum simulation real?
Energy-storing concrete could form foundations for solar-powered homes
Scientists race to test claimed room-temperature superconductor
Research Preview: Nature Magazine – August 10, 2023
JWST spots what could be a quasar from the early Universe
The object’s deep red colour suggests it existed when the Universe was less than 700 million years old.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has seen what is probably a quasar from the early Universe1.
ChatGPT-like AIs are coming to major science search engines
The Scopus, Dimensions and Web of Science databases are introducing conversational AI search.
The conversational AI-powered chatbots that have come to Internet search engines, such as Google’s Bard and Microsoft’s Bing, look increasingly set to change scientific search, too. On 1 August, Dutch publishing giant Elsevier released a ChatGPT-like artificial-intelligence (AI) interface for some users of its Scopus database, and British firm Digital Science announced a closed trial of an AI large language model (LLM) assistant for its Dimensions database. Meanwhile, US firm Clarivate says it’s working on bringing LLMs to its Web of Science database.
Research Preview: Science Magazine – August 4, 2023
‘We’re changing the clouds.’ An unforeseen test of geoengineering is fueling record ocean warmth
Pollution cuts have diminished “ship track” clouds, adding to global warming
Tropical trees deter similar neighbors
Tropical forests host an unusually high diversity of tree species. Strong interactions between individuals are hypothesized to create these patterns. A tree is more likely to survive when surrounded by different tree species with different resource needs, diseases, and herbivores. Kalyuzhny et al. found patterns consistent with this mechanism in a long-term forest plot in Panama. Adult trees in this site are more distant from members of their own species than from other species and more distant than would be expected by chance or by the limits of seed dispersal. This study shows that distances between conspecifics are maintained in adult trees, helping to explain the high diversity of tropical forests.
Research Preview: Nature Magazine – August 3, 2023
Water crisis: how local technologies can help solve a global problem
Climate change is making water stress worse for billions worldwide. Scaling up both new and traditional solutions must be a priority.
Why heart trouble can lead to sleep trouble
An immune response triggered by cardiac disease affects the function of a gland with a key role in the sleep–wake cycle.
Research Preview: Science Magazine – July 28, 2023
Social media and elections
The advent of social media forever changed how we consume news. At least half of Americans rely on it for news, and Facebook (owned by parent company Meta) is the most popular. Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms are funded through advertisements and generate more revenue when users spend more time on their platforms. To make platforms alluring and increase screen time, tech companies operate on business models that incentivize algorithms that are designed to elevate eye-catching content to the top of users’ feeds—content that captures attention and may go “viral” by stimulating “engagement” through comments, likes, and resharing.
Origin of diamond-bearing eruptions revealed
Deep mantle waves from continental rifting trigger mysterious kimberlite volcanoes
‘I should have done better.’ Stanford head steps down
Probe clears Marc Tessier-Lavigne of misconduct but criticizes lab culture and lack of “appetite” for corrections
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