With roommates, it's all about chemistry, molecularly speaking Within and upon every human being reside countless microorganisms—the microbiota that help shape and direct the lives of their hosts. A similar phenomenon occurs between people, microbes and the homes …
Theories on socio-political evolution put to the test During the past 10,000 years—the Holocene—human societies became larger and ever more complex. An international team of scientists led by Peter Turchin from the Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH) set …
Why are shallow lakes prone to eutrophication? Anthropogenic eutrophication of lake ecosystems is a global problem, especially for some large shallow lakes. But scientists have been unclear why shallow lakes appear prone to eutrophication.
Octopus brain and human brain share the same 'jumping genes' The octopus is an exceptional organism with an extremely complex brain and cognitive abilities that are unique among invertebrates. So much so that in some ways it has more in common with vertebrates …
Examining the two faces of social ties and empathic behavior Humans have evolved as social animals. From childhood, we are taught the benefits of forging ties and being empathetic as a strategy for survival and mental well-being—or at least that is the ideal.
'Hot' graphene reveals migration of carbon atoms The migration of carbon atoms on the surface of the nanomaterial graphene was recently measured for the first time. Although the atoms move too swiftly to be directly observed with an electron microsc …
Climate change affects the likelihood of armed conflict Climate change influences the likelihood and duration of armed conflicts in Africa. This is the finding of a study carried out by a team from the INGENIO Institute, a joint center of the Universitat P …
Light traveling in a distorting medium can appear undistorted A team led by researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, with collaborators from the University of Pretoria (South Africa), as well as Mexico and Scotland, have …
A novel Raman chemical sensor made from noodlelike threads of gold Researchers created a special ultrathin sensor, spun from gold, that can be attached directly to the skin without irritation or discomfort. The sensor can measure different biomarkers or substances to …
Greater threat, greater syntony in fruit flies Who knew that those little flies that hover around the fruit bowl are social animals? Who knew that, when under threat, they would follow cues given by other flies?
Examining the supermassive black hole in our galaxy The supermassive black hole (SMBH) at our galaxy's core, Sagittarius A*, is modest in size with only 4.15 million solar-masses. The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) recently released a dramatic subm …
Tortoise and her egg found in new Pompeii excavations Archaeologists in Pompeii have discovered the remains of a pregnant tortoise that had sought refuge in the ruins of a home destroyed by an earthquake in 62 AD, only to be covered by volcanic ash and r …
Drought hits Italy's hydroelectric plants Hydroelectric power in Italy has plunged this year thanks to a drought that has also sparked water restrictions and fears for agriculture, industry sources said Friday.