The Amazon’s Tallest Tree Just Got 50% Taller – and Scientists Don’t Know How
The laser scanning technology that has enabled this and other recent mammoth tree discoveries isn’t just a plaything for tree lovers.
Category: Science
Why Do Only Some People Get ‘Skin Orgasms’ From Listening To Music?
The experience feels like waves of pleasure running all over your skin. Some researchers have even dubbed it a “skin orgasm.”
5 Charts Show How Your Household Drives up Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Household consumption – food, housing, transportation, apparel and other personal services – is an important contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
We Asked People To Do Climate Change Maths. Their Answers Depended on Their Politics
We asked 252 left-wing supporters and 252 right-wing supporters to do some simple math. Their answers changed when we told them it was climate change data.
Lights in the Sky From Elon Musk’s New Satellite Network Have Stargazers Worried
Musk is reported to be planning for up to 12,000 satellites in low Earth orbit. But this fleet of satellites could forever change our view of the heavens.
Horizon Europe: The EU Plans To Spend €100 Billion on Research – Here’s How To Get the Most From It
As the EU research budget has grown (from €3.8b in the 1980s to €100b for 2021-27), so has the pressure to produce greater socioeconomic benefit.
Why We Need To Get Back To Venus?
Venus is a planet almost exactly like Earth. It’s about the same size, is made of about the same stuff and formed around the same star.
Huge Wildfires in the Arctic and Far North Send a Planetary Warning
The arctic and far North are burning. This summer, over 600 wildfires have consumed more than 2.4 million acres of forest across Alaska.
Redefining the Kilogram Means Redefining How We Measure Wealth
On World Metrology Day 2019, the kilogram was fundamentally redefined. Its value is now defined by the energetics of a hoard of photons.
The New Field of Sonogenetics Uses Sound Waves to Control the Behavior of Brain Cells
Sonogenetics offers a novel therapeutic strategy for various movement-related disorders including Parkinson’s, epilepsy and dyskinesia.
We Found Reservoirs of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Across London
Out of the 600 bacteria we found, nearly half were MRSA and multidrug resistant, meaning they were immune to treatment from several types of antibiotics.
Space Junk: A Recycling Station Could Be Cleaning up in Earth Orbit by 2050
By 2050, Gateway Earth – a fully operational space station with a facility to recycle old satellites and other junk – could be up and running.
University of California’s Showdown With the Biggest Academic Publisher Aims To Change Scholarly Publishing
The high stakes standoff between Elsevier, the world’s largest publisher of scholarly research, and the University of California.
SPIDER GLUE’S STICKY SECRET REVEALED BY NEW GENETIC RESEARCH
The glue has the potential for many unique applications and is biodegradable, water soluble and stays sticky for months or even years.
I Build Mathematical Programs That Could Discover the Drugs of the Future
Discovering a new drug is one of the most challenging tasks in biology. It takes over 10 years and about US$2.6 billion to bring an average drug to market.
Soviet-Era Treatment Could Be the New Weapon Against Antibiotic Resistance
Every year an increasing number of health tourists are travelling to Eastern bloc countries to receive an old Soviet medical treatment.
UNOOSA and ESA Join Forces To Address the Space Debris Challenge
UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) signed a joint statement on their wish to cooperate on the challenge of space debris.
Climate Change Is Putting Even Resilient and Adaptable Animals Like Baboons at Risk
The final baboon species, the chacma baboon from South Africa (known for raiding tourist vehicles to steal treats) is predicted the worst habitat loss.
Pharmacologist Looks at the Untapped Healing Compounds of Marijuana
Marijuana is more than just a source of cannabinoids. It is a particularly rich source of medicinal compounds that we have only begun to explore.
Pi Might Look Random but It’s Full of Hidden Patterns
Despite the endless string of unpredictable digits that make up pi, it’s not a random number. And it actually contains all sorts of surprising patterns.
Hacking the Stress System to Let Psychology Influence Physiology
The balance between physiology and psychology can be hacked by training the brain to deal with exposure to cold. The outcome is breathtaking.
How One German City Developed Then Lost Generations of Math Geniuses
The story of the rise and fall of mathematics in Göttingen has been forgotten, but its legacy survives in other mathematical powerhouses around the world.
If You’re Coming off Antidepressants, Withdrawals and Setbacks May Be Part of the Process
Returning to a lower dose of antidepressants and slowing down the discontinuation over a longer period may be a sensible way to go.
3 Times Political Conflict Reshaped American Mathematics
History shows that mathematics is much more than equations and facts. It’s a living discipline shaped, in part, by the political forces around it.
Using Computers To Crack Open Centuries-Old Mathematical Puzzles
Software will help mathematicians solve important problems and enhance their understanding of the nature, beauty and effectiveness of mathematics.