A frog’s story of surviving a fungal pandemic offers hope for other species
Evolving immunity to the Bd fungus and a reintroduction project saved a California frog. The key to rescuing other species might be in the frog’s genes.
TECH DEIYO
Science and Technolgy blog
Scientists just found the ‘front door’ to a massive cave on the moon
The Sea of Tranquility is home to at least one lunar lava tube, which could preserve a pristine and unweathered record of lunar volcanism.
‘Extremely unusual’: Hottest ocean temperature in 400 years threatens the Great Barrier Reef
The sea surface temperature around the Great Barrier Reef this year is the hottest it has ever been in 400 years, posing huge threats to the coral reef ecosystem in the area.
Sleep loss impacts overweight teens’ cognitive abilities more severely
A recent study has found that adolescents who are overweight or obese are more susceptible to cognitive impairments following sleep restriction compared to their peers with healthy weight. This research was published in JAMA Neurology. Previous research has established a…
A little-known gene may explain why some people never get COVID-19
If you’ve never had COVID-19, you’re not alone. Others, too, have dodged the infected for more than four years. And some may have achieved this with some help from a newly discovered immune response. That’s the finding of a new…
The Higgs particle could break physics throughout the universe. Here’s why it hasn’t.
The elusive Higgs particle has the power to undo physics as we know it. The fact that it hasn’t could have big implications about the nature of the universe.
Could you be autistic? Discover with the RAADS-14 test
Have you ever wondered why social interactions can be so challenging for you, or why certain sensory experiences seem overwhelming? Perhaps you’ve been told you’re a bit different, or you’ve struggled to fit in despite your best efforts. These experiences…
13,000-year-old carvings in Turkey may be the world’s oldest lunisolar calendar
The 13,000-year-old carvings found in Turkey track the phases of the sun, moon and constellations, making it the earliest known lunisolar calendar.
Loneliness haunts us even in our dreams, new psychology research suggests
The unsettling experience of nightmares is something many people have faced, but new research has found that loneliness might be a significant predictor of their frequency. A recent study published in The Journal of Psychology explored this connection, suggesting that…
NASA official acknowledges internal “disagreement” on safety of Starliner return
Enlarge / Boeing’s Starliner is seen atop an Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. (credit: Trevor Mahlmann) During a news conference on Wednesday, NASA officials for the first time publicly discussed divisions within the agency…
Disney has “earned” latest streaming price hike, CFO says
Enlarge / A scene from Secret Invasion, a Disney+ exclusive. (credit: Marvel) Yesterday, The Walt Disney company announced it will soon raise prices for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Today, it revealed that its streaming business has become profitable for the…
New mpox outbreak raises alarm; WHO considers declaring international emergency
Enlarge / A 2003 photo of the arms and legs of a 4-year-old girl infected with mpox in Liberia. (credit: Getty | BSIP) A deadly outbreak of mpox (previously called monkeypox) is spilling out of the Democratic Republic of the…
The conspiracy theorists who think Biden has been replaced by AI
Enlarge / Joe Biden—or is it his AI-powered hologram? (credit: Getty Images | Bloomberg) At 1:18 pm ET on July 21, 2023, President Joe Biden stepped to the podium in the White House’s Roosevelt Room and announced, “I’m the AI.”…
Great white sharks split into 3 populations 200,000 years ago and never mixed again — except for one hybrid found in the Bermuda Triangle
Scientists found three distinct great-white-shark populations that congregate in different oceans and do not interbreed. Their separation may have implications for conservation.
Valley fever risk may be high this year, California officials warn in wake of music festival outbreak
California officials are investigating cases of valley fever tied to a recent music festival.
Study reveals AI’s potential to detect loneliness by deciphering speech patterns
In a new study published in Psychiatry Research, scientists have discovered that artificial intelligence (AI) can detect loneliness by analyzing unstructured speech. This research offers promising new methods for identifying and addressing loneliness, particularly in older adults, through the nuanced…
macOS 15 Sequoia makes you jump through more hoops to disable Gatekeeper app checks
Enlarge / The Mac’s Gatekeeper feature has been pushing developers to digitally sign their apps since it was introduced in 2012. (credit: Apple/Andrew Cunningham) It has always been easier to run third-party software on a Mac than on an iPhone…
All the possible ways to destroy Google’s monopoly in search
Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson) After US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google has a monopoly in two markets—general search services and general text advertising—everybody is wondering how Google might be forced to change its search business. Specifically, the judge…
Major shifts at OpenAI spark skepticism about impending AGI timelines
Enlarge (credit: Benj Edwards / Getty Images) Over the past week, OpenAI experienced a significant leadership shake-up as three key figures announced major changes. Greg Brockman, the company’s president and co-founder, is taking an extended sabbatical until the end of…
WHO may declare new, deadlier mpox outbreak an international emergency
The World Health Organization will soon convene a committee to decide if the ongoing mpox outbreak constitutes a “public health emergency of international concern.”
Reddit considers search ads, paywalled content for the future
Enlarge (credit: Getty) Reddit executives discussed plans on Tuesday for making more money from the platform, including showing ads in more places and possibly putting some content behind a paywall. On Tuesday, Reddit shared its Q2 2024 earnings report (PDF).…
What causes blood clots?
Blood clots can be dangerous, especially if all or part of them break off and then travel through the bloodstream.
Weird, ‘watermelon shape’ asteroids like Dimorphos and Selam may finally have an explanation
New research finds why some asteroids have weird, watermelon-shaped moons trapped in orbit around them, contrary to what typical asteroid formation theories predict.
New research highlights the emotional and cognitive benefits of classical music ensembles for youth
In the hustle and bustle of adolescence, finding activities that foster personal growth can be challenging. Yet, a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE suggests that playing music in an ensemble might be a key to unlocking valuable…
Microsoft says Delta’s ancient IT explains long outage after CrowdStrike snafu
Enlarge / Delta Air Lines customers looking for missing bags wait in line at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on July 24, 2024. (credit: Getty Images | Patrick T. Fallon ) Microsoft says that Delta Air Lines’ ancient IT infrastructure…
31% of Republicans say vaccines are more dangerous than diseases they prevent
Enlarge / Polio victim Larry Montoya is at the airport for the arrival of cases of vaccine, which were distributed as part of the KO Polio campaign, September 5, 1962. (credit: Getty | John McBride) Public sentiment on the importance…
Report: Apple’s external DVD drive is up burning discs in dongle heaven
Enlarge / Apple’s external DVD-burning SuperDrive may be fading away. (credit: Apple) Apple has always been eager to dump technologies when the company feels they have outlived their usefulness. The original iMac came without a floppy drive. The iPhone 7…
Earthquakes added to Pompeii’s death toll
Broken bodies found at the archaeological site indicate that earthquakes played a role in the legendary tragedy.
Broadway embraces particles physics with musical about Higgs boson discovery
A collision between subatomic particles in the Large Hadron Collider’s CMS detector. (credit: Research.gov) Particle physics is poised to hit the bright lights of Broadway with the adaptation into a musical of the 2013 documentary Particle Fever, which charts the…
Siberian gold miners accidentally find ancient woolly rhino mummy with horn and soft tissues still intact
Mummified woolly rhino discovered by miners in Russia’s Sakha Republic to be fully excavated in the coming months, as researchers begin studying its intact horn.
Sun fires off double-barreled X-class flares in span of 2 hours
Solar activity is expected to remain high this week.
Gargantuan waves in Earth’s mantle may make continents rise, new study finds
Dramatic cliffs and high plateaus are caused by the same wave triggered in Earth’s middle layer when continents pull apart, a new study finds.
Scientists uncover a fundamental aspect of time perception
We often think our brains tick away time in perfect synchronization with the clocks on our walls and electronic devices. However, groundbreaking research published in the journal Current Biology provides evidence that our perception of time is not governed by…
Record-breaking Coral Sea temperatures threaten the Great Barrier Reef
Near-annual extreme heat in the Coral Sea, including in 2024, is causing back-to-back mass bleaching events in the iconic Great Barrier Reef.
Plate tectonics fired up at least 3 billion years ago, study of ancient rocks in Australia indicates
Researchers have discovered the world’s oldest known arc-slicing fault in Australia, intensifying the debate over the origins of plate tectonics.
Stranded Starliner delays another mission to ISS, could return without crew
The Crew-9 handover has been delayed amid rumors that NASA could be planning to return the troubled Starliner spacecraft without its astronauts.
Google antitrust verdict leaves Apple with “inconvenient alternatives”
Enlarge (credit: Benj Edwards) The landmark antitrust ruling against Google on Monday is shaking up one of the longest-standing partnerships in tech. At the heart of the case are billions of dollars’ worth of exclusive agreements Google has inked over…
Severe COVID-19 infection might cause changes in brain metabolism, study finds
A neuroimaging study in Serbia found that individuals who survived a more severe COVID-19 infection had lower levels of creatine and N-acetylaspartate levels in several regions of the brain. The ratio of choline and creatine levels was heightened in survivors…
Scientists are getting serious about UFOs. Here’s why
UFOs have been rebranded as UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena). Probably not aliens, they might impact national security and aircraft safety.
Stress triggers different brain responses in women and men with alcohol use disorder
Stress and alcohol use disorder often walk hand in hand, both affecting the brain’s neural circuits in complex ways. A recent study published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research reveals how sudden social stress affects anxiety and brain activity in…
Lasers help put the cork on spilled oil
Oil spills at sea pose risks to aquatic life and people. Every year, such toxic spills taint the water at more than 150 U.S. sites alone. Attempts to remove that oil tend to be messy, costly and often not very…
Unique transistor ‘could change the world of electronics’ thanks to nanosecond-scale switching speeds and refusal to wear out
A new material can withstand ‘billions’ of electrical cycles without wearing out — and scientists say it could transform electronics within 10 to 20 years.
Jupiter Mars conjunction: How to see the Red Planet and the Giant Planet side-by-side in the sky next week
Look east before dawn on Wednesday, Aug. 14, to see the giant planet and the Red Planet just a third of a degree from one another in a rare planetary conjunction.
Powerful solar eruption temporarily rips ‘tail’ off Earth’s magnetosphere
A massive disturbance in the solar wind caused Earth’s magnetosphere to fly without its usual tail.
Ketamine as an entactogen: Scientists reveal intriguing impact on social pleasure and empathy
Ketamine treatment not only alleviates symptoms of treatment-resistant depression but also enhances social pleasure and empathetic behaviors, according to new research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. This discovery provides evidence that ketamine can have entactogenic effects. Empathy is…
China begins launching a megaconstellation, and it sounds a lot like Starlink
Enlarge / A Long March 6A rocket launches the first 18 Internet satellites for China’s Qianfan, or Thousand Sails, broadband network. (credit: VCG via Getty Images) Chinese officials have long signaled their interest in deploying a satellite network, or maybe…
Google kills Chromecast, replaces it with Apple TV and Roku Ultra competitor
This is Google’s new streaming box, the Google TV Streamer. It’s meant to sit on your media console instead of hanging from your TV’s USB port like the Chromecast. [credit: Google ] Google is discontinuing the Chromecast brand and pulling…
Hundreds of snake species get a new origin story
Elapoid snakes, including cobras, mambas and sea snakes, may have evolved in Asia, not Africa as many researchers once thought.
Students scramble after security breach wipes 13,000 devices
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Students in Singapore are scrambling after a security breach wiped notes and all other data from school-issued iPads and Chromebooks running the mobile device management app Mobile Guardian. According to news reports, the mass wiping came…
NASA chief will make the final decision on how Starliner crew flies home
Enlarge / SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Cargo Dragon spacecraft, seen here with the new launch tower and access arm at SLC-40. (credit: SpaceX) NASA on Tuesday confirmed that it is delaying the launch of its next astronaut mission to…
