The message-sending part of neurons may be blobby, not smooth
Axons can be shaped like strings of pearls, research in mice and people show. How that shape may influence brain signaling is not yet clear.
TECH DEIYO
Science and Technolgy blog
Henry the giant crocodile, who has sired 10,000 babies, celebrates 124th birthday
Henry the Nile crocodile will celebrate his 124th birthday at the Crocworld Conservation Centre in South Africa on Dec. 16.
Radiation-resistant ‘extremophile’ microbe dubbed ‘Conan the Bacterium’ inspires new antioxidant
A three-part complex based on the molecules that give “Conan the Bacterium” its radiation resistance may protect humans against damage from ionizing radiation.
World’s 1st nuclear-diamond battery of its kind could power devices for 1000s of years
The world’s first nuclear-diamond battery uses carbon-14 to power devices for more than 10,000 years.
Quantitative tolerance emerges as key factor in problematic pornography use
New research published in Addictive Behaviors examines how certain behaviors are associated with problematic pornography use. The study highlights that habits like binge-watching, escalating content, and switching between videos are linked to difficulties in controlling pornography use, with quantitative tolerance—a…
Buying a TV in 2025? Expect lower prices, more ads, and an OS war.
If you’re looking to buy a TV in 2025, you may be disappointed by the types of advancements TV brands will be prioritizing in the new year. While there’s an audience of enthusiasts interested in developments in tech like OLED,…
Scientists Say: Dopamine
Dopamine (noun, “DOPE-uh-meen”) Dopamine is a chemical messenger in the brain. It helps you learn and focus and even motivates you to achieve your goals. Though related to feelings of happiness or satisfaction, think of dopamine more as the chemical…
Shark intestines inspire pipes with a strictly one-way flow
When you turn on a faucet, water flows one way: out into the sink, then down the drain. That one-way flow is important. If the flow reversed, clean water might become dirtied by germs or other contaminants. But keeping the…
After accident crash on Mars, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter could live on as a weather station for 20 years
“She still has one final gift for us, which is that she’s now going to continue on as a weather station of sorts.”
Sutton Hoo helmet: A gold- and jewel-encrusted relic with ties to Beowulf and a lost Anglo-Saxon king
Fragments of a helmet recovered from the Sutton Hoo ship burial show that early-medieval metalwork could be decorative and functional.
Science has uncovered the role of light in mood changes and mental disorders
It’s spring and you’ve probably noticed a change in when the Sun rises and sets. But have you also noticed a change in your mood? We’ve known for a while that light plays a role in our wellbeing. Many of…
Do atoms ever touch?
Atoms make up everything around us, but do these building blocks of matter ever actually touch?
Britain’s largest ancient massacre may have included cannibalism
Bones recovered from a natural shaft unveil a 4,000-year-old massacre of men, women and children, possibly part of a cycle of revenge killings.
Circadian preferences and running performance: Late-night tendencies linked to slower marathon times
New research published in the Journal of Sleep Research has found connections between marathon runners’ circadian preferences, sleep inertia, and race performance. Runners with an evening-oriented circadian preference, or “eveningness,” were found to have slower marathon completion times compared to…
New study provides first objective evidence of cannabinol’s potential to improve sleep
Cannabinol, a lesser-known compound found in the cannabis plant, might hold promise as a sleep aid, according to new research published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. Researchers found that cannabinol improved sleep quality in rats by increasing the duration of deep…
Britain’s largest ancient massacre may have included cannibalism
Bones recovered from a natural shaft unveil a 4,000-year-old massacre of men, women and children, possibly part of a cycle of revenge killings.
1,800-year-old silver amulet could rewrite history of Christianity in the early Roman Empire
A silver amulet found in a 1,800-year-old grave in Germany speaks to the importance — and the risk — of being Christian in Roman times.
Oldest firearms ever found in US were abandoned by Spanish in 16th-century battle against Native Americans
Two cannons found at a site dating to 1541 in Arizona may be the oldest surviving firearms in the U.S. They were abandoned by the Spanish after they were defeated in battle.
James Webb telescope spots more than 100 new asteroids between Jupiter and Mars — and some are heading toward Earth
Astronomers analyzing archival images from JWST have discovered an unexpectedly vast population of the smallest asteroids ever seen in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
New study explores the evolving link between self-esteem and sexual experiences
Do satisfying sexual experiences make us feel better about ourselves, or does feeling confident in our self-worth lead to more fulfilling intimacy? A new study suggests the answer is both. Using 12 years of longitudinal data, researchers found that self-esteem…
Ursid meteor shower 2024: Where and when to see the final meteor shower of the year
Here’s everything you need to know to catch the Ursids, the last meteor shower of 2024.
Space photo of the week: The sun’s corona blooms during back-to-back solar eclipses
Composite images reveal how the sun’s corona changed from one total solar eclipse to another in 2023 and 2024, just as solar activity began to peak.
Loneliness is associated with a 31% higher risk of developing dementia, finds largest study to date
New research published in Nature Mental Health confirms that loneliness is not just an emotional burden—it may also have serious consequences for brain health. In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that individuals who feel lonely are at…
Could monkeys really type the complete works of Shakespeare?
The infinite monkey theorem is a fun thought experiment, but does it actually apply to our finite world?
Intelligent individuals tend to value self-directedness and benevolence, study finds
A study of over 15,000 Australian adults found that individuals with higher intelligence were more likely to endorse self-direction, benevolence, and universalism values, and less likely to value security, tradition, and conformity. Personal values were more strongly associated with intelligence…
Depressed and lonely students gain fewer emotional and physiological benefits from social interactions
Depressed and lonely college students experience reduced physiological and psychological benefits from social interactions compared to their less-depressed and less-lonely peers, according to a study published in Psychophysiology. Social interactions are critical for emotional well-being, yet individuals with depression and…
Alien life may look nothing like life on Earth — so how should we go about looking for it?
Alien life might look unlike anything we’ve ever seen on Earth. Trying to find evidence of these unknown organisms will require some creativity.
Chungungo: The mini sea otter that lives on rocky cliffs and mates for life
Marine otters live on rocky coasts with extreme swells and strong winds, with their dens built into crevices and caves.
Restless, reactive, or overly sensitive? Your child may have sensory processing difficulties
Many children have intense reactions to certain sounds or food textures. They can’t stand certain clothes for even a minute, or they get annoyed when someone touches them, making an ordeal out of simple events like bath time, getting dressed,…
Conspiracy theory quiz: Test your knowledge of unfounded beliefs, from flat Earth to lizard people
How much do you know about conspiracy theories? Take our quiz to find out.
Moon quiz: What do you know about our nearest celestial neighbor?
How’s your moon knowledge? Full, half, or total eclipse?
Women tend to report greater fatigue than men, yet observers see them as less tired
In a new study published in Sex Roles, researchers have identified a striking gender bias in how fatigue is perceived in others. Observers evaluating short video clips of men and women engaged in social interactions consistently underestimated women’s fatigue levels…
How do cats get their spots?
Scientists have identified some of the involved genes behind cats’ spots, but there’s still a piece missing.
Science news this week: Cleopatra curiosities and quantum leaps
Dec. 14, 2024: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.
Bird flu jumps from birds to human in Louisiana; patient hospitalized
A person in Louisiana is hospitalized with H5N1 bird flu after having contact with sick and dying birds suspected of carrying the virus, state health officials announced Friday. It is the first human H5N1 case detected in Louisiana. For now,…
Yearlong supply-chain attack targeting security pros steals 390K credentials
A sophisticated and ongoing supply-chain attack operating for the past year has been stealing sensitive login credentials from both malicious and benevolent security personnel by infecting them with Trojanized versions of open source software from GitHub and NPM, researchers said.…
These discoveries in 2024 could be groundbreaking — if they’re true
Did microbes ever live on Mars? Did an “elevator” help build Egypt’s first pyramid? Some signs pointed to yes this year, but confirmation is still needed.
Simple vaping ‘quitline’ can help over 40% of young people quit, study finds
A study used several strategies to help young adults go from vaping every day to not vaping at all.
Just a fraction of the hydrogen hidden beneath Earth’s surface could power Earth for 200 years, scientists find
Trillions of tons of hydrogen gas are likely buried in rocks and reservoirs beneath Earth’s surface, but researchers aren’t sure where it is yet.
35,000-year-old ‘tortoise shell’ carving may be Holy Land’s oldest evidence of ritual behavior
A carved boulder found deep in a cave in Israel may have been used for rituals more than 35,000 years ago.
Elon Musk slams SEC as agency threatens charges in Twitter stock probe
Elon Musk has at least one more battle to wage against Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler, who will be leaving the agency when President-elect Trump takes over in January. Musk yesterday posted a copy of a letter sent…
Werner Herzog muses on mysteries of the brain in Theater of Thought
Werner Herzog has made more than 60 films over his illustrious career. His documentaries alone span an impressive topical range, from the life and death of bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell (Grizzly Man) to people who choose to live and work…
Cancer screening and quitting smoking have saved nearly 6 million lives
Prevention, screening and treatment advances combined stopped 5.94 million deaths from cancer in the United States from 1975 through 2020.
‘Like they were demon possessed’: Geomagnetic super storms are causing tractors to dance from side to side across US farms — and the sun is to blame
Powerful solar storms in May and October painted auroras across large parts of North America. But some U.S. farmers also witnessed unusual activity from their high-tech machinery, which started boogying back and forth as a result of the geomagnetic disturbances.
Americans spend more years being unhealthy than people in any other country
The gap of time between how long Americans live and how much of that time is spent in good health only grew wider in the last two decades, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. The study,…
F1 Arcade trip report: Great sims make for a compelling experience
Formula 1’s recent popularity still feels a little strange to longtime fans of the sport, particularly in the US, where it had been so niche for so long. But the past five years have seen F1 rise meteorically, and a new,…
Don’t use crypto to cheat on taxes: Bitcoin bro gets 2 years
A bitcoin investor who went to increasingly great lengths to hide $1 million in cryptocurrency gains on his tax returns was sentenced to two years in prison on Thursday. It seems that not even his most “sophisticated” tactics—including using mixers,…
The gut ‘remodels’ itself during pregnancy, study finds
The inner lining of the small intestine nearly doubles in size during pregnancy and breastfeeding, according to new research in mice and human tissue.
Dark personality traits linked to “virtuous victim signaling” and exploitation of accusations
Researchers have replicated and expanded a prior study to investigate the role of dark tetrad traits in “virtuous victim signaling.” Across three studies,, the findings confirmed that narcissism and Machiavellianism are linked to this signaling strategy. They also revealed that…
The US military is now talking openly about going on the attack in space
ORLANDO, Florida—Earlier this year, officials at US Space Command released a list of priorities and needs, and among the routine recitation of things like cyber defense, communications, and surveillance was a relatively new term: “integrated space fires.” This is a…
