Memristor artificial synapse circuit demonstrated
In what its UC Santa Barbara developers say is a significant step toward brain-like computing; a memristor-based circuit of about…
Passive smoking and litter could explain high levels of nicotine found in spices, herbal teas, and medicinal plants
Despite the fact that nicotine insecticides were banned in 2009, European researchers say that high concentrations of nicotine are still…
Stars can create DNA precursors, suggests new experiment
Scientists at Berkeley Lab and the University of Hawaii have shown how DNA’s molecular precursors – carbon ring structures with…
Premature birth alters key brain connections
New research from King’s College London sheds light on why premature birth is linked to a greater risk of neurodevelopmental…
Centimeter-accurate GPS system could radically transform mobile devices
Centimeter-accurate positioning systems are already used in surveying and mapping, but the antennas these systems employ are too large and…
Mars astronauts will suffer significant brain damage
Scientists at the University of California, Irvine have been investigating what might happen to an astronaut’s brain during the long…
Link between serotonin and depression is a myth, argues leading psychiatrist
The belief that depression is due to low levels of serotonin in the brain – and that effective pharmaceutical treatments…
High-pitched sounds found to cause seizures in cats
Veterinary specialists in the UK have authored an intriguing paper regarding certain types of feline seizures, which appear to occur…
Major advance in artificial photosynthesis uses sunshine to create fossil fuel analogs
A major breakthrough in artificial photosynthesis has been achieved with the development of a system that can capture carbon dioxide…
Prototype video camera requires no power
Columbia University researchers led by Shree K. Nayar have developed the first video camera to be fully self-powered – its…
Search of 100,000 galaxies for advanced civilizations yields no obvious candidates
Using data from NASA’s WISE orbiting observatory, a team of scientists say they have found no evidence of the mid-infrared…
Mars may have liquid water
We’ve known for a long time that there is water in the form of ice on Mars. But now, new…
Primordial DNA could have appeared spontaneously, suggests new study
The self-organization properties of DNA-like molecular fragments four billion years ago may have guided their own growth into repeating chemical…
Scientists create artificial link between unrelated memories
Working with mice, researchers at the University of Toyama were able to generate artificial links between unrelated pieces of information…
Spring-assisted exoskeleton beats evolution
It’s taken millions of years for evolution to perfect how we walk, but research published in the journal Nature shows…
Chinese tree planting reverses global forest loss
Although massive vegetation loss is still occurring in Asia and South America, an analysis of 20 years of satellite data…
Surprisingly, higher education doesn’t seem to improve levels of happiness
In an intriguing new study, University of Warwick researchers say that while low educational attainment is associated with mental illness,…
High-fat intake could trigger psychiatric disorders
High-fat diets have long been known to increase the risk for heart disease and stroke, but there is new evidence…
Opossum-based antidote to snake venom could save thousands of lives
A peptide found in opossums that can be manufactured easily could provide a novel and inexpensive antidote for venomous snake…
How evolution shaped our idea of the perfect butt
New research from The University of Texas at Austin sheds light on today’s standards of beauty, attributing modern men’s preferences…
The longer a mother breastfeeds, the higher the IQ and salary
Published in The Lancet Global Healthjournal, a study that tracked more than 3,000 newborns for 30 years has concluded that…
Chance discovery changes human leukemia cells into harmless immune cells
After a chance observation in the lab, Stanford researchers have identified a method that forces human leukemia cells to mature…
Male genetic diversity strangled by wealth and power
Genetic researchers have discovered an extremely dramatic decline in male genetic diversity between 4,000 and 8,000 years ago, while in…
“Quantum jitter” mechanism behind the random mutations that drive evolution and cancer
The molecular machines that copy DNA in a living cell are fast and accurate at pairing up the correct bases…
Instead of raising self esteem, we’re raising a generation of narcissists
While the dangers of narcissism are well documented, its origins are not. Now, a new study from Ohio State University…
New research suggests smartphone use associated with lowered intelligence
New University of Waterloo research that examined people’s smartphone habits as well as their analytical, verbal, and numeracy skills found…
Image captures light as both a particle and a wave
Quantum mechanics tells us that light can behave simultaneously as a particle or a wave, but it’s only possible to…
DNA of bacteria that live in the body passed from mother to child
Traits such as eye color and height are passed from one generation to the next through the parents’ DNA, right?…
Dark matter could be the wild card in extinction events
Our planet’s long path around and through the Milky Way means that dark matter could be the ultimate wild card…