Researchers at the MIT Language Acquisition Lab are using funds from the 2022 Levitan Prize in the Humanities to carry out a set of studies investigating children's acquisition of "expletives" or “dummy words” — words that don't seem to have any meaning.
Medications for chronic diseases affect the body’s ability to regulate body temperature, keep cool
Medications to treat various chronic diseases may hinder the body's ability to lose heat and regulate its core temperature to optimal levels. The loss of effective thermoregulation has implications for elderly people receiving treatment for illnesses like cancer, cardiovascular, Parkinson's disease/dementia and diabetes, particularly during hot weather, according to a...
Greater excess mortality after hurricanes more recently and for most socially vulnerable in the U.S.
Over recent decades, there was a large variation in cyclone-related excess deaths by hurricane, state, county, year, and social vulnerability for counties in the United States, with 83 percent of hurricane-related deaths occurring more recently and 94 percent in more socially vulnerable counties.
Unveiling Japan’s ancient practice of cranial modification: The case of the Hirota people in Tanegashima
Cranial modification is a form of body alteration where the head is pressed or bound to permanently deform the skull. The practice has been reported across various cultures throughout history. Researchers report that the Hirota people -- who lived on the southern Japanese island of Tanegashima between the 3rd to...
Gray Whale Calf Count Increases from All-time Low, Positive Sign for the Population
Almost twice as many gray whale calves swam north with their mothers to their Arctic feeding grounds this spring compared to last year, according to a new count completed by NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center.
Bee Populations At Risk of One-Two Punch From Heat Waves, Pathogen Infection
The historically high heat waves that gripped the southwest United States and southern Europe this summer are causing problems for more than just humans.
Fresher Air: AI and Mobility Data May Improve Air Pollution Exposure Models
Americans in the northeast paid greater attention to air quality alerts this summer as wildfire smoke thickened skies with an orange-tinted haze.
Microplastic pollution: Plants could be the answer
Could plants be the answer to the looming threat of microplastic pollution? Scientists found that if you add tannins (natural plant compounds that make your mouth pucker if you bite into an unripe fruit) to a layer of wood dust, you can create a filter that can trap virtually all...
Storied Research Platform is Retired
The Floating Instrument Platform (FLIP) was one of the most innovative oceanographic research tools ever invented.
Soils in Drought Stress Leak More Volatile Organic Compounds Into the Atmosphere
A Biosphere 2 rainforest experiment reveals soils release more volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere during drought.