Goffin's cockatoos have been added to the short list of non-human animals that use and transport toolsets. Researchers show that the cockatoos carry multiple tools to their worksite when the job calls for it. This behavior has only been previously reported in chimpanzees, our closest relatives.
Fossil discovery reveals complex ecosystems existed on Earth much earlier than previously thought
About 250 million years ago, the Permian-Triassic mass extinction killed over 80 per cent of the planet's species. In the aftermath, scientists believe that life on earth was dominated by simple species for up to 10 million years before more complex ecosystems could evolve. Now this longstanding theory is being...
Hubble Captures the Start of a New Spoke Season at Saturn
New images of Saturn from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope herald the start of the planet's "spoke season" surrounding its equinox, when enigmatic features appear across its rings.
Toward New, Computationally Designed Cybersteels
What do the Apple watch and the Raptor engine of the SpaceX Starship have in common? Answer: Both are made, in part, from advanced materials developed over only a few years — as opposed to the usual decades — with the help of computers in a field pioneered at MIT....
Rare Drought Coincided With Hittite Empire Collapse
The collapse of the Hittite Empire in the Late Bronze Age has been blamed on various factors, from war with other territories to internal strife.
Calorie restriction slows pace of aging in healthy adults
In a first of its kind randomized controlled trial an international team of researchers shows that caloric restriction can slow the pace of aging in healthy adults. The CALERIE™ intervention slowed pace of aging measured from participants' blood DNA methylation using the algorithm DunedinPACE (Pace of Aging, Computed from the...
Bite this! Mosquito feeding chamber uses fake skin, real blood
Bioengineers and experts in tropical medicine have invented a new way of studying mosquito feeding behavior using technology instead of live volunteers. Their open-source design combines automated cameras, artificial intelligence and blood-infused, 3D-printed 'synthetic skin.'
Progress toward fast-charging lithium-metal batteries
Engineers report progress toward lithium-metal batteries that charge fast -- as fast as an hour. This fast charging is thanks to lithium metal crystals that can be seeded and grown -- quickly and uniformly -- on a surprising surface. The trick is to use a crystal growing surface that lithium...
Roads, pet dogs and more may pose hidden threat to Africa’s primates
Simple solutions, such as not leaving out food at night, could help to protect non-human primates in Sub-Saharan Africa -- some of which are already struggling because of threats like climate change and habitat loss.
Exact magma locations may improve volcanic eruption forecasts
Cornell University researchers have unearthed precise, microscopic clues to where magma is stored, offering a way to better assess the risk of volcanic eruptions.