Wild animals that have acquired adaptions to maximize their reproductive output in some of the world's most extreme conditions may provide answers to some of the most pressing problems in the field of human reproductive health. A new journal article examines how the study of seals in particular can benefit...
Emotions and levels of threat affect communities’ resilience during extreme events
Researchers use mathematical modeling to probe whether cohesive communities are more resilient to extreme events, finding that emotional intensity and levels of stress play a big role.
Southern shrews shrink in winter
Newly published research shows that the masked shrew, a small, mole-like mammal found in the Appalachian Mountains, shrinks its body and braincase to conserve energy during winter months.
To avoid parasites, some fruit flies sacrifice sleep
Some fruit flies sacrifice sleep to avoid parasites like mites. Researchers discovered marked differences in gene expression related to metabolism in the hypervigilant flies.
Archaeologists compared the size of 50,000 ancient houses to learn about history of inequality, they found that it’s not inevitable
We're living in a period where the gap between rich and poor is dramatic, and it's continuing to widen. But inequality is nothing new. In a new study researchers compared house size distributions from more than 1,000 sites around the world, covering the last 10,000 years. They found that while...
Physics reveals the optimal roof ratios for energy efficiency
There are roof shapes and ratios that maximize heat retainment and energy efficiency and, interestingly, ancient Italian architects and builders seemed to know it, too.
The gut health benefits of sauerkraut
A new study suggests that sauerkraut could help protect your gut, an essential part of overall health.
Pioneering research reveals Arctic matter pathways poised for major shifts amidst climate change
A new study has shed unprecedented light on the highly variable and climate-sensitive routes that substances from Siberian rivers use to travel across the Arctic Ocean. The findings raise fresh concerns about the increasing spread of pollutants and the potential consequences for fragile polar ecosystems as climate change accelerates.
New method for detecting nanoplastics in body fluids
Microplastics and the much smaller nanoplastics enter the human body in various ways, for example through food or the air we breathe. A large proportion is excreted, but a certain amount remains in organs, blood and other body fluids. Scientists have now been able to develop a method for detecting...
Scientists may have solved a puzzling space rock mystery
Researchers may have answered one of space science's long-running questions -- and it could change our understanding of how life began. Carbon-rich asteroids are abundant in space yet make up less than 5 per cent of meteorites found on Earth.