The nature of deforestation has changed dramatically in recent years, according to a new study by Chalmers University Scientists. Deforestation today is driven by globalization and commercialization to a large and increasing degree–international trade is contributing to deforestation through a demand for beef, soy, palm oil and timber. “From having been caused mainly by smallholders … Read more
According to a new study by researchers at Semmelweis University, Hungary, the season you were born in significantly affects your personality. Season of birth has traditionally been viewed as an indicator of personality in cultures around the world, and has been integrated into natural sciences such as astrology, but until now mood has not been … Read more
According to a new report by scientists at the University of Bristol, additional daylight savings could have public health benefits. The study looked at daylight savings increases as a possible public health intervention, and found evidence that an increase would increase physical activity among children. “This study provides the strongest evidence to date that, in … Read more
In a world first, movement and sensation have been returned to a man who was paralyzed four years ago. After a pioneering cell transplant using special cells that naturally regenerate, 40-year-old Darek Fidyka is walking again. “When you can’t feel almost half your body, you are helpless, but when it starts coming back it’s like you are … Read more
Whose art is worth more? The ordinary painter who just took up the craft or the authentic artist who has spent 20 years working at it and believes he will paint until he dies? According to a new joint marketing study, women and men judge the value of art differently, and how an artist is … Read more
According to the largest study ever conducted treating near-death experiences, evidence suggests that there is consciousness after clinical death. A University of Southampton team spent four years examining 2,060 cardiac arrest patients at 15 different hospitals on three continents. The report, “AWAREness during CPR: Be careful with what you say!” was authored by Drs Edgardo … Read more
Most studies have concluded that unemployment in the short run leads to a drop in fertility, but whether the negative effects persist–whether women simply postpone childbearing or if the effect is more long-term–has remained unknown. According to a recent study by Princeton University, living through a recession means that some women will never have a child, … Read more
According to a new study led by the Georgia Institute of Technology, just one short burst of weight-lifting can enhance long-term memory for young adults by around 10 percent. “Our study indicates that people don’t have to dedicate large amounts of time to give their brain a boost,” said Lisa Weinberg, a graduate student and … Read more
The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics held a meeting last week to discuss the definition of what a planet is, and whether Pluto–which had its planet status removed in 2006 after a vote by the International Astronomical Union (IAU)–should be considered a planet. Three experts paneled the meeting, and each argued for or against Pluto as a … Read more
Microscopic habitats, hosting communities of microorganisms formed over geologic time periods, self-sufficient but not self-sustained, have been discovered within droplets of water in the oil of Trinidad’s Pitch Lake, the world’s largest natural asphalt deposit. Researcher Dr Tillmann Lueders explained to The Speaker about the births, lives and possible deaths of these tiny worlds. The report, “Water droplets in oil … Read more
Scientists at Aalto University School of Science in Finland have conducted a study in which they found that some lies may be more destructive to society than others, and that some types of lies may be essential to the growth of cohesive social networks. “There is no society without lies,” stated lead researcher Rafael Barrio, a … Read more
Researchers at University of California have demonstrated the ability to create memories, erase them and create them again. The researchers used light-sensitive proteins and optical fibers to enact long-term potentiation between neurons, creating new associations. “We could do it over and over, once we knew how to do it,” University of California lead researcher Roberto Malinow told The Speaker. … Read more