The prevailing assumption about dark matter is that has no interaction with light, but European physicists who investigated a possible signature of dark matter at the edges of theM101 Pinwheel galaxy now believe that light may be interacting with dark matter to produce “light halos” — detectable glows around the edges spiral galaxies. “Dark Matter can … Read more
Jellyfish are able to detect the direction of ocean currents, according to recent research by a joint team of environmental scientists. The team studied the movements and of free-ranging barrel-jellyfish and found that the animals are “incredibly advanced in their orientation abilities.” “Most people who have spent time on the coast will have seen jellyfish … Read more
Schizophrenia has been known to be associated with a dearth of neural connections in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The onset of the disease, which often takes place in a person’s early 20s, may be associated with something quite different, however. A joint research team analyzed MRI data from a group of individuals who had recently … Read more
A recent study has found that health messages–the kind that are posted on billboards to advise the public or decorate the walls of doctors’ offices–have different effects on two different classes of people. The research found that while experts respond better to negative, loss-framed messages that make sense within the context their strong knowledge of … Read more
An accidental discovery made by researchers testing the weight-bearing capacities of a small bird in the Tennessee mountains has shed light on how birds’ senses–notably their ability to hear very low infrasounds characteristic of large storms–allow the animals to avert meteorological catastrophes. “I think this is just one newly discovered example of the many ways … Read more
Bacteria divide into two identical progeny cells, right? According to Professor Peter Young and his team at the University of York’s Department of Biology, this is only part of the picture. The team recently studied a community of rhizobia from a clod of earth dug up from the university campus, and found that bacterial cells are in fact unique, … Read more
New hope for a universal flu vaccine has come out of recent work by a join research team from McMaster University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. The team published a report Wednesday on a new class of broadly-neutralizing antibodies that are expected to increase the potency of our weapons … Read more
Predispositions to prejudice can be manipulated, according to new research. By making social minorities appear to hold egalitarian beliefs, researchers demonstrated that those minority individuals would bear less prejudice–both implicit and explicit–from American and Chinese nationals. By manipulating the would-be judges so that they made their appraisals of minority individuals while in a collectivist mind-set, … Read more
Aging and longevity varies across the Earth’s species, and some scientists are seeking for an ability to improve health in humans by learning from the genes of other animals. The bowhead whale gene was recently mapped by UK researchers who believe various genetic “tricks” that allow the whale to live up to 200 years can … Read more
It has long been common scientific knowledge that monkeys don’t realize that the reflection they see in the mirror is their own. But, according to new research by the Chinese Academy Sciences, monkeys can learn to recognize their reflections. “Mirror self-recognition is an indication of self-awareness, which is a hallmark of higher intelligence in humans, … Read more
As part of a larger body of work to explore “the Science of Intellectual Humility,” a joint-research team has investigated the differences between two types of humility. The two types are each characterized by a cluster of traits: general humility by social traits, and intellectual humility by a composite of traits that add up to … Read more
The complete genome for the bowhead whale has been mapped and the results have been presented by University of Liverpool researchers. The researchers expect that the research help build an understanding of “tricks of biology” that the species–which lives up to 200 years with low incidence of age-related diseases–have developed to increase their lifespans. “My … Read more