A significant amount of the world’s plastic ends up in our oceans, which has caused something of a mystery for ecologists, who until recently had found evidence of only tens of thousands of tons of that garbage rather than the millions they expected would be floating on the surface. Now a joint-team of researchers has found … Read more
Contrary to intuition, adding pockets of water to solids can actually make them stronger. This finding, the result of research by Yale scientists, offers “a new knob to turn” for engineers, the researchers say. Engineers will be able to add exciting new properties to composite materials–such as electromagnetism–by embedding droplets of liquid, and, on a … Read more
Women feel what is happening to their partners over three times as much as men do. According to new research, the difference between the empathy felt by women and men was the biggest of many factors analyzed. “In our work, we were trying to measure how partners affect each other’s mental health through life events,” … Read more
Ten-17 and 10-19 of the radius of an atomic nucleus, or a million billionths of that nucleus. That is the range at which he expects really new physics to be found, and that is where we will find the “theory of everything,” Nobel-prize winning theoretical physicist Steven Weinberg said at Harvard’s Geological Hall this week. … Read more
If global warming is not a concern for many yet, the fast pace at which the icy landmass of Greenland is melting should be something to think about. New research has suggested that Greenland is melting at a pace quicker than the one earlier models predicted. According to new research by the National Snow and … Read more
A drink before bed? Around 50 million adults in the US take a drink to help them fall asleep, but that drink is being advised against by researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. Their research has found that alcohol actually disrupts sleep–even if it causes people to nod off. It disrupts sleep … Read more
A unique study of landscape factors–in particular, mines–as regional sources of stress has been conducted by Michigan State University researchers. The study involved waterways in 33 U.S. states and 22,000 fish community samples. The researchers were themselves surprised by the results: even a single mine can damage fish habitats in larger rivers downstream, and the effects … Read more
Leaps of faith? Gambling on Sundays may be more risky than churchgoers are aware, because, according to research by Radboud University, Netherlands scientists, activation of the concept of God in the minds of individuals increases their propensity to take risks. “Risk taking is influenced by subtle environmental factors. It might not be a good idea … Read more
Small businesses that fear competing giant neighbors may need to think again. According to research by a joint team of university scientists, having a large competitor nearby may actually boost the sales of small businesses, but this depends on whether a small business can successfully “stick it to the man” in “framing the game.” “When the … Read more
Threatening children does not promote truth-telling, according to research by McGill University scientists. In fact, using threats of punishment can have the opposite effect. “Children often lie to try to avoid getting in trouble–especially when they have done something wrong,” Victoria Talwar, professor of educational and counseling psychology at McGill University and lead researcher on the … Read more
Sensitive early care–or the lack thereof–has a significant effect on the relationships of adults, according to new research by scientists at the University of Delaware and the University of Minnesota. The researchers found that early care had long-term implications for relationships with others–including intimate partners–and that the effects were seen across all racial, gender and socioeconomic lines. Sensitive … Read more
Women are not comparing themselves with the thin, attractive models in the magazines they enjoy–some, at least. Instead, women are living vicariously through the thin, attractive models–engaging in “thinspiration,” according to new research from Ohio State University. Not only that, women who enjoy these magazines are actually less likely to make an effort to look more attractive, the … Read more