Pets are a child’s best friend, not their siblings

Children get more satisfaction from relationships with their pets than with their brothers or sisters, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. Children also appear to get on even better with their animal companions than with siblings. The research adds to increasing evidence that household pets may...

Read More

DNA analysis of seawater detects 80% of fish species in just one day

Collecting water samples. (Image courtesy of Kobe University) A Japanese research group has used a new technology that identifies multiple fish species populating local areas by analyzing DNA samples from seawater, and proved that this method is accurate and more effective than visual observation. This research was...

Read More

Brain shape linked to personality differences

The shape of your brain can influence personality traits, according to a new study. New research reveals the shape of our brain can provide surprising clues about how we behave and our risk of developing mental health disorders. Florida State University College of Medicine Associate Professor Antonio Terracciano joined...

Read More

Rat-grown mouse pancreases help reverse diabetes in mice

Rat in which researchers were able to grow a mouse pancreas. Islets from the pancreases were transplanted into mice with diabetes. The transplants helped control the mice's blood sugar levels. (Courtesy of the Nakauchi lab) Rat-grown mouse pancreases help reverse diabetes in mice, say researchers at Stanford, University...

Read More

Deep learning algorithm does as well as dermatologists in identifying skin cancer

A dermatologist using a dermatoscope, a type of handheld microscope, to look at skin. Computer scientists at Stanford have created an artificially intelligent diagnosis algorithm for skin cancer that matched the performance of board-certified dermatologists. (Matt Young) It's scary enough making a doctor's appointment...

Read More

Bursts of methane may have warmed early Mars

The presence of water on ancient Mars is a paradox. There's plenty of geographical evidence that rivers periodically flowed across the planet's surface. Yet in the time period when these waters are supposed to have run -- three to four billion years ago -- Mars should have been too cold to support liquid water. So how...

Read More

How plant cells regulate growth shown for the first time

The meristem. The photo was taken using confocal microscopy. (Arun Sampathkumar and Yassin Refahi) Researchers have managed to show how the cells in a plant, a multicellular organism, determine their size and regulate their growth over time. The findings overturn previous theories in the field and are potentially...

Read More

Astronomers find seven dwarf-galaxy groups, the building blocks of massive galaxies

Dwarf galaxies, nuggets of stars and gas 100 to 1,000 times smaller than the Milky Way, are thought to be the building blocks of massive galaxies. Evidence for groups of merging dwarf galaxies, however, has been lacking, until now. Using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and various optical telescopes, a...

Read More

Microscopic submarines for your stomach

Tiny "submarines" that speed independently through the stomach, use gastric acid for fuel (while rapidly neutralizing it), and release their cargo precisely at the desired pH: Though it may sound like science fiction, this is a new method for treating stomach diseases with acid-sensitive drugs introduced by scientists in the journal Angewandte Chemie. The technique is based on proton-driven micromotors with a pH-dependent polymer coating that...

Read More

Strength of hair inspires new materials for body armor

In a new study, researchers at the University of California San Diego investigate why hair is incredibly strong and resistant to breaking. The findings could lead to the development of new materials for body armor and help cosmetic manufacturers create better hair care products. Hair has a strength to weight ratio comparable...

Read More

New species of moth named in honor of Donald Trump ahead of his swearing-in as president

This is a close up of the head of the holotype of the new species Neopalpa donaldtrumpi. (Dr. Vazrick Nazari / CC-BY 4.0) Days before Donald J. Trump steps forward on the Inaugural platform in Washington to assume the role of the 45th President of the United States of America, evolutionary biologist and systematist...

Read More

Maternal micronutrients, nurturing environment boost child development

Mothers who take multi-micronutrient supplements during pregnancy can add the equivalent of up to one full year of schooling to a child's cognitive abilities at age 9-12, says a new study. Other essential ingredients in the recipe for smarter kids include early life nurturing, happy moms, and educated parents, according to the research conducted in Indonesia. As well, the study finds that a child's nurturing environment is more strongly correlated...

Read More

For first time ever, x-ray imaging captures material defect process

From blacksmiths forging iron to artisans blowing glass, humans have for centuries been changing the properties of materials to build better tools -- from iron horseshoes and swords to glass jars and medicine vials. In modern life, new materials are created to improve today's items, such as stronger steel for skyscrapers...

Read More

First humans arrived in North America a lot earlier than believed

This horse mandible from Cave 2 shows a number of cut marks on the lingual surface. They indicate that the animal's tongue was cut out with a stone tool. (Image courtesy of Université de Montréal) The timing of the first entry of humans into North America across the Bering Strait has now been set back 10,000 years. This...

Read More

New study refutes how fruit flies developed their tolerance for alcohol

The common fruit fly, the tiny insect drawn to your beer or wine, has evolved to have an impressive tolerance for alcohol. More than two decades ago, in one of the first papers using gene sequences to find signatures of natural selection, scientists hypothesized that a molecular change in an enzyme gave theDrosophila...

Read More