More stories
-
169 Views
in HealthNewly discovered brain mechanism linked to anxiety, OCD — ScienceDaily
The pandemic and its aftermath have raised anxiety to new levels. But the roots of anxiety-related conditions, including obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder (OCSD), are still unclear. In a new study, University of Utah Health scientists discovered insights into the importance of a minor cell type in the brain — microglia — in controlling anxiety-related behaviors in […] More
-
199 Views
in HealthWhales not to be counted on as ‘climate savers’ — ScienceDaily
Despite some hope that this would be the case, a new study led by Griffith University and a team of global researchers has found the amount of potential carbon capture by whales is too little to meaningfully alter the course of climate change. Marine scientist Dr Olaf Meynecke and the team from the Griffith-led Whales […] More
-
199 Views
in TechnologyGPD working on compact external GPU dock for laptops and handheld consoles
In brief: The Steam Deck handheld console has inspired a lot of clones, but all of them come equipped with integrated graphics, and so do a lot of ultraportable laptops. A Shenzhen-based company called GPD is working on a pocket-friendly eGPU dock that can boost the graphics performance for many of these niche devices using […] More
-
-
149 Views
in HealthProposed design could double the efficiency of lightweight solar cells for space-based applications — ScienceDaily
When it comes to supplying energy for space exploration and settlements, commonly available solar cells made of silicon or gallium arsenide are still too heavy to be feasibly transported by rocket. To address this challenge, a wide variety of lightweight alternatives are being explored, including solar cells made of a thin layer of molybdenum selenide, […] More
-
179 Views
in TechnologyDestroying decommissioned hard drives is all about risk management
Bottom line: Millions of hard drives are retired annually when their warranties expire, even if they are still in perfect operating condition. The overwhelming majority of these drives are not sent in for refurbishing or otherwise repurposed. Rather, they are destroyed. The Circular Drive Initiative (CDI), a consortium of technology companies promoting the reuse of […] More
-
189 Views
in TechnologyA 13-year-old spent $64,000 of her parents’ money on mobile games without them realizing
WTF?! In yet another example of how addictive pay-to-win mobile titles can be, a 13-year-old girl in China spent around $64,000 that was stolen from her mother on app games, wiping out her parents’ savings in just four months. The unnamed child, a secondary school student from Henan, was only caught by her mother after […] More
-
119 Views
in HealthSponge makes robotic device a soft touch — ScienceDaily
A simple sponge has improved how robots grasp, scientists from the University of Bristol have found. This easy-to-make sponge-jamming device can help stiff robots handle delicate items carefully by mimicking the nuanced touch, or variable stiffness, of a human. Robots can skip, jump and do somersaults, but they’re too rigid to hold an egg easily. […] More
-
199 Views
in TechnologyMicrosoft will pay $20 million for violating children’s online privacy on Xbox
What just happened? Microsoft violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the US federal law conceived to protect the online privacy of children under the age of 13. Younger gamers were profiled without their parents’ consent, and data was retained for years, even for uncompleted accounts. Microsoft and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have […] More
-
189 Views
in TechnologyA “potentially hazardous” asteroid bigger than a skyscraper reaches Earth next week
In brief: An asteroid the size of the Empire State Building that has been classified as potentially hazardous is blasting toward Earth and will arrive next week. But we don’t have to worry, apparently, as the object will pass us, though it will be comparatively close to our planet. Asteroid 1994 XD, which was discovered […] More
-
-
159 Views
in HealthMeasuring greenhouse gas from ponds improves climate predictions — ScienceDaily
Shallow lakes and ponds emit significant amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, but emissions from these systems vary considerably and are not well understood. Now, a new Cornell University-led study measures methane and carbon dioxide emissions from 30 small lakes and ponds (one acre or less) in temperate areas of Europe and North America, […] More
-
99 Views
in TechnologyHealthcare chain is using a GPT-4-based AI to generate medical records
What just happened? Carbon Health is a US healthcare chain describing itself as a human-centered “hybrid healthcare provider” which uses the power of technology to make “great care” more accessible to everyone. The company is of course sold on the new generative AI trend too, and it already has an automation tool writing notes in […] More
-
189 Views
in TechnologyMalwarebytes faces lawsuit for classifying rival’s anti-spyware program as a threat
What just happened? Enigma software group has won a crucial case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, allowing it to proceed with its lawsuit against Malwarebytes for flagging its anti-spyware software as a ‘potentially unwanted program.’ The lawsuit alleges that Malwarebytes has engaged in anti-competitive conduct under the Lanham Act and […] More
-
159 Views
in HealthVery long baseline array finds classical novae are anything but simple — ScienceDaily
While studying classical novae using the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), a graduate researcher uncovered evidence the objects may have been erroneously typecast as simple. The new observations, which detected non-thermal emission from a classical nova with a dwarf companion, were presented today at a press conference during the 242nd proceedings […] More
-
199 Views
in TechnologyHow much did the Neo Geo game console cost when it launched in 1990?
Choose your answer and the correct choice will be revealed. The Neo-Geo was a notoriously expensive cartridge-based system that served as the company’s entry into the crowded 16-bit console market, the system was unique at the time for its ability to play arcade-quality games at home. The system was initially only available for rent by […] More
-
129 Views
in TechnologyAn Excel mistake resulted in Austrian political party announcing the wrong leader
Facepalm: Have you ever made a mistake in Excel while at work? Maybe typed in the wrong formula or missed out a row? There might have been repercussions, but they’re unlikely to be as severe as those experienced by a major Austrian political party, which announced the wrong result of a leadership contest due to […] More
-
-
129 Views
in HealthSymbiotic and pathogenic fungi may use similar molecular tools to manipulate plants — ScienceDaily
Symbiotic and pathogenic fungi that interact with plants are distantly related and don’t share many genetic similarities. Comparing plant pathogenic fungi and plant symbiotic fungi, scientists at the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) have discovered that these remote relatives are using a similar group of proteins to manipulate and live within plants. Sebastian Schornack’s research […] More
-
169 Views
in TechnologyGuide to Choosing a New Graphics Card
Graphics cards are among the most complex, expensive, and sizeable components you can get for a PC. So when it comes to upgrading to a new model, it’s crucial to ensure that you’re choosing the right one for both your PC and your wallet. While there is no shortage of outstanding options among the hundreds […] More
-
199 Views
in HealthNew class of antibiotics to fight resistant bacteria — ScienceDaily
Health professionals are in urgent need of new antibiotics to tackle resistant bacteria. Researchers at the University of Zurich and the company Spexis have now modified the chemical structure of naturally occurring peptides to develop antimicrobial molecules that bind to novel targets in the bacteria’s metabolism. Each year, more than five million people worldwide die […] More
-
179 Views
in TechnologyFBI warns that sextortionists are creating explicit deepfakes from people’s social media images
In brief: In yet another story about the dark side of AI, the FBI has warned that criminals are blackmailing people by threatening to send explicit images and videos featuring the victims to their friends and family. The only difference from regular sextortion attacks is that the material is AI-generated deepfakes created from stolen social […] More
-
169 Views
in HealthResearchers finds a way to reduce the overheating of semiconductor devices — ScienceDaily
The demand to shrink the size of semiconductors coupled with the problem of the heat generated at the hot spots of the devices not being effectively dispersed has negatively affected the reliability and durability of modern devices. Existing thermal management technologies have not been up to the task. Thus, the discovery of a new way […] More
-
99 Views
in HealthProducing large, clean 2D materials made easy — ScienceDaily
Ever since the discovery of the two-dimensional form of graphite (called graphene) almost twenty years ago, interest in 2D materials with their special physical properties has skyrocketed. Famously, graphene was produced by exfoliating bulk graphite using sticky tape. Although it was good enough for a Nobel Prize, this method has its drawbacks. An international team […] More
-
-
278 Views
in HealthFragments of spherical ‘Buckyball’ molecules have stable electron-accepting ability with great practical potential — ScienceDaily
Researchers at Kyoto University in Japan have gained new insights into the unique chemical properties of spherical molecules composed entirely of carbon atoms, called fullerenes. They did it by making flat fragments of the molecules, which surprisingly retained and even enhanced some key chemical properties. The team published their findings in the journal Nature Communications. […] More
-
293 Views
in HealthExplaining the interaction between quantized vortices and normal fluids — ScienceDaily
Liquid helium-4, which is in a superfluid state at cryogenic temperatures close to absolute zero (-273°C), has a special vortex called a quantized vortex that originates from quantum mechanical effects. When the temperature is relatively high, the normal fluid exists simultaneously in the superfluid helium, and when the quantized vortex is in motion, mutual friction […] More
-
249 Views
in HealthBiodegradable plastic from sugar cane also threatens the environment — ScienceDaily
Plastic made from cane sugar also threatens the environment. Researchers from the University of Gothenburg have found that perch change their behaviour when exposed to so-called bioplastic. Traditional plastic, based on fossil oil, has flooded the earth and there is microplastic in all living things. This has led to intensive research for alternatives that decompose […] More
-
293 Views
in HealthUltrasound breaks new ground for forearm fractures in children — ScienceDaily
Portable ultrasound devices could provide an alternative to x-ray machines for diagnosing forearm fractures in children in a move that could alleviate waiting times for families in hospital emergency departments (ED). Griffith University researchers Professor Robert Ware from the Menzies Health Institute Queensland and Senior Lecturer Peter Snelling from the School of Medicine and Dentistry […] More
-
249 Views
in HealthResearchers cultivate archaea that break down crude oil in novel ways — ScienceDaily
Microbial communities are especially active near hydrothermal seeps like those in the Guaymas Basin in the Gulf of California. The team of researchers has been working on understanding these communities for many years. Organic material deposited in the Guaymas Basin is cooked by heat sources from within the Earth, which breaks it down into crude […] More
-
176 Views
in HealthHow caregiver speech shapes infant brain — ScienceDaily
A team led by a University of Texas at Dallas neurodevelopment researcher has uncovered some of the most conclusive evidence yet that parents who talk more to their infants improve their babies’ brain development. The researchers used MRI and audio recordings to demonstrate that caregiver speech is associated with infant brain development in ways that […] More
-
-
249 Views
in HealthHow studying feces may help us boost white rhino populations — ScienceDaily
Researchers at North Carolina State University have identified significant differences in the gut microbiome of female southern white rhinos who are reproducing successfully in captivity, as compared to females who have not reproduced successfully in captivity. The work raises questions about the role that a particular genus of gut microbes may be playing in limiting […] More
-
176 Views
in HealthWeather anomalies are keeping insects active longer — ScienceDaily
As Earth’s climate continues to warm due to the emission of greenhouse gasses, extreme and anomalous weather events are becoming more common. But predicting and analyzing the effects of what is, by definition, an anomaly can be tricky. Scientists say museum specimens can help. In the first study of its kind, researchers at the University […] More
-
249 Views
in TechnologyDiablo IV becomes Blizzard’s fastest-selling game in less than 24 hours
Smokin’! Diablo IV officially launched to all players less than 24 hours ago, and it is already a smash hit. In addition to a fairly smooth early access period, Blizzard claims the game has had the best release in company history, breaking sales records and accumulating a combined player-logged game time of nearly 100 million […] More
-
234 Views
in HealthThe study’s findings offer a potential alternative to surgical spaying — ScienceDaily
Currently there are no contraceptives capable of producing permanent sterilization in companion animals. Spaying, the surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus, is the most widely used strategy to control unwanted reproduction in female cats. For the first time, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of Mass General Brigham (MGB), and their […] More
-
176 Views
in HealthElectrical synapses in the neural network of insects found to have unexpected role in controlling flight power — ScienceDaily
A team of experimental neurobiologists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and theoretical biologists at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin has managed to solve a mystery that has been baffling scientists for decades. They have been able to determine the nature of the electrical activity in the nervous system of insects that controls their flight. In a […] More
-
161 Views
in TechnologyEA details F1 23 PC-exclusive features including ray tracing, eye tracking, and more, preload available now
Something to look forward to: EA confirmed the next installment of its F1 driving simulation series would hit Steam, the Epic Games Store, the EA app, and consoles on June 16. With the launch less than two weeks away, the publisher has revealed the final details on PC specs and features. Starting Tuesday, customers pre-ordering […] More
-
-
220 Views
in HealthHow well toxic elements leach out of coal ash depends on the ash’s nanoscale composition — ScienceDaily
Everyone knows that burning coal causes air pollution that is harmful to the climate and human health. But the ash left over can often be harmful as well. For example, Duke Energy long stored a liquified form of coal ash in 36 large ponds across the Carolinas. That all changed in 2014, when a spill […] More