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New Research

New Research

A.I. Is Learning Teamwork by Dominating in Multiplayer Video Games

Google’s DeepMind labs trained bots play a virtual version of capture the flag, showing them how to work as a unit

Cool Finds

Burial Mound Found on Kindergarten Playground Was Used for 2,000 Years

Thirty sets of human remains from the mound in southwest France show locals buried their dead in the same spot from the Stone Age to the Iron Age

New Research

‘Mona Lisa’ Comes to Life in Computer-Generated ‘Living Portrait’

A new artificial intelligence system can create realistic animations from a single static image

New Research

Twice as Many Fishing Vessels Are Chasing Fewer Fish on the World’s Oceans

Since 1950, the number of boats has gone from 1.7 million to 3.7 million, even though fish stocks have crumbled

Chimps Seen Cracking Open Tortoise Shells—a First

One adult male even appeared to save half of his hard-shelled snack for later—an intriguing sign of future planning

Living with the “thermostat patriarchy”

Chilly Rooms May Cool Women’s Productivity

A new study has found that women perform better on math and verbal tests in warmer temperatures

Cool Finds

Australia Has Several New Dragon Lizard Species—and One May Already Be Extinct

A new study shows the endangered grassland earless dragon is actually four separate reptile species—and one hasn’t been seen since 1969

New Research

Worn-Out Teeth Expand the Narrative of the Ancient Egyptian Career Woman

Wear patterns suggest a woman buried in the ancient city of Mendes processed papyrus reeds, a job women were not previously known to do

For the First Time, Researchers Find Color Red Preserved in Fossil

The fossilized rodent, dubbed ‘mighty mouse’, is the first to show chemical traces of a red pigment in soft tissue

New Research

Bonobo Mothers Interfere in Their Sons’ Monkey Business

They find suitable mates for their offspring and chase away intruders once the mating begins, boosting fertility rates

New Research

Pompeii Fixed Potholes With Molten Iron

A new study suggests the Romans knew how to melt iron and used it to fill in wheel ruts and cavities on their stone streets

They're all good dogs.

New Research

Breathing Problems in Pugs and Bulldogs Might Have a Genetic Component

It might not be their smushed-up snouts after all

New Research

A Nanoscale Light Trick Is the Key to Peacock Spiders’ Super-Black Spots

A new study shows how patches of bumpy microlenses capture 99.5 of the light that hits them

3-D Images Show Just How Much a Baby’s Head Changes During Birth

Scientists behind a new study were surprised by the degree of stress that is placed on a baby’s skull as it moves through the birth canal

New Research

The Glacier That Produced the ‘Titanic’ Iceberg Has Suddenly Stopped Flowing

After a period of losing 66 feet of ice per year, the Jakobshavn Glacier is growing again—but that doesn’t mean glaciers aren’t in trouble

The Lee Lincoln Scarp, one of the potentially active faults on the Moon.

New Research

The Moon Is Slowly Shrinking, Which May Be Causing ‘Moonquakes’ on Its Surface

Analysis of seismic data collected on the Apollo missions shows the moon is probably tectonically active

New Research

North Carolina’s Offshore Shipwrecks Have Surprising New Tenants—Tropical Fish

As species are pushed north by climate change, the reefs may serve as a refuge for tropical and sub-tropical fish

New Research

The Key to Biodiversity in Antarctica Is Penguin Poop

A new study shows nitrogen from penguin and elephant seal dung powers a diversity of arthropods and nematodes in surrounding areas

Cool Finds

1,000-Year-Old Pouch From Bolivia Contains Traces of Five Mind-Altering Drugs

The ingredients include coca leaves and two compounds used in modern ayahuasca rituals

Haze at Joshua Tree National Park.

New Research

Signficant Air Pollution Plagues Almost All U.S. National Parks

Ozone and other pollutants are obscuring views, hurting plants and causing health concerns for visitors at 96 percent of parks

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