New Research

Various ways to morph regular fishing line into ultra-strong artificial muscles.

The Ultra-Strong Robotic Muscles of the Future Could Be Made From Fishing Line

One day, we could have muscles made of fishing line in our own bodies, too

There Is an Odd Link Between People Who Get Bitten by Cats And Depression

There's some connection between cat bites and mental illness—it's just not clear what it is

Ant Larvae Are Used as Living Floaties to Save the Queen From Floods

When the floods begin, the entire colony does its part in forming a living, floating mass, placing the queen at the protective center

Western Schizophrenia Tests Overdiagnose Immigrants

New research suggests that it’s not that immigrants have higher rates of schizophrenia, but rather that our tests for schizophrenia are biased

Nicaragua stands to lose around one million acres of rainforest and wetlands if the new canal is built.

Nicaragua Plans to Bisect the Country With a Massive Canal

The canal would cause “tragic devastation” to both the country’s natural heritage and indigenous communities, scientists say

Switzerland Is One of the World’s Happiest Countries And One of Its “Suicide Capitals”

New data from the country's assisted suicide clinics reveal demographics about who is most likely to seek help in ending their own life

Prison Education Systems Can Keep People From Being Incarcerated Again

But education budgets in prisons were slashed during the economic recession

Like Humans, Elephants Console One Another When Times Get Tough

In the animal kingdom, only primates, dogs and smart birds like ravens were previously known to do this

Breadcrump sponges, Halichondria panicea, can survive with minimal oxygen.

Earth’s First Animals May Have Lived in a Dead Zone

Breadcrumb sponges show how Earth's first animals may have got by with barely any oxygen

Why Some People Always Remember Their Dreams, But Others Never Can

Why people dream is still a mystery, however

Extreme Loneliness Can Be Deadly for Older People

People who suffer from loneliness were almost twice as likely to die over a six year study period than others

Madame Leon Clapisson, Renoir, 1883

Scientists Revitalize the Reds in Renoir’s Faded Painting

Paint fades over time, but scientific analysis can help reconstruct the original

Cancelled Flights

This Winter's Record Number of Plane Cancellations Can't Entirely Be Blamed on Weather

This has been the worst winter for flight cancellations on record

The introduction of cows changed the diet of ancient Britons

6,000 Years Ago, the Trendiest Food in Ancient Britain Was Dairy

New research shows that ancient Britons started cooking with dairy soon after livestock was introduced to the isles

A mosquito of the genus Anopheles.

Nazi Scientists Wanted to Use Mosquitoes to Send Diseases Behind Enemy Lines

The Nazi SS ran an entomological research facility

Teotihuacan ruins in Mexico.

Ancient Cities Developed in a Surprisingly Similar Way to Modern Ones

The same mathematical equations that describe patterns of modern urban sprawl are equally suited to explaining the development of ancient cities

The Cat Parasite That Causes Toxoplasmosis Is Turning Up in Beluga Whales

Native Inuits who eat Beluga whales risk infection if the meat is not thoroughly disinfected by cooking

The statistics-crunching Facebook Data Science team has mined the site's vast clearinghouse of status updates for nuggets of insights on love.

What Can Facebook Tell Us About Love?

With data-mining being all the rage these days, our online activity may reveal some intriguing insights about romance in the login era

South Australia Has a Higher Rate of Hypothermia Deaths Than Sweden

Weather can be dangerous when preparedness and support are lacking

Elegant Mathematical Formulas Activate the Same Brain Region As Music And Art

Beauty comes in many different guises, including numbers and symbols

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