Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Imagine the decisions you make every day, such as what to buy, who to trust, or who to vote for, are heavily influenced by a simple yet powerful flaw in your reasoning. Economists at the University of Surrey argue that people are systematically deceived by repeated information, leading to irrational decisions. … Read more
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain One of my favorite summer pastimes is enjoying a cold beer in a bar with friends after work. But not just any beer—it has to be a lager. And I am not alone. With its crisp and refreshing profile, lager accounts for more than 90% of the global beer market. However, … Read more
What would happen if humans dried out the Mediterranean sea, turning it into a giant salt lake? Would its wildlife survive, and if so, how long would it take to recover? These may seem like wildly theoretical questions, but not for Herman Sörgel, a Bavarian architect who dedicated much of his life to this exact … Read more
This photo provided by SpaceX shows, from left, Russian Aleksandr Gorbunov, and NASA’s Nick Hague, Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., on May 6, 2024. Credit: SpaceX via AP NASA on Friday cut two astronauts from the next crew to make room on the return trip for the two stuck … Read more
Chocolate callets are displayed at the California Cultured office in West Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu Climate change is stressing rainforests where the highly sensitive cocoa bean grows, but chocolate lovers need not despair, say companies that are researching other ways to grow cocoa or develop cocoa substitutes. Scientists and … Read more
A violet-tailed sylph (Aglaiocercus coelestis) hummingbird is pictured in a private reserve in Mindo, Ecuador on August 16, 2024. A sprawling Ecuadoran forest reserve, home to toucans and the spectacled bear, is at the heart of a tug-of-war between environmentalist and miners. A year ago, residents and environmentalists scored a hard-won victory in a local … Read more
Credit: CC0 Public Domain Recent research from the University of Bath shows discrimination against women worsens if Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used by lenders for loans, but that ethical lenders could choose to tweak the AI algorithms to address this bias and still improve their profits as well as their brand reputation. The study of … Read more
Adult samples of Akarotaxis gouldae (left) compared to adult samples of Akarotaxis nudiceps (right) show subtle yet distinct morphological differences, including the presence of two bands on the bodies of Akarotaxis gouldae as well as a shorter snouts and jaws. Credit: Andrew Corso A new species of Antarctic dragonfish, Akarotaxis gouldae or Banded Dragonfish, has … Read more
People carrying umbrellas walk across a street in Tokyo on August 30. Typhoon Shanshan weakened to a tropical storm but was still dumping heavy rains as it slowly churned through Japan. A powerful typhoon now downgraded to a tropical storm was still disrupting flights and trains in Japan Saturday, with authorities warning of possible landslides … Read more
Credit: Neuron (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.036 Animal behavior is known to rely on transforming sensory information into motor commands, often influenced by an animal’s internal needs. While in mammals and other large animals this process is supported by complex brain processes, simpler versions of it might also guide the behavior of smaller living organisms, including insects. … Read more
