Why are there seven days in a week?
The Babylonians' calendar was passed down from civilization to civilization.
January 13, 2020
392
Technology
Cyberspace is the next front in Iran-US conflict – and private companies may bear the brunt
Less overt than conventional military actions, cyber attacks can have dangerous consequences – especially when they target…
January 13, 2020
499
3D printing of body parts is coming fast – but regulations are not ready
Bioprinting, an offshoot of 3D printing, is advancing so rapidly that regulators have been caught off guard. Two legal scholars…
January 10, 2020
733
Rotting feral pig carcasses teach scientists what happens when tons of animals die all at once, as i
Death is a natural part of ecosystems. But it's unusual for a large number of animals to all die at once. Researchers…
January 10, 2020
373
Monkeys smashing nuts with stones hint at how human tool use evolved
Capuchin monkeys in Brazil use big stones to crush the shells of nuts they want to eat. An experiment in the field investigated…
January 9, 2020
357
AI can now read emotions – should it?
A report calls for banning the use of emotion recognition technology. An AI and computer vision researcher explains the…
January 8, 2020
798
An Earth-sized planet found in the habitable zone of a nearby star
NASA scientists have discovered a new planet orbiting around a nearby star that is in a habitable zone. But does this planet…
January 6, 2020
448
A new way to identify a rare type of earthquake in time to issue lifesaving tsunami warnings
A tricky kind of earthquake that happens in the soft rock of the ocean floor causes much larger tsunamis than their magnitude…
January 6, 2020
349
Archaeological discoveries are happening faster than ever before, helping refine the human story
20 years ago, who could predict how much more researchers would know today about the human past – let alone what they…
December 23, 2019
461
Hangovers happen as your body tries to protect itself from alcohol's toxic effects
Researchers know the basic biology of what happens to your system after a night of heavy drinking. Unfortunately, evidence-based…
December 20, 2019
370
A real-life deluminator for spotting exoplanets by reflected starlight
Sometimes it is difficult to take a photograph of an exoplanet because the star illuminating it is too bright. Now there…
December 19, 2019
405
Here's how you can be nudged to eat healthier, recycle and make better decisions every day
A scholar who studies consumer decision-making explains just what it is in the human mind that makes people susceptible…
December 18, 2019
340
Tracking your heart rate? 5 questions answered about what that number really means
Trying a new exercise routine? Strapping on a new wearable monitor? An expert in human physiology explains the ins and outs…
December 18, 2019
369
My team uses crossbows and drones to collect bacteria from whales - and the results are teaching us
New research is uncovering that whales have their own distinct microbiomes that may play important roles in animal health.…
December 17, 2019
452
7 science-based strategies to boost your willpower and succeed with your New Year’s resolutions
Forget being super self-critical and whipping yourself into shape. There are ways to set yourself up for success that are…
December 17, 2019
395
Feeling sick is an emotion meant to help you get better faster
Fighting off infection comes with predictable psychological and behavioral features. Now researchers suggest an emotion…
December 17, 2019
362
How can we make sure that algorithms are fair?
A machine learning expert predicts a new balance between human and machine intelligence is on the horizon. For that to be…
December 16, 2019
337
Planetary confusion -- why astronomers keep changing what it means to be a planet
Many people are still upset that Pluto was demoted from being a planet. But definitions of various celestial objects are…
December 16, 2019
437
Butterfly lovers become citizen scientists by logging sightings on eButterfly
Citizen scientists across North America have contributed over 1 million observations to this online platform, generating…
December 13, 2019
341
Margaret Morse Nice thought like a song sparrow and changed how scientists understand animal behavio
This 20th century ornithologist earned the respect of her contemporaries for her animal behavior research that went against…
December 13, 2019
357