Science

Myth buster: Our big brains and small teeth did not evolve at the same time
Январь 03, 2017
Science

Myth buster: Our big brains and small teeth did not evolve at the same time

The human brain and teeth have not evolved together in humans, unlike what past studies had suggested. Diverse and unrelated behavioural and ecological factors might have influenced the evolution of postcanine teeth and brain size within the Hominin group. Compared with other hominins, one of modern humans' most distinctive...

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7 лет ago
From Yellowstone to Toba: Here are some of the world’s biggest supervolcanoes
Январь 01, 2017
Science

From Yellowstone to Toba: Here are some of the world’s biggest supervolcanoes

Supervolcanoes are loosely defined as volcanoes that can eject more than 1,000km3 of material during an eruption – around 1,000 times bigger than a normal volcano. These eruptions measure magnitude 8 or more on the Volcano Explosivity Index (VEI). In any given century, there is around a one in 500 chance one of the...

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7 лет ago
The next big thing in tech: Why augmented reality will dominate 2017
Декабрь 31, 2016
Science

The next big thing in tech: Why augmented reality will dominate 2017

There is one technology story from this past year which can help inform us of any predictions we make about the technology trends which will dominate 2017. It is not Apple's stance against the US Department of Justice and refusal to undermine the security of its iPhones. It is not Facebook's growing influence on the...

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7 лет ago
The pollutant ammonia has been detected 15km up in the atmosphere, but it may not be all bad
Декабрь 29, 2016
Science

The pollutant ammonia has been detected 15km up in the atmosphere, but it may not be all bad

The gas ammonia is usually only found in the atmosphere in tiny trace amounts, but scientists have now detected it at significant levels in the upper troposphere for the first time. The gas was at levels of 33 molecules per trillion air molecules over north India and south-east China, which have a huge consumption of...

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7 лет ago
Deadly duo: Diabetes and hypertension drugs combined to kill cancer cells
Декабрь 28, 2016
Science

Deadly duo: Diabetes and hypertension drugs combined to kill cancer cells

A combination of two drugs currently used to treat diabetes and hypertension have been found to kill cancer cells. Metformin, used to treat Type II diabetes, and syrosingopine, an anti-hypertension drug, were found to drive cancer cells to programmed 'suicide' in mouse models of the disease. Metformin has previously...

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7 лет ago
Six more fast radio bursts have been discovered coming from the same mystery cosmic source
Декабрь 26, 2016
Science

Six more fast radio bursts have been discovered coming from the same mystery cosmic source

Six additional repeating fast radio bursts have been discovered coming the same unknown source in space. The FRBs came from the same region beyond the Milky Way where 10 bursts had previously been detected – and their discovery should give a greater insight into what caused them. FRBs are radio signals from deep space...

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7 лет ago
KIC 846852’s mystery dimming down to natural, internal workings of star itself
Декабрь 21, 2016
Science

KIC 846852’s mystery dimming down to natural, internal workings of star itself

The mystery dimming of KIC 846852 that has baffled scientists for the last 18 months may be down to the star itself – not external influences like a cloud of comets or an 'alien megastructure' that have been proposed. Dips in the stars light were noticed by citizen astronomers in data from Nasa's Kepler....

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7 лет ago
Arctic Inuits survive the extreme cold thanks to genes from extinct species of human
Декабрь 21, 2016
Science

Arctic Inuits survive the extreme cold thanks to genes from extinct species of human

Arctic Inuits may have adapted to the cold and harsh climate thanks to genetic variants that first emerged in archaic humans, the Denisovans. These variants may protect them by generating a specific type of body fat and by changing their body fat distribution. How Inuits have survived for so many years in some of the coldest...

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7 лет ago
Magma is rising underneath Naples’ supervolcano Campi Flegrei – and is reaching critical pressure
Декабрь 20, 2016
Science

Magma is rising underneath Naples’ supervolcano Campi Flegrei – and is reaching critical pressure

The gases underneath the volcano are becoming saturated with water as the magma gives off steam. The building pressure under the volcano could lead to rock failure at the surface, which often triggers a volcanic eruption. The scientists say that they have no direct evidence to believe that an eruption at Campi Flegrei is...

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7 лет ago
Ancient Chinese medicine shows promise in the treatment of tuberculosis
Декабрь 20, 2016
Science

Ancient Chinese medicine shows promise in the treatment of tuberculosis

Artemisinin, the ancient Chinese medicine that dramatically reduced the number of deaths from malaria around the world, may also help treat people suffering from tuberculosis. This approach could provide a solution to one of main problems associated with TB treatment – the length it takes to cure the disease completely....

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7 лет ago
Hubble Space Telescope Photographs IC 5201 — A Distant Barred Spiral Galaxy
Декабрь 19, 2016
Science

Hubble Space Telescope Photographs IC 5201 — A Distant Barred Spiral Galaxy

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have captured an image of a distant spiral galaxy in unprecedented detail. The barred spiral galaxy, named IC 5201, is located over 40 million light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Grus and was first spotted in 1900 by the British-South African astronomer...

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7 лет ago
Earth is overdue for an ‘extinction level’ asteroid strike and we’re not prepared at all
Декабрь 17, 2016
Science

Earth is overdue for an ‘extinction level’ asteroid strike and we’re not prepared at all

We’re sorry to spoil your weekend, but Earth is overdue a massive asteroid strike and ‘there’s not a hell of a lot we can do about it’. The jolly outlook has come from a Nasa scientist, who warned that humans don’t have a defence for an ‘extinction level event’. Horse called Party Till...

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7 лет ago