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Study: Why Aztec “death whistles” sound like human screams - Ars Technica

The basic mechanism relies on the Venturi effect, producing a unique rough and piercing sound.

The not so 'wicked' path from 'The Wizard of Oz' to the moon landing | Space

"The Wizard of Oz" and space exploration are two topics that by all rights should have nothing in common. But as it turns out, if you follow the Yellow Brick Road long enough you reach the moon.

Thanksgiving special: Dinosaur drumsticks and the story of the turkey trot | ScienceDaily

Wings may be the obvious choice when studying the connection between dinosaurs and birds, but a pair of paleontologists prefer drumsticks. That part of the leg, they say, is where fibular reduction among some dinosaurs tens of millions of years ago helped make it possible for peacocks to strut, penguins to waddle, and turkeys to trot.

Last trailer for Prime Video's 'Secret Level' is a cornucopia of cool gaming shorts | Space

Tim Miller's Blur Studio delivers 15 animated gems born from video game royalty

Advanced photovoltaic technology can support a just energy transition | Research Communities by Springer Nature

NASA's Curiosity rover captures 360-degree view of Mars — and finds strange sulfur stones | Space

The Curiosity shows sulfur stones, with no explanation of how they occurred on the Martian surface.

Effect of genetically predicted sclerostin on cardiovascular biomarkers, risk factors, and disease outcomes | Research Communities by Springer Nature

SpaceX's sixth Starship test flight successful despite abandoning booster catch | Mashable

SpaceX's sixth Starship test flight was largely successful, but plans to catch the first-stage Super Heavy booster were abandoned.

Room calorimetry the new gold standard for RMR measurements | Research Communities by Springer Nature

For years the metabolic cart was considered the gold standard for measurement of resting metabolic rate. However, due to their inaccuracy and anxiety of people being placed under the ventilated hood, they are fast moving aside for the new gold standard in town...whole room indirect calorimetry.

The key moment came 38 minutes after Starship roared off the launch pad - Ars Technica

SpaceX wasn’t able to catch the Super Heavy booster, but Starship is on the cusp of orbital flight.

Researchers uncover hidden roles of accessory genes in SARS-CoV-2

Viruses are lean, mean, infection machines. Their genomes are tiny, usually limited to a handful of absolutely essential genes, and they shed extra genomic deadweight extremely fast.

How long is a light-year? Here are some ways to think about it. | Mashable

A common misconception is that light-years measure time. But in astronomy, this unit conveys how far one space object is to another.

Protein Designers Explore Sequence Space | Evolution News

They may call it evolution, but it is all about intelligent design and artificial selection, not Darwinism.

SpaceX just got exactly what it wanted from the FAA for Texas Starship launches - Ars Technica

“All pertinent conditions and requirements of the prior approval have been met.”…

Time for a syringe standing order: Important next step to assure syringe access to prevent HIV and hepatitis C. | Research Communities by Springer Nature

Reflections on pharmacy syringe sales for World AIDS Day 2024. A discussion of trends in syringe access and a call for state standing orders for syringes.

Biomimetic "Soft" Materials: Rethinking bone repair | Research Communities by Springer Nature

It really did snow

You can see a bit of it in this photo. Mainly, though, this is a picture of my wife’s swarm of bird feeders, which were also swarmed with birds this morning, which all fled the instant I step…

Excellent images of a few things

Would you like some free biological illustrations that aren’t the products of an AI’s unrestrained imagination? NIH BioArt is such a source. These are bold, simple illustrations with li…

NASA's Curiosity rover heads to new puzzling Martian destination | Mashable

After a year of exploring a Martian valley, NASA's Curiosity rover is driving to a new location to explore an unusual "boxwork" formation, where microbes could have existed.

New approach to stabilize RSV protein could lead to better vaccines

In most people, the lung-infecting pathogens known as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) trigger mild cold-like symptoms. But in infants and seniors, these viruses can cause severe pneumonia and even death.

It’s snowing!

You know what that means: I am welcoming all the spiders to come in from the cold and find a cozy place to stay in my house, like this Pholcus in my shower.

Human HDAC6 senses valine abundancy to regulate DNA damage | Research Communities by Springer Nature

Valine specifically binds to the primate-specific SE14 repeat domain of HDAC6, retaining it in the cytoplasm. Valine deprivation triggers HDAC6 nuclear shift, increasing DNA demethylation and damage via TET2 activation. Valine restriction inhibits tumor growth, and enhances the effects of PARPis.

Unlocking Autonomy: Feedback Driven (Dis)Assembly Cycles in Minimal System | Research Communities by Springer Nature

Single amino acid/dipeptide-based system displays periodic changes in assembly and disassembly under non-equilibrium conditions in closed system, particularly in the absence of evolved biocatalysts with the help of feedback loop.

Dinosaur drumsticks, X-ray videos and 3D models shed light on the evolution of bird motion

Wings may be the obvious choice when studying the connection between dinosaurs and birds, but a pair of Yale paleontologists prefer drumsticks. That part of the leg, they say, is where fibular reduction among some dinosaurs tens of millions of years ago helped make it possible for peacocks to strut, penguins to waddle, and turkeys to trot.

Photocatalytic C‒F bond activation in small molecules and polyfluoroalkyl substances | Research Communities by Springer Nature

I may have to put my retirement plans on hold

I was planning to go into phased retirement at the end of the next school year. I’d told the chair of my division, and had warned all my faculty colleagues, but now…I’m not so sure. Thi…

Did NASA's Perseverance rover really find organics on Mars? These scientists aren't so sure | Space

Could Mars have once hosted life? NASA's Perseverance rover has uncovered a tantalizing clue, but scientists remain divided on what it truly means for the search for extraterrestrial life.

Qubit that makes most errors obvious now available to customers - Ars Technica

Can a small machine that makes error correction easier upend the market?

🏆Eminent Ecologist 2024: Fernando T. Maestre (part III: biocrust ecology) | Journal of Ecology Blog

The Journal of Ecology Editors are delighted to announce that Fernando Maestre is our Eminent Ecologist award winner for 2024! In recognition of his work, we asked Fernando to put together a virtual issue of some of his favourite contributions to the journal. Fernando has also written this blog series, and was interviewed by Richard Bardgett about about how he started his career in ecology,…

Our cars have cancer

I made a quick grocery run during the lunch hour, and, as usual, noticed that my car was made invisible when I parked it. My little Honda Fit was surrounded monstrous huge pickup trucks — tru…

SabersPro Obi Wan Ep3 lightsaber review | Space

Take the high ground with this stunning, and very expensive, replica lightsaber.

Behind the Paper: A Bioinspired Journey to Needle-Free Drug Delivery | Research Communities by Springer Nature

This blog post offers a glimpse into the research journey that led to our recent publication in Nature detailing microjet delivery (MiDe) systems for gastrointestinal drug delivery.

Q&A with Gina Rippon on Autism in Women | Research Communities by Springer Nature

In this Q&A, Gina Rippon discusses her research interests relating to the study of female autism. She has recently published a review in the BMC journal Biology of Sex Differences, and her latest book, published by Pan Macmillan and Seal Press (US), will be released in 2025.

Vaccine Hazards and Pandemic Risks in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2021 | Research Communities by Springer Nature

This post reflects on our research on risk perception in Twitter users in Aotearoa New Zealand between August and November 2021, a period of major change in the country’s pandemic response. We found a risk nexus embedded in the vaccine and in those who refused to be vaccinated, not the virus.

Superior photosynthesis abilities of some plants could hold key to climate-resilient crops

More than 3 billion years ago, on an Earth entirely covered with water, photosynthesis first evolved in ancient bacteria. In the following millions of years, those bacteria evolved into plants, optimizing themselves along the way for various environmental changes.

New insights into brain aging and Alzheimer's from non-human primates

A new review was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science), on October 29, 2024, Volume 16, Issue 20, titled, "Brain aging and Alzheimer's disease, a perspective from non-human primates."

Unveiling the Secrets of Longevity in India | Research Communities by Springer Nature

Mapmygenome's pioneering longevity study on Indians living over 85 reveals fascinating genetic secrets. Discoveries include variants linked to slower heart rate, short height, disease protection, and the FOX03A gene, offering valuable insights into longevity within the Indian population.

Algorithm predicts DNA methylation in ancient specimens, providing insight into human evolution

Research published in Nature Ecology & Evolution introduces a novel method for inferring DNA methylation patterns in non-skeletal tissues from ancient specimens, providing new insights into human evolution. As DNA methylation is a key marker of gene expression, this work allows scientists to explore changes in gene activity in the brain and other tissues that are typically absent from the fossil record.

Cracking the recipe for perfect plant-based eggs - Ars Technica

Hint: It involves finding exactly the right proteins.

Does fire limit tropical tree cover? | Research Communities by Springer Nature

What happens when we remove fire from the tropics? Our study reveals the surprising impact fire has on tropical tree cover—and why it’s more complex than we thought.