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Saturday Citations: Corn sweat! Nanoplastics! Plus: Massive objects in your area are dragging spacetime
It's the last day of August, which means that in the Northern Hemisphere, tomorrow will be 50 degrees and cloudy; conditions are expected to be hot and humid south of the equator. In science news this week, we reported on ...
Claw machine games are Rio de Janeiro's new public enemy
Rio de Janeiro—already notorious for street muggings, corrupt politicians, ruthless militias and Kalashnikov-toting drug traffickers—has a new public enemy: plushies. Or, more specifically, the joystick-controlled claw ...
Other
Aug 30, 2024
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Best of Last Week—How humans really killed mammoths, making AI systems smarter, mitochondria fling their DNA
It was an interesting week for the study of human behavior as a team of cognitive scientists at MIT found what they believe is the reason that laws are written in an incomprehensible style—because it confers what they describe ...
Saturday Citations: Tarantulas and their homies; how mosquitoes find you; black holes not mysterious at all
So much science news this week. It's like a torrential deluge of information bursting explosively through a levee of ignorance. Who built that levee, anyway? How did they get that through the legislature? Anyway, of the hundreds ...
World's second largest diamond found in Botswana
A massive 2,492-carat diamond—the second largest in the world—has been discovered in Botswana, the Canadian mining company that found the stone announced Thursday.
Other
Aug 22, 2024
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New research analyzes 'Finnegans Wake' for novel spacing between punctuation marks
Statistical analysis of classic literature has shown that the way punctuation breaks up text obeys certain universal mathematical relationships. James Joyce's tome "Finnegans Wake," however, famously breaks the rules of normal ...
Mathematics
Aug 20, 2024
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Saturday Citations: Citizen scientists observe fast thing; controlling rat populations; clearing nanoplastic from water
Good morning! Here are a few of this week's most interesting science stories to read while you're settling into the couch with your cup of General Foods International French Vanilla Cafe.
Study sheds light on creative thinking
Creativity is the art of combining diverse ideas, making meaningful connections between concepts, and remaining focused to produce innovative ideas and useful solutions. Expansive and remote associations drive the generation ...
Other
Aug 15, 2024
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Saturday Citations: A rare misstep for Boeing; mouse jocks and calorie restriction; human brains in sync
This week's headlines include the extended sleepover for astronauts in the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, insight into our imitative behaviors, and the Olympic form of mice.
Flood of 'junk': How AI is changing scientific publishing
An infographic of a rat with a preposterously large penis. Another showing human legs with way too many bones. An introduction that starts: "Certainly, here is a possible introduction for your topic".
Other
Aug 10, 2024
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Tips for if you get lost on your next outdoor hike
There are busy times ahead for the Norwegian rescue services, as for many other rescue services across the Northern Hemisphere. The summer holidays can often involve up to dozens of calls each day from members of the public ...
Other
Aug 9, 2024
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Flying's never been safer, says MIT study
Flying can be a nerve-wracking experience for many people—but a new study out Thursday finds commercial air travel keeps getting safer, with the risk of death halving every decade.
Other
Aug 8, 2024
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Australian science magazine slammed over AI-generated articles
One of Australia's leading science magazines drew fire Thursday after publishing AI-generated articles that experts said were incorrect or oversimplified.
Other
Aug 8, 2024
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Work emails, calls on golf course worsen performance, study finds
Checking your work-related emails or taking business calls while playing golf could prevent you from hitting that elusive eagle or birdie. This is according to a group of researchers from the Department of Information Science ...
Other
Aug 7, 2024
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Saturday Citations: Warp drive disasters; cancer prospects across generations; a large COVID vaccination study
This week, researchers reported on the implications of a warp drive containment breach in case you're interested in theoretical space-borne disasters. Scientists in the U.K. report the cardiovascular benefits of COVID-19 ...
Saturday Citations: E-bike accident spike; epigenetics in memory formation; Komodo dragons now scarier
This week, we reported on new epigenetic findings in memory formation as well as a dramatic spike in micromobility-related head injuries, so there's a whole lot of head-related science on the front burner these days. There ...
Samuel Pepys' fashion prints reveal his guilty pleasure: Fancy French clothes
A collection of French fashion engravings offers precious new insights into the life of Samuel Pepys years after his premature final diary entry. The prints show the tailor's son remained fascinated by the power of fashion ...
Other
Jul 21, 2024
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Saturday Citations: Scientists study monkey faces and cat bellies; another intermediate black hole in the Milky Way
This is not a rerun of last week's roundup; another group of astronomers found a second intermediate-mass black hole in the Milky Way and I can't avoid highlighting it. They're cool! They may have formed in the primordial ...
Saturday Citations: The first Goldilocks black hole; Toxoplasma gondii metabolism; pumping at the speed of muscle
This week: Physicists conducted a biological study, engineers built a waste-recycling suit for astronauts (and worm riders), and astronomers identified the first known intermediate-mass black hole, and it's right here in ...
Researchers discover a new form of scientific fraud: Uncovering 'sneaked references'
A researcher working alone—apart from the world and the rest of the wider scientific community—is a classic yet misguided image. Research is, in reality, built on continuous exchange within the scientific community: First ...
Other
Jul 10, 2024
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