Uncategorized
- Anthropology
‘First Steps’ shows how bipedalism led humans down a strange evolutionary path
In a new book, a paleoanthropologist argues that walking upright has had profound effects on human anatomy and behavior.
- Science & Society
STEM’s racial, ethnic and gender gaps are still strikingly large
Black and Hispanic professionals remain underrepresented in STEM, while women’s representation varies widely by STEM field, according to a new report.
- Health & Medicine
U.S. pauses J&J vaccine rollout after 6 people of 6.8 million get rare blood clots
The COVID-19 vaccine’s pause is out of abundance of caution, experts say. The potentially deadly clots appear to be “extremely rare.”
- Neuroscience
Surprisingly, humans recognize joyful screams faster than fearful screams
Scientists believed we evolved to respond to alarming screams faster than non-alarming ones, but experiments show our brains may be wired differently.
- Ecosystems
Wildfires launch microbes into the air. How big of a health risk is that?
How does wildfire smoke move bacteria and fungi — and what harm might they do to people when they get there?
- Animals
Discarded COVID-19 PPE such as masks can be deadly to wildlife
From entanglements to ingestion, two biologists are documenting the impact of single-use masks and gloves on animals around the world.
- Oceans
Corals’ hidden genetic diversity corresponds to distinct lifestyles
Observation and DNA analysis expose identical reef corals as distinct species with unique ecologies, suggesting much greater coral biodiversity.
- Animals
How researchers can keep birds safe as U.S. wind farms expand
Tracking bald eagle abundance and migrating whooping cranes provides a clearer picture of where wind turbines could be safely built.
- Climate
A trek under Thwaites Glacier’s ice shelf reveals specific risks of warm water
An underwater autonomous craft collected the first data on the chemistry of seawater eroding the icy underbelly of Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier.
- Astronomy
A record-breaking, oxygen-starved galaxy may be full of gigantic stars’ shrapnel
The newly discovered galaxy may have once been home to stars more than 300 times as massive as the sun — a peek at conditions in the early universe.
- Anthropology
Ancient humans may have had apelike brains even after leaving Africa
Modern humanlike brains may have evolved surprisingly late, about 1.7 million years ago, a new study suggests.
- Particle Physics
How matter’s hidden complexity unleashed the power of nuclear physics
In the last century, physicists learned to split atomic nuclei and revealed a complex world of fundamental particles.
