New geosciences study shows Triassic fossils that reveal origins of living amphibians

The smallest of newly found fossils can upend what paleontologists know about our history. A team of paleontologists from Virginia Tech and the U.S. Petrified Forest National Park, among others, have discovered the first “unmistakable” Triassic-era caecilian fossil — the oldest-known caecilian fossils — thus extending the record of this…

Expert analysis refutes claims that humans are colonized by bacteria before birth: Leading experts from several scientific disciplines find flaws in studies that suggest the existence of a ‘fetal microbiome.’

Scientific claims that babies harbour live bacteria while still in the womb are inaccurate, and may have impeded research progress, according to University College Cork (UCC) researchers at APC Microbiome Ireland, a world-leading Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Research Centre, which led a perspective published today (16.00 hrs GMT 25TH January)…

Scientists discover the evolutionary secret behind different animal life cycles: Researchers show a link between the time of activation of dozens of genes in the embryo and how the life cycles of animals evolved

For over 100 years, biologists have wondered why animals display different types of life cycles. Some species, like us humans and most vertebrates, develop directly into a fully formed — yet smaller — version of an adult. In contrast, many other animals give rise to beautifully diverse intermediate forms we…

Risk of developing heart failure much higher in rural areas vs. urban

Adults living in rural areas of the United States have a 19% higher risk of developing heart failure compared to their urban counterparts, and Black men living in rural areas have an especially higher risk — 34%, according to a large observational study supported by the National Institutes of Health.…

New questions arise around George Santos’ campaign loans | CNN Politics

CNN  —  The campaign of embattled Rep. George Santos on Tuesday filed updated reports with federal regulators that appear to raise fresh questions about the source of the substantial personal loans he said he made to his campaign. The New York Republican, the subject of multiple inquiries into his finances…

Here’s what Boeing blames for its big loss | CNN Business

New York CNN  —  Boeing reported a $650 million operating loss in the fourth quarter, surprising Wall Street analysts who had expected the aircraft giant to turn a profit. The company blamed the unexpected loss on “abnormal production costs” as it tried both to deliver the remaining backlog of 737…

Satellite data shows sustained severe drought in Europe

Europe has been experiencing a severe drought for years. Across the continent, groundwater levels have been consistently low since 2018, even if extreme weather events with flooding temporarily give a different picture. The beginning of this tense situation is documented in a publication by Eva Boergens in Geophysical Research Letters…

Gut microbiome and its products promote endometriosis in animal model

About 196 million women worldwide suffer from endometriosis, a condition that typically causes pelvic pain and infertility. Endometriosis develops when lining inside the womb grows attached to surrounding tissues, such as the intestine or the membrane lining the abdominal cavity, causing bleeding, pain and other symptoms. Despite decades of research,…

How to apply lessons from Colorado’s costliest wildfire to drinking water systems

Wildfire damage to drinking water systems can significantly delay a community’s economic recovery. The costliest disaster in Colorado’s history, the Marshall Fire of 2021, resulted in more than $2 billion in losses. Six drinking water systems were directly in the fire’s path. While communities and governments nationwide have been facing…

Helpful disturbance: How non-linear dynamics can augment edge sensor time series

Engineers at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have demonstrated a simple computational approach for supporting the classification performance of neural networks operating on sensor time series. The proposed technique involves feeding the recorded signal as an external forcing into an elementary non-linear dynamical system, and providing its temporal responses…

Paris Hilton and Carter Reum have had their first baby | CNN

CNN  —  Paris Hilton has announced the birth of her first child with husband Carter Reum. Sharing a picture of a baby’s hand clutching a woman’s thumb, the media personality and heiress wrote on Instagram Tuesday: “You are already loved beyond words,” alongside a blue heart emoji. Hilton’s representatives confirmed…

Germany approves long-awaited delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine | CNN

CNN  —  Germany will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed on Wednesday, marking a landmark moment in the West’s support for Kyiv that follows weeks of intense pressure on Berlin from some of its NATO allies. Scholz told his Cabinet of his decision that Germany will…

Next up for Elon Musk: Crucial Tesla earnings and outlook | CNN Business

New York CNN  —  Tesla is expected to report record earnings after the bell Wednesday, but it might not be enough to satisfy anxious investors. The company is facing growing doubts about its business after disappointing sales and a series of price cuts for its cars around the world. “I…

Live updates: Russia’s war in Ukraine

The Biden administration is finalizing plans to send US-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine and could make an announcement as soon as this week, according to three US officials familiar with the deliberations. The timing around the delivery of the tanks is still unclear and it normally takes several months to…