New dual-arm robot achieves bimanual tasks by learning from simulation

An innovative bimanual robot displays tactile sensitivity close to human-level dexterity using AI to inform its actions. The new Bi-Touch system, designed by scientists at the University of Bristol and based at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, allows robots to carry out manual tasks by sensing what to do from a…

Do measurements produce the reality they show us?

Whenever the precision of a measurement approaches the uncertainty limit defined by quantum mechanics, the outcomes of the measurement depend on the dynamics of the interactions with the meter used to determine a physical property of the system. This finding may explain why quantum experiments often produce conflicting results and…

When proteins get stuck at solid: unlocking the secrets to brain diseases

Many diseases affecting the brain and nervous system are linked to the formation of protein aggregates, or solid condensates, in cells from their liquid form condensate, but little is known about this process. This liquid-to-solid transition can trigger the formation of what are called amyloid fibrils. These can further form…

Scientists on the cusp of a new vaccine modality breakthrough

Griffith University researchers are on the brink of a technological breakthrough in vaccine development with a possible new vaccine modality. Professor Bernd Rehm and Dr Shuxiong Chen from the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD) and Griffith’s Centre for Cell Factories and Biopolymers have succeeded in developing a new vaccine…

Blink and you’ll miss these plants shooting their seeds

If you happened upon a witch hazel plant in the forest, you might describe it as a sweet-smelling shrub with crinkly ribbon-like petals. But to Duke University graduate student Justin Jorge, it’s a howitzer. That’s because of the impressive firepower of its fruits. When witch hazels are ready to disperse…

Could microplastics in soil introduce drug-resistant superbugs to the food supply?

Like every industry, modern farming relies heavily on plastics. Think plastic mulch lining vegetable beds, PVC pipes draining water from fields, polyethylene covering high tunnels, and plastic seed, fertilizer, and herbicide packaging, to name a few. In a new review article, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers say these plastics are…

Heavy drinking, handgun-carrying linked among rural youth

In the rural United States, an adolescent who drinks heavily has a 43% greater probability of carrying a handgun in the following year, according to a study published this month in The Journal of Rural Health. “While there has been a lot of research on this correlation in urban areas,…

Insights from fully sequencing 43 human Y chromosomes

Highly challenging to sequence and long overlooked, the human Y chromosome’s contributions to health and disease remain largely unknown. A new paper that presents, for the first time, the complete sequences of multiple human Y chromosomes from lineages from around the globe provides an essential step forward in understanding the…

National parks support wildlife inside and outside their borders

Scientists have long assumed that national parks help conserve wildlife and protect biodiversity. But is that truly the case? Fresh research from the University of Montana, international partners and NASA-affiliated scientists suggests that parks do indeed enhance bird diversity inside their borders. Large parks also support higher diversity of both…

Malaysian rock art found to depict elite — Indigenous conflict

A team of researchers led by the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research in collaboration with The Sarawak Museum Department have become the first to date drawings of Gua Sireh Cave in Sarawak, uncovering a sad story of conflict in the process. The limestone cave of Gua Sireh in…

How a cup of water can unlock the secrets of our Universe

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have made a discovery that could change our understanding of the universe. In their study published in Science Advances, they reveal, for the first time, that there is a range in which fundamental constants can vary, allowing for the viscosity needed for life…

A new targeted treatment shows promise for select patients with stomach cancer

An international phase 3 clinical trial, done in participation with Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian, found that a new targeted treatment called zolbetuximab, given in combination with a standard chemotherapy, extended survival for patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer that overexpressed a specific biomarker. Results from the GLOW…

Natural selection can slow evolution, maintain similarities across generations

Natural selection is usually understood in the context of change. When organisms deviate from the norm, they may gain advantages that let their lineages outlast those of their less-adaptable relatives. But new research from Michigan State University suggests that natural selection also has the power to keep things the same.…

New modeling method helps to explain extreme heat waves

To prepare for extreme heat waves around the world — particularly in places known for cool summers — climate-simulation models that include a new computing concept may save tens of thousands of lives. The concept, called “ensemble boosting,” uses computationally efficient modeling to simulate a large set of extreme but…

Researchers target lifecycle of parasite behind Chagas disease

Almost everything about insects called kissing bugs is revolting, from the insidious way they bite people’s faces at night to drink their blood while they sleep to the way they spread disease through their poop. Some carry a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi that causes Chagas disease, a leading cause of…

Longevity gene from naked mole rats extends lifespan of mice

In a groundbreaking endeavor, researchers at the University of Rochester have successfully transferred a longevity gene from naked mole rats to mice, resulting in improved health and an extension of the mouse’s lifespan. Naked mole rats, known for their long lifespans and exceptional resistance to age-related diseases, have long captured…

Ice-free preservation method holds promise to protect reefs

As ocean temperatures rise, coral reefs face increasing threats as ecosystem damage has accelerated in recent decades. The ability to preserve and revive biodiverse coral samples has become an essential priority for the health and future of the world’s oceans. A Texas A&M University-led interdisciplinary team of researchers demonstrated that…

Deforestation limits nesting habitat for cavity-nesting birds

With an extendable pole fitted with a small camera, Alison Ke could get a clear view of the inside of a nest box, including one time when a small, green Pacific parrotlet laid eggs. Ke, who earned a Ph.D. in ecology from UC Davis, led a research project to find…

Who is Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin? | CNN

CNN  —  The fate of Wagner private mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin was unclear on Wednesday evening, after his name was listed among passengers of a plane that crashed north of Moscow. Once a shadowy figure, Prigozhin was thrust into the spotlight through his group’s close involvement in Russia’s invasion…

Hot chemistry quickly transforms aromatic molecules into harmful aerosols

Joint research groups at Tampere University, University of Helsinki, Lund University and Pi-Numerics, Salzburg, have established key early steps in the conversion of aromatic molecules, a major constituent of traffic and other urban volatile emissions, into aerosol. Their findings increase understanding of the chemical processes that degrade urban air quality…

Artificial intelligence can now estimate rice yields, according to new study

With the rise in global demand for staple crop products projected to substantially increase by 2050 due to population growth, rising per capita income, and the growing use of biofuels, it is necessary to adopt sustainable agricultural intensification practices in existing croplands to meet this demand. However, estimation processes currently…