Magic tricks make the impossible seem possible. Magicians have long captivated audiences with visual tricks, such as pulling a bunny from a hat or sawing someone in half, but tricks that rely on sound are scarce. A new article published in the Cell Press journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences on October 4 explores why creating a magical...
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When Dogs and Humans Find a Common Language
Humans and dogs have been birds of a feather for millennia. But how can such distant species understand each other? A recent study published in PLOS Biology by researchers from the University of Geneva and the Hearing Institute, an Institut Pasteur Center, reveals that the pair meets halfway between their differences to communicate together. From their findings,...
Building Deconstruction, Reuse Would Benefit NYS Jobs, Climate
Shifting from wasteful demolition practices to a circular construction economy in New York state could create thousands of green jobs and advance ambitious climate goals – while reducing pressure on landfills, Cornell University experts report in a new white paper that aims to inform proposed state legislation. Published today, “Constructing a Circular Economy in New...
Our Brains Divide the Day into Chapters. New Psychology Research Offers Details on How
Mindset and expectations, not just the external environment, shape the “table of contents” into which our brains organize the day. The moment a person steps off the street and into a restaurant—to take just one example—the brain mentally starts a new “chapter” of the day, a change that causes a big shift in brain activity....
Outdoor Businesses and Venues Could Benefit from Boosting Biodiversity
University of East Anglia researchers hid speakers in vineyards along tour routes which played additional birdsong and created ‘enhanced soundscapes’ that were louder and more diverse Visitors to vineyards were more satisfied with their tours and experience when they were exposed to this enhanced soundscape of varied bird species Researchers say the findings suggest that...
Is Your Car a Threat to National Security? It Can Be – Regardless of Where It’s Made
In April, US lawmakers urged President Joe Biden to ban Chinese-built electric vehicles (EVs), labelling them an “existential threat to the American auto industry”. The proposed ban arose from concerns that Chinese car makers have an unfair advantage due to government financial support. Following a months-long investigation into digital connections that could enable Chinese spying...
Accept Our King, Our God − or Else: the Senseless ‘Requirement’ Spanish Colonizers Used to Justify Their Bloodshed in the Americas
Diego Javier Luis, Johns Hopkins University Across the United States, the second Monday of October is increasingly becoming known as Indigenous Peoples Day. In the push to rename Columbus Day, Christopher Columbus himself has become a metaphor for the evils of early colonial empires, and rightly so. The Italian explorer who set out across the...
Immigrants to the United States Still Assimilate
Children of immigrants to the United States typically incorporate themselves into US economic and cultural life, and this pattern of assimilation has not markedly changed in over a century. Today, one in seven US residents was born abroad, rates similar to those seen in the late nineteenth century. As immigrants’ countries of origin have shifted...
Age Trumps Gender, Income and Postcode for Consumers’ Clothing Habits
The first-ever nationwide study into how Australians use and dispose of clothing has revealed people are buying too many clothes and are unsure how to discard them responsibly. Conducted by RMIT University and commissioned by the Kmart Group and the Queensland Government, a study of 3,080 Australians explored how they acquired, used and disposed of...
Seven Years On, INSEAD Study Reveals #MeToo’s Unexpected Impact
Seven years after actor Alyssa Milano’s tweet launched the #MeToo movement into the global consciousness, attitudes towards sexual harassment and assault have shifted in many countries. A new study shows that the movement’s impact doesn’t stop there. INSEAD professors Frédéric Godart and David Dubois, alongside Clément Bellet of Erasmus University Rotterdam, found that #MeToo triggered far-reaching changes in consumer behaviour....