Using a 22-year dataset of plant-caterpillar-parasitoid interactions collected within a patch of protected Costa Rican lowland Caribbean forest, scientists report declines in caterpillar and parasitoid diversity and density that are paralleled by losses in an important ecosystem service: biocontrol of herbivores by parasitoids. The study by University of Nevada, Reno researchers, published in Scientific Reports this week,...
As more and more large-scale human genome sequencing projects get completed, scientists have been able to trace with increasing confidence both the geographical movements and underlying genetic variation of human populations. Most of these projects have favored the study of European populations, and thus, have been lacking in representing the true ethnic diversity across the...
Mathematicians, physicists, and materials experts might not spring to mind as the first people to consult about whether you are brewing your coffee right. But a team of such researchers from around the globe–the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and Switzerland–are challenging common espresso wisdom, finding that fewer coffee beans, ground more coarsely,...
Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a new type of smart contact lenses that can prevent dry eyes. The self-moisturising system, which is described in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies, maintains a layer of fluid between the contact lens and the eye using a novel mechanism. Smart contact lenses are wearable devices that could accelerate vision...
People usually start gradually graying in their thirties. Once crossing the age of 50, one will be hard-pressed to successfully disguise one’s white hair crown without paying monthly visits to a hairdresser. However, medical reports suggest the process of hair color loss, which scientists call canities or achromotrichia, can be greatly accelerated by persistent acute...
Experts’ interest in utilizing gene editing for the breeding crops has seen revolutionary growth. Meanwhile, people’s awareness for food safety has also been increasing. To understand the attitudinal difference among experts and public towards gene-edited crops, a team of Japanese researchers, led by Dr. Naoko Kato-Nitta, a research scientist at the Joint Support-Center for Data...
The smell of cut grass, freshly baked bread, childhood memories, lost loved ones, Christmas. What happens when it’s all gone? A new study from the University of East Anglia reveals the huge range of emotional and practical impacts caused by a loss of smell. It finds that almost every aspect of life is disrupted –...
If New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio hadn’t already dropped out of the 2020 presidential race, #bagelgate might have been the nail in the coffin. His Jan. 15 tweet praising a toasted bagel on National Bagel Day instantly set off hardline bagel devotees-cum-voters. De Blasio quickly amended his tweet to delete the word “toasted.”...
Many organizations have prioritized workplace equality and access to high-paying, executive level jobs for minority groups in recent years. Several 2020 presidential candidates are putting forward plans to increase minority executive positions by diversifing corporate boards, punishing companies with poor diversity track records and increasing funding for minority-led business institutions. However, according to our own...
The future potential of early stage startups can be assessed by their existing professional relationships, research led by a team at Queen Mary University of London suggests. Using available online data from 41,380 companies collected over 25 years, the research team created a visual network to show connections between companies and their employees. They found...
