Plant-based dairy products are a great alternative for people who avoid animal products, but manufacturers have a hard time replicating the creamy, cheesy qualities that make dairy so indulgent. Scientists from the University of Guelph in Ontario and Canadian Light Source Inc. in Saskatchewan are working to produce plant-based cheese with all the characteristics of...
Science & Technology
World’s Oldest 3D Map Discovered
Researchers have discovered what may be the world’s oldest three-dimensional map, located within a quartzitic sandstone megaclast in the Paris Basin. The Ségognole 3 rock shelter, known since the 1980s for its artistic engravings of two horses in a Late Palaeolithic style on either side of a female pubic figuration, has now been revealed to...
Science Educator Calls for Climate Change to Be Taught More in U.S. Schools
Given that today’s children will inherit the consequences of climate change, schools are instrumental in mobilizing a global response to the climate crisis, a science educator argues. Climate literacy advocate Kelley T. Lê argues that climate change is the defining issue of our time, and in her new book, Teaching Climate Change for Grades 6–12: Activating...
How Do Monkeys Recognize Snakes So Fast?
Dr. Nobuyuki Kawai from Nagoya University in Japan has found that the rapid detection of snakes by monkeys is because of the presence of snake scales as a visual cue. His findings highlight an evolutionary adaptation of primates to identify snakes based on specific visual characteristics. Understanding these mechanisms provides insight into the evolution of...
From New Commercial Moon Landers to Asteroid Investigations, Expect a Slate of Exciting Space Missions in 2025
In 2024, space exploration dazzled the world. NASA’s Europa Clipper began its journey to study Jupiter’s moon Europa. SpaceX’s Starship achieved its first successful landing, a critical milestone for future deep space missions. China made headlines with the Chang’e 6 mission, which successfully returned samples from the far side of the Moon. Meanwhile, the International...
Algorithm Can Sniff Out Whisky’s Strongest Notes and Origin
Two machine learning algorithms can determine whether a whisky is of American or Scotch origin and identify its strongest aromas, according to research published in Communications Chemistry. The results also suggest that the algorithms can outperform human experts at assessing a whisky’s strongest aromas. A whisky’s aroma is determined by a complex mixture of odorous compounds....
Nuclear Bunker Sales Increase, Despite Expert Warnings They Aren’t Going to Provide Protection
When Bernard Jones Jr. and his wife, Doris, built their dream home, they didn’t hold back. A grotto swimming pool with a waterfall for hot summer days. A home theater for cozy winter nights. A fruit orchard to harvest in fall. And a vast underground bunker in case disaster strikes. “The world’s not becoming a...
Electric Vehicle Transition Could Create Unwanted Air Pollution Hotspots in China and India
While electric vehicles have become a cornerstone of the global energy transition, new research led by Princeton University has demonstrated that refining the critical minerals needed for electric vehicle batteries could create pollution hotspots near manufacturing hubs. Focusing on China and India, the researchers found that national sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions could increase by up...
Adoption of AI Calls for New Kind of Communication Competence from Sales Managers
Artificial intelligence, AI, is rapidly transforming work also in the financial sector. Conducted at the University of Eastern Finland, a recent study explored how integrating AI into the work of sales teams affects the interpersonal communication competence required of sales managers. The study found that handing routine tasks over to AI improved efficiency and freed...
Uncovering the Pigments and Techniques Used to Paint the Berlin Wall
Street art takes many forms, and the vibrant murals on the Berlin Wall both before and after its fall are expressions of people’s opinions. But there was often secrecy around the processes for creating the paintings, which makes them hard to preserve. Now, researchers reporting in the Journal of the American Chemical Society have uncovered information about...