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Science News Archive August 2019 - Page 36


Page 36 of 38

Change the bias, change the behavior? Maybe not

A recent meta-analysis of research on implicit bias found that changing people's biases may not necessarily lead to changes in related behaviors. The study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, reviewed 492 studies and found no evidence of a causal relationship between biased thinking and behavior.

SourceWashington University in St. Louis·JournalJournal of Personality and Social Psychology·DateAug 2, 2019

Agile untethered fully soft robots in liquid

Scientists at Huazhong University of Science & Technology have created a bio-inspired untethered fully soft robot in liquid that can actuate using environmental energy gradients. The robot achieves an impressive speed of 7 times higher than the best reported value for untethered soft robotic fish.

SourceScience China Press·JournalNational Science Review·DateAug 2, 2019

Machine learning helps predict if storms will cause blackouts

A Finnish research team developed a machine learning approach to predict storm severity, using data from power outages and storm characteristics. The algorithm achieved promising results in predicting class 0 no-damage storms and class 3 damaging storms, with plans to refine the model for winter storms.

SourceAalto University·JournalIEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing·DateAug 2, 2019

Researchers create first-ever 'map' of global labor flow

Researchers at Indiana University created the first global map of labor flow in collaboration with LinkedIn, revealing skills and industries in high demand across the U.S. and globally. The study also identified growing industries such as pharmaceuticals and oil and gas, while others like retail and telecommunications are declining.

SourceIndiana University·JournalNature Communications·DateAug 2, 2019

Unexpected nut eating by gorillas

Western gorillas in Gabon have been observed cracking open nuts with their teeth, despite their lack of adaptations for hard object consumption. The study reveals that gorillas may be capable of more dietary breadth than previously thought, with implications for understanding human ancestors' diets based on tooth shape.

SourceMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology·JournalAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology·DateAug 2, 2019

Study estimates frailty, prefrailty among older adults

A systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the rate of new cases of frailty and prefrailty among older adults, with a high risk of progressing to frailty. The study combined results from 46 observational studies involving nearly 121,000 non-frail adults from 28 countries.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Network Open·DateAug 2, 2019

A new lens for life-searching space telescopes

University of Arizona researchers have developed a new lens technology that can collect more light and search for signs of life on 1,000 exoplanets. The Nautilus telescope array will be powerful enough to characterize planets from 1,000 light years away, providing valuable insights into the complexity of exo-earths.

Finding new knowledge in history -- evaluating seven decades of ex situ seed regeneration

Researchers at Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research analyzed historical phenotypic data from the Federal Ex situ Gene Bank to develop statistical models leveraging maximal information from available datasets. The study provides blueprint strategies for correlated dataset preparation, complementing passport inform...

Middle-school Latino children report more depressive symptoms after family member arrested

A study found that Latino seventh graders who experienced an immigration-related arrest of a family member reported more severe levels of depression. The level of depressive symptoms increased further when a student had one or both undocumented parents. Researchers stress the need for school counselors, teachers, and administrators to ...

SourceAmerican Psychological Association·JournalCultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology·DateAug 1, 2019

A novel graphene-matrix-assisted stabilization method will help unique 2D materials to become a part

Researchers from Russia and Japan have developed a new stabilization method for unique 2D copper oxide materials using graphene, allowing them to exhibit stable rectangular atomic structures. This breakthrough has significant implications for the development of spintronics devices, as these materials show promise in this field.

SourceSkolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech)·JournalThe Journal of Physical Chemistry C·DateAug 1, 2019

Light for the nanoworld

Researchers have developed a new method to create quantum light sources in atomically thin material layers, which will pave the way for optical circuits and potentially lead to applications such as quantum sensors, transistors, and secure encryption technologies.

SourceTechnical University of Munich (TUM)·JournalNature Communications·DateAug 1, 2019