In a study published in PNAS, researchers found that when participants were informed they could return some of the money they had overreported, they forgot their past cheating behavior more accurately. This 'unethical amnesia' allowed them to restore their reputation, making it more acceptable for future moral breaches.
SourceCNRS·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 29, 2020
Researchers found that domesticating Penicillium camemberti from a wild mould resulted in beneficial characteristics for cheese production, including whiteness and increased growth rates. The study may impact the selection of moulds for cheese production.
A new mathematical model predicts a second wave of COVID-19 in Europe between July and January 2021, highlighting the importance of human behavior in slowing the pandemic. The model suggests that precise infection rates can be controlled through social distancing, local cluster control, and border measures.
Facial displays of trustworthiness increased in European portraits between the fourteenth and twenty-first centuries, closely following rising living standards. The study used face-processing software on over 6,000 portraits to validate its findings.
Scientists analyzed geochemical data from mummy remains to determine if they were bred or hunted. The results indicate that the birds were wild and migrating seasonally, suggesting mass hunting and capture. This discovery sheds light on ancient Egyptian practices and their impact on the environment.
The Antarctic Ice Sheet is projected to account for up to 30 cm of sea level rise between 2015 and 2100, with some scenarios suggesting a partial offsetting effect. The Greenland Ice Sheet may contribute an additional 1.5-14 cm over the same period, depending on greenhouse gas emissions.
The detection of GW190521 reveals the existence of intermediate-mass black holes, weighing in at 100 to 100,000 solar masses. This finding offers insights into the origin of supermassive black holes and raises new questions about their formation.
Scientists analyzed enstatite chondrites, rare meteorites with primitive composition, to estimate the Earth's initial water content. Their findings indicate that the planet's rocks probably contained enough water to supply three times the amount of oceans, with only a small percentage delivered by comets or asteroids.
A magnitude 5 earthquake near Le Teil in southern France revealed unexpected surface rupture and ground displacement, reactivating the ancient La Rouvière fault. The event raised concerns about seismic risk in France and Western Europe, with potential for other faults producing similar surface ruptures.
Scientists have observed interaction between therapeutic antibodies and target protein for first time, describing molecular mechanisms. This discovery opens way to development of new synthetic antibodies controlling patient's immune response.
A team of archaeologists uncovered evidence of the oldest direct cremation in the Middle-East, found in a pyre pit in Beisamoun, Israel, dating back around 9,000 years. The remains indicate a shift away from traditional burial practices towards shorter rituals.
Distinctive fluted points were discovered on Yemeni and Omani sites, dating back to 7,000-8,000 years ago. The discovery of similar techniques in Arabia suggests cultural convergence without a connection between the populations.
Researchers have discovered that iron is internalised by CD44, a membrane protein known for its association with metastases. This allows cancer cells to acquire metabolites necessary for the metastatic state.
Researchers used AI to distinguish individual birds based on plumage patterns, a task humans struggle with. The technique was tested on three bird species and showed promising results, opening up new possibilities for studying animal behavior in the wild.
Research shows a correlation between epidemics in humans and local biodiversity loss, with the number of epidemics increasing as endangered species disappear. Livestock expansion worldwide exacerbates this risk, facilitating the transmission of pathogens.
Scientists from CNRS and University of Nantes have developed a mathematical model to predict the risk of epidemic emergence based on seasonal factors. The 'winter is coming' effect suggests that pathogens introduced before unfavorable winter periods are less likely to cause large epidemics.
New findings suggest mini-Neptunes may form as super-Earths with a rocky core surrounded by water in a supercritical state, challenging their previous classification as gas planets. Scientists propose that intense stellar irradiation causes a greenhouse effect, increasing the size of atmospheres and forming such planetary configurations.
Researchers have created a new type of chemical thermometer using spin-crossover molecules to create a nanometric-scale thermal map. The innovation enables the measurement of local thermal processes and improves device design.
Researchers discovered that flies turn their bodies before flipping their heads during take-off from an upside-down position. The insect achieves this rapid reorientation within six wing beats at speeds of up to 30 revolutions per second.
Researchers from CNRS and University of Poitiers have explained the 'dead water' phenomenon in ships, where waves create drag, slowing down or stopping vessels. The study reveals waves act like an undulating conveyor belt, causing speed oscillations in trapped boats.
SourceCNRS·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 6, 2020
Public research units and pharmaceutical firms have varying efficiencies in basic research development. Public labs are more cost-effective when complementary applied research improves the quality of drugs. The price of new drugs is lowest when basic research takes place in public labs.
The CNRS 2020 Innovation Medallists have made significant contributions to various fields, including graft rejection treatment and high-precision sensors. Their work has led to the development of innovative technologies with applications in industry, healthcare, and research.
Researchers at CNRS and Delft University of Technology have developed acoustical tweezers to control microbubbles, enabling highly localized drug delivery. This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for controlled medicine delivery and tissue engineering using stem cells.
SourceCNRS·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 22, 2020
Researchers study syenite intrusion in Kerguelen plateau, finding similarities to continental crust formations; discovery challenges conventional understanding of continent creation
Researchers discovered that quasar gamma-ray emission extends over thousands of light-years along plasma jets, contradicting previous assumptions. This finding reveals that particle acceleration occurs not only near the black hole but also along the entire jet length.
Researchers have developed a new non-invasive ultrasound method that compensates for distortions in soft tissue structure, providing ideal resolution and contrast optimized for each pixel. This approach has applications in biomedical diagnosis, optical microscopy, and industrial material inspection.
SourceCNRS·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 11, 2020
Scientists from CNRS, Université de Lorraine, and Inrae have developed a cable-driven robot that can follow and interact with free-flying insects. The robot successfully studied the free flight of moths up to a speed of 3 meters/second, enabling researchers to better understand insect orientation strategies.
A miniature bird statuette carved from burnt bone is the oldest known Chinese work of art, dating back 13,800 years. The discovery pushes back the origins of animal sculpture in East Asia by over 8,500 years.
A new ancestral lineage of tuberculosis has been found in East Africa, with genome analyses suggesting a unique origin. The discovery reinforces the hypothesis of an East African origin for the disease and provides insights into its evolution.
Researchers have uncovered a 35-metre long triangular platform in northern Saudi Arabia, built in several phases between 6500 and 4500 BC. The discovery suggests that this monumental structure was used for ritual practices, including funerary and commemorative ceremonies.
Numerical simulations suggest asteroids Ryugu and Bennu may have formed from the disruption of a single parent asteroid. Analysis of return samples will verify this by measuring their composition and determining their formation age.
French prehistory saw two significant migration waves: Neolithic and Bronze Age, which mixed with native hunter-gatherers. The study found that 7,000 years of admixture between these groups still influences the genomes of French people.
SourceCNRS·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 25, 2020
Researchers found that marine species are moving up to six times faster than their terrestrial counterparts in response to global warming. The study analyzed over 12,000 species and found that certain conditions enable marine species to adapt quickly to temperature shifts towards the poles.
Researchers from CNRS and IGBMC demonstrate that meiosis in mice begins and proceeds normally even without retinoic acid. Meiosis is a crucial process for the transmission of unique sets of genes to offspring, resulting in novel assortments of chromosomes.
A study of over 800 ancient remains reveals the house mouse's global spread from the Middle East to Europe, coinciding with domestic cat arrival. The researchers suggest cats were introduced to control mouse populations and protect food stocks.
A team of researchers recreated Martian conditions in a low-pressure chamber, observing the flow of mud that behaves similarly to pahoehoe lava flows on Earth. The study confirms sedimentary volcanism is possible on Mars, prompting a reevaluation of geological structures previously attributed to lava flows.
Researchers found that the brain filters out external sounds during REM sleep, prioritizing meaningful speech during light sleep. This mechanism enables the brain to protect the dreaming phase, necessary for emotional balance and learning consolidation.
Researchers assessed 1062 Mediterranean marine protected areas and found that 95% lack regulations to reduce human impacts on biodiversity. Effective levels of protection represent only 0.23% of the region.
Researchers at Spintec Laboratory and CNRS/Thales Laboratory developed a non-magnetic system to detect spin information at low power. This breakthrough enables the creation of ferroelectricity-based spintronic devices that consume significantly less energy than traditional systems.
Researchers studied YouTube recommendations from a thousand videos, generating half a million, and found a 'confined' phenomenon. The most confined recommendation networks revolve around the most viewed or longest-watched videos.
A team of ecologists and agronomists found that the Messor barbarus harvester ant accelerates plant community recovery in degraded Mediterranean dry grasslands. The ants improve soil fertility, transport seeds, and increase plant biomass next to their nests, facilitating resilience.
Researchers have developed a new tool to predict volcanic eruptions by analyzing the composition of gases in the atmosphere. The tool uses precise measurements to identify the contribution of the atmosphere and Earth's mantle to these gases, allowing for more accurate predictions of future eruptions.
The T2K experiment has shown that neutrinos oscillate more often than antineutrinos, pointing to almost maximum asymmetry between their behaviors. This finding offers a promising explanation for the disappearance of antimatter in the universe and may be confirmed by future experiments.
Ants adapt their behavior to avoid traps by associating visual cues with negative experiences. Researchers studied two species of ants that changed their route on the second attempt after experiencing a setback.
Researchers discovered evidence of cord making on a flint fragment from Abri du Maras in France, dating back 40,000 years. The remains showed twisted fibres made of cellulose, likely from coniferous trees, highlighting the cognitive abilities and knowledge of Neanderthals.
Research reveals stronger Atlantic currents are key to 'Atlantification', where temperate species like Emiliania huxleyi thrive in Arctic waters. Satellite images show turquoise oceans reflecting the microalgae's shell, a phenomenon observed from space.
Researchers at CNRS/Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle/Ministère de la Culture have solved the mystery of the world's first colour photographs. They found that colours were due to the presence of metallic silver nanoparticles, which reorganise according to light energy, absorbing all colours except their own.
Researchers discovered remains of various marine animals in a Portuguese cave occupied by Neanderthals between 106,000 and 86,000 BCE. This finding suggests that many Neanderthal groups shared similar dietary habits, contradicting the common perception of them as cold-climate hunters.
Researchers Amandine Aftalion and Emmanuel Trélat found that shorter straights and larger radii can improve running performance. Their mathematical model predicts that these track designs could potentially break long-standing records, with improvements of up to 4 hundredth of a second.
Research compiled demographic data for 134 populations of 101 mammalian species, finding that 60% of female mammals live longer than males. Mortality risk is lower among females at all ages, but the rise in mortality with age varies between sexes.
SourceCNRS·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 23, 2020