Researchers found that mammal backbones gained distinct regions during evolution, enabling adaptation to various lifestyles such as running, flying, and digging. The study analyzed fossil records and living animals' vertebrae, challenging the notion of specialization in early land animals.
A new study reveals that climate change is driving an increase in insect herbivory damage on plants, with warmer winters and urbanization having opposing effects. The research used herbarium specimens to track changes in insect damage over more than a century, providing valuable insights into the impact of climate change.
Using deep learning algorithms, researchers have developed a system that forecasts aftershocks significantly better than random assignment. By analyzing earthquake data and physics-based models, they identified the second invariant of the deviatoric stress tensor as an important factor in predicting aftershock locations.
Researchers at Harvard University have developed a new method to monitor water levels in underground aquifers using seismic noise. They were able to measure the water depth of an aquifer in California to within a centimeter, and estimated that half a cubic kilometer of water was pumped out during a drought. This technique has the poten...
A team of Harvard researchers has created a system to represent and classify band structures in materials, allowing for the prediction of their properties. This breakthrough can aid in designing new materials with specific electronic properties, such as topological insulators, which have potential applications in quantum computing.
A study led by Tamara Pico from Harvard University estimates how glaciers moved by analyzing the weight of the ice sheet's impact on topography and river course. The researchers used a model that connects the growth of the ice sheet with changes in the Hudson River's direction, potentially offering new insights into glacier growth.
A new framework, described in a paper published in Nature, models the evolution of cooperation based on repeated stochastic games. The system shows that even if cooperation does not evolve in individual games, it can emerge when combined with multiple games.
Researchers from Harvard University and others demonstrated that deep learning can identify animal images with 99.3% accuracy, automating a laborious process. The technology has the potential to revolutionize fields like wildlife ecology and conservation.
A Harvard University study of over 6,000 college freshmen found that students who mastered algebra, geometry, and trigonometry had twice the impact on college calculus success as those who took calculus in high school. Weaker math students who took calculus in high school actually benefited the most from the class.
A new study by Harvard University researchers suggests that natural selection can favor different personality types in lizards, affecting their behavior and survival. In the experiment, bold lizards were found to survive longer when predators were present, but their mortality increased when predators were absent.
Researchers have developed a new system using ultraflexible mesh electronics to track the firing patterns of dozens of retinal cells chronically in awake animals. This allows for new insights into how retinal ganglion cells behave over multiple circadian cycles, revealing dramatic changes in cell activity at different times of day.
A study by Daniel Gilbert and colleagues found that as the prevalence of a problem is reduced, humans naturally redefine the problem itself. This can lead to missing the fact that the problem has been solved. The phenomenon was demonstrated in several experiments using different types of problems, including blue dots and faces.
Researchers at Harvard University have discovered that the 'blood stem cell niche' evolved to protect blood stem cells from ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight. This finding has significant implications for improving the safety of blood stem cell transplants, a procedure used to treat patients with blood diseases and cancers.
The NSF-Simons Center for Mathematical and Statistical Analysis of Biology at Harvard University will focus on three fundamental questions: molecular networks, sophisticated structures, and organisms' adaptability. The center aims to integrate mathematical, statistical, and engineering approaches with biology.
A recent study suggests that plants and animals in Latin America originated from the Amazon, highlighting a dynamic process of colonization and speciation. The research found that natural dispersal events played a crucial role in shaping the American tropics' exceptional biodiversity.
A team of Harvard scientists discovered that tiny Phoroncidia rubroargentea spiders use a combination of structural colors, pigment, and fluorescent material to produce their distinctive red and silver hues. The colors are stabilized by a tough cuticle layer, with the silver color relying on a reflective material similar to fish scales.
Climate change will increase fire activity and summer droughts in the Klamath region, allowing shrubs to replace trees. As a result, at least 1/3 of iconic cone-bearing trees are expected to be replaced by shrubs over the coming century.
Researchers found that exercising mice produced over four and a half times more new heart muscle cells than sedentary counterparts. The study suggests exercise can stimulate the heart to regenerate tissue after a heart attack.
Eight out of ten transformative medicines in the US between 1985 and 2009 originated from fundamental discoveries, with an average time to approval of 30 years. Curiosity-driven science is essential for discovering new medicines.
A team of researchers discovered that deep ocean aquifers can break down more refractory carbon than previously thought. Microbes in the aquifer consume carbon, changing the composition of the surrounding seawater. This finding has the potential to reshape our understanding of carbon cycling in the deep ocean.
Researchers found that individual aspects of parenting, such as motor behaviors and motivation, are controlled by distinct pools of galanin neurons. This discovery sheds new light on why some people appear to be natural parents while others exhibit abusive behavior.
The study will assess well-being across physical health, emotional health, purpose, character strengths, social connectedness, and financial security. The collaboration aims to advance scientific understanding of what it means to be truly healthy and transform the field of well-being research.
A newly launched startup has acquired exclusive rights to develop a minimally invasive surgical device that can repair holes in the heart without complications. The technology uses deployable soft structures and offers a non-invasive approach to tissue repair, facilitating clinicians' access to difficult-to-reach organs.
A new startup, Borês Technologies, is working on low-power-consumption electronics that will enable the haptic revolution in mobile technologies. The technology has the potential to change the way people interact with their electronic devices and with each other remotely.
A Harvard researcher found that specific brain network patterns are associated with creativity, including the default mode network for imagination and the salience network for information filtering. The study's predictive model showed accuracy in estimating creative potential based on brain scan data.
A new study suggests that climate change could force winemakers to switch from traditional grape varieties to more drought-tolerant and heat-resistant ones. Researchers at Harvard University are exploring the potential of lesser-known grape varieties to adapt to changing weather patterns.
A recent study led by Harvard University researchers found that coral restoration efforts can have a positive impact on fish communities in the short term and over time. The study showed that even after just one week, significantly more fish and a greater diversity of species were present at experimental coral beds.
Researchers at Harvard's Rowland Institute have developed a system that uses renewable electricity to electrochemically transform carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, with an energy conversion efficiency of up to 12.7%. The device has the potential for industrial applications and could be scaled up to scrub CO2 from the atmosphere.
A team of physicists from Harvard University has developed a special type of quantum computer, known as a quantum simulator, which is programmed by capturing super-cooled rubidium atoms with lasers. The system could shed new light on material properties and complex optimization problems.
A recent study by Harvard University researchers found that even smaller media outlets can have a significant impact on the national conversation about major public policy issues. The study, which involved 48 news outlets and over 35 experiments, showed that discussion of a particular topic across social media rose by more than 62 perc...
A recent Harvard University study reveals that knee osteoarthritis has dramatically increased in prevalence over the past 70 years, affecting an estimated one-third of Americans over 60. The research challenges the long-held assumption that osteoarthritis is simply a wear-and-tear disease related to aging and obesity.
A new study by Harvard University suggests that reducing insurance coverage for mental health treatment leads to increased costs for the most severely ill, as they turn to acute and involuntary care. The reform also resulted in a decrease in regular mental health care usage, but with a significant increase in acute care usage among tho...
Harvard scientists have identified two brain networks that lie side-by-side in the brain and may play key roles in planning, remembering and imagination. These networks are intertwined, with one connected to memory structures while the other isn't, suggesting they originated from similar processes during brain development and evolution.
A study using computer vision algorithms examines millions of Google Street View images to measure urban change, finding that high density and education are key drivers of improvement. The research also supports three classical theories of urban change, highlighting the importance of human capital and education in shaping cities.
A study by Harvard University researchers found that psychopaths' brains prioritize short-term gains, leading to poor decision-making and violent behavior. The research used brain scans of nearly 50 prison inmates, revealing a specific connection between the ventral striatum and prefrontal cortex.
A study by Harvard University found a genetic 'switch' that controls the activity of a key skeletal gene related to height, which is also linked to an increased risk of osteoarthritis. The variant, more prevalent in Eurasian populations, favors shortness and is associated with lower GDF5 activity in growth plates.
A new study finds that high-severity fires in a warming climate can limit the ability of Western conifer forests to recover, potentially transforming landscapes from forested to shrub-dominated systems. The researchers found that hardwood trees and shrubs quickly establish after fire, while conifers struggle to compete.
Researchers found that human pluripotent stem cells can acquire mutations in the TP53 gene, a tumor suppressor responsible for controlling cell growth and division, highlighting the need for genetic screening methods to exclude mutated cells from scientific experiments and clinical therapies.
Researchers from Harvard University have identified a rare manuscript copy of the Declaration of Independence in a British archive, dated to the 1780s. The document, commissioned by James Wilson of Pennsylvania, features reordered names of signers, symbolizing unity and community.
Researchers found that different genes influence behaviors in males and females, and the gene for vasopressin is closely tied to nest-building behavior in mice. The study challenges the idea that experience drives parenting behavior and suggests that genetics play a significant role.
Researchers at Harvard University created a time crystal, a periodic arrangement of atoms across time, using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. The discovery offers insights into non-equilibrium quantum systems and may lead to new applications in precision measurement.
A new study by Harvard University researchers suggests that people tend to view immoral actions as impossible, leading them to make more moral decisions. When given time for reflection, participants rate one-quarter of immoral actions as impossible, but with less time, they call half of them impossible.
Researchers are testing an anti-amyloid drug on people with elevated amyloid levels but no cognitive decline. The goal is to identify an early stage of the disease and delay onset by five years by 2025, which could save billions in healthcare costs.
Researchers propose that infant-directed song, lullabies and play songs for babies and toddlers, may have deep evolutionary roots as a way for parents to signal their children's needs while freeing up time for other tasks. The theory suggests that this type of music developed as an 'arms race' between parents and infants over attention.
Researchers have developed a new tool to accurately identify enzymes present in microbiomes and quantify their relative abundances. This breakthrough may uncover novel chemistry in the gut microbiome and provide insights into its impact on human health.
A Harvard study found that minority workers perform worse under biased managers, with a 53rd percentile performance rate compared to the 79th percentile under unbiased managers. This disparity is due to biased managers interacting less with minorities, leading to reduced productivity and lower pay for minority workers.
Researchers successfully created atomic metallic hydrogen using diamond anvil cells at extreme pressures, offering potential applications in high-energy storage, superconductors, and rocket propulsion. The discovery could transform various industries, including energy production and space exploration.
Researchers at Harvard University and Novartis have discovered that Zika virus can infect neural progenitor cells by grabbing onto a specific protein called AXL on the cell surface. This finding contradicts previous studies suggesting that targeting the AXL protein alone could defend against the virus.
Researchers found that chimpanzees copy their mothers' grooming styles, including high-arm grooming, which is not closely associated with group identity or social relationships. The study suggests a strong maternal influence on chimp behavior, with young chimps learning the behavior from their mothers and continuing it into adulthood.
Magenta Therapeutics secures license to transform blood stem cell transplants with new technologies. The suite of technologies could improve the lives of patients with blood diseases and immune disorders.