Researchers at CU-Boulder have identified two key pathways affecting skeletal muscle renewal, which could lead to the development of therapeutic treatments for age-related muscle wasting. The study found that altering these pathways enhances muscle stem cell renewal and improves muscle regeneration in aged mice.
Researchers found that mathematical models describing urban growth apply to ancient societies as well. The study suggests a continuum of human settlements in time and place, allowing for more accurate population estimates and insights into social networks.
A new study by CU-Boulder researchers suggests that shy toddlers may not be delayed in language acquisition, contrary to common assumptions. The study found consistent evidence that shy toddlers understand what's being said, but are reticent to speak.
The study reveals that the internal bacterial diversity of the red postman butterfly is halved during pupal stage and doubles after emergence as an adult. This discovery highlights the importance of the microbiome in insect health and behavior, with potential implications for pest control and understanding the evolution of unique traits.
The University of Colorado Boulder has been awarded a cooperative agreement worth up to $14.6 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a new technological system to rapidly determine how drugs and biological or chemical agents exert their effects on human cells. The Subcellular Pan-Omics for Advance...
A new CU-Boulder study analyzed over 1,000 scientific studies on North American mammal responses to human-caused climate change, finding that only 52% of species responded as expected. Large mammal body size and restricted times during a day were key traits tied to climate change responses.
A CU-built software program uses big data to suggest personalized content review, boosting remembering by 16.5% in a study of middle school Spanish students. The algorithm analyzes past student performance to recommend material that needs review, leveraging strategies used by online retailers.
A new study found that US power plant emissions decreased by 20-40% since the switch to natural gas with combined cycle technology, releasing significantly less carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide. This shift in energy production led to a reduction of 23% less CO2 in the atmosphere last year.
A new study by CU-Boulder found that trees with smoother bark can repel mountain pine beetles more effectively. The researchers tested how well the beetles could cling to different bark textures and found that only 21 of 22 beetles could stick to rough bark, while all fell off smooth bark in under a minute.
A new study published in Cell journal strengthens the understanding that gut microbes can affect brain function and behavior, particularly in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Feeding mice a beneficial type of bacteria has been shown to reduce autism-like behaviors.
A new CU-Boulder study found that toddlers who go to bed later than their melatonin increase have difficulty settling down at night. Toddlers with longer intervals between melatonin release and bedtime take longer to fall asleep and experience increased bedtime resistance.
Researchers found temperatures from -92 to -94 degrees Celsius (-134 to -137 Fahrenheit) in a 1,000-kilometer long swath on the highest section of the East Antarctic ice divide. The measurements were made using Landsat 8 and MODIS sensors.
A massive ejection of material from the sun in 2012 could have created a technological disaster if it hit Earth, short-circuiting satellites and power grids. The event highlights the need for society to prepare for severe space weather events.
A CU-Boulder-led team has discovered that ring-tailed lemurs in Madagascar consistently sleep in limestone chambers for their nightly rest. The behavior provides safety from predators, access to water and nutrients, and refuge from human activities.
A CU-Boulder study found that sleep strengthens connections between the left and right hemispheres of young children's brains, which may help with brain function maturation. This growth is linked to improved skills such as language, attention, and impulse control.
A study by CU-Boulder researchers found that using morphine to treat post-operative pain after abdominal surgery can actually prolong recovery time and increase suffering. The scientists discovered that both morphine and the surgery itself activate glial cells, leading to additional pain signals.
New research shows that rising temperatures could lead to a 1.8-6.5% drop in the annual flow of streams providing water to Salt Lake City, with some creeks and streams drying up weeks earlier in summer and fall. The study's findings can help regional planners make informed decisions on long-term investments and adapt to climate change.
A CU-led study suggests that attracting and retaining highly skilled foreign Ph.D. students can revitalize innovation and economic growth in the US. The researchers found that increased student diversity boosts innovative research and that high-performing foreign-born Ph.D. students improve the creation of knowledge in US universities.
A CU-Boulder-led research team has gained insights into the vital but rarely considered microbial communities thriving in dark, fertile soils beneath the lost tallgrass prairie. The study reveals a dominant phylum of bacteria, Verrucomicrobia, which played a crucial role in the ecosystem's productivity and fertility.
A CU-Boulder study reveals Arctic temperatures have risen beyond the past 44,000 years, with potential implications for global climate change. The research uses radiocarbon-dated plants to reconstruct past climates and suggests the warming is outside known natural variability.
Researchers at CU-Boulder have developed a method for 4D printing, creating composite materials that can change shape in response to temperature or other stimuli. The technology has potential applications in manufacturing, biomedical devices, and more.
A CU-Boulder study finds that poorly camouflaged insects can affect their broader ecological community when the appearance of the bug is mismatched with the plant it's living on. This can lead to a cascade of ecological impacts, including increased predation by birds and a subsequent decrease in arthropod populations.
A new CU study finds drought is a better predictor of spruce beetle outbreaks in northern Colorado than temperature, with warm and dry conditions causing stress in host trees. The study also suggests that climate fluctuations, including the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation, contribute to drought conditions.
Researchers at CU-Boulder created a global electric circuit model using a climate model, revealing that the atmosphere is generally less conductive over the equator and above Southeast Asia. The model shows seasonal changes in conductivity and its impact on lightning currents.
Researchers at CU-Boulder and MIT have developed a new technique to integrate light-based communication into microprocessors, promising exponential improvement in computing speed. This innovation could lead to extremely energy-efficient computing and the continuation of Moore's Law, which has driven rapid advancements in electronics.
A new CU-Boulder-led study suggests that a microbial clock, tracking bacterial changes after death, could be a powerful tool for estimating time of death. The researchers were able to pinpoint the time of mouse death within four days using high-tech gene sequencing techniques.
Researchers at CU-Boulder demonstrated that brains use a pointer system similar to computers to understand novel situations. The brain's connections between the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia play a key role in processing sentences with unfamiliar words.
Researchers at CU-Boulder have developed a new way to produce magnesium using concentrated solar power, reducing carbon emissions and increasing efficiency. The process produces both magnesium and synthesis gas, which can be converted into synthetic gasoline.
A study found nearly 1 in 10 U.S. watersheds are stressed due to high demand for water exceeding natural supply. Climate change is projected to exacerbate this trend, creating challenges for agriculture, electrical suppliers, and municipalities.
The CU-Boulder student-built DANDE satellite will investigate atmospheric density variations in the thermosphere, affecting satellite orbits and drag forces. Launched on Sept. 15, it will gather data for about one and a half years to improve models of the atmosphere.
A new study by CU-Boulder researchers suggests that people's ability to delay gratification may be influenced by their perception of others' trustworthiness. The findings have implications for understanding why certain populations struggle with self-control, and could inform strategies for improving social trust in children and adults.
Scientists have uncovered strong evidence that soot from industrial Europe caused the abrupt retreat of mountain glaciers in the European Alps. The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, resolves a longstanding debate about why the Alps glaciers retreated beginning in the 1860s.
A $6 million CU Boulder instrument will study lunar dust behavior, helping answer why astronauts saw a pre-sunrise glow on the moon. The LADEE mission, launched on Sept. 6, will orbit the moon for a month to collect data and answer questions about lunar dust transport.
A CU-Boulder study finds that the link between height and IQ is due to both genetic factors, such as pleiotropy, and mate choice, where taller individuals are more likely to pair with smarter counterparts. The research used data from over 7,900 twins and their parents to disentangle these causes.
A study conducted at CU-Boulder and Cornell University found that artificially darkening the breast feathers of female barn swallows decreases levels of oxidative damage to DNA, proteins, and fats. This suggests that the outward appearance of these birds has an influence on their physiological health.
A new high-tech analysis by University of Colorado Boulder researchers dated the oldest known petroglyphs in North America to at least 10,500 years ago. The Winnemucca Lake petroglyph site, located in western Nevada, features complex designs and vertical chain-like symbols carved into limestone boulders.
A CU-Boulder-led study found that Maasai pastoralists hunt lions for multiple overlapping reasons, including predation on livestock and political discontent. Conservation efforts have either failed or incited more hunting in some cases.
The CU-Boulder team has developed a solar-thermal system that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, paving the way for a sustainable hydrogen economy. The system uses concentrated sunlight to drive chemical reactions, producing hydrogen gas with minimal energy input.
A CU-Boulder study found that spending just one week in natural light while camping synchronizes the circadian clocks of participants with the timing of sunrise and sunset. Exposure to electrical lighting has disrupted our internal clocks, but natural light helps restore synchronization.
Researchers found that year-round ice-free conditions in the Arctic could explain amplified warming during the Pliocene Epoch, with warmer temperatures and reduced seasonal cycles. The study used climate models to simulate the effects of ice-free winters and summers, revealing a possible mechanism for Pliocene warming.
Scientists discovered a massive particle accelerator in the heart of the Van Allen radiation belts using NASA's Van Allen Probes mission. The acceleration energy is found within the belts themselves, helping to improve predictions of space weather and satellite safety.
A University of Colorado study found that mortality risks vary among nondrinkers, with some groups having similar risks to light drinkers. The researchers analyzed data from over 41,000 people and discovered that abstainers with religious or moral motivations had similar mortality risks to light drinkers.
Researchers used sophisticated three-dimensional climate models to solve the 'faint young sun paradox,' explaining how early Earth remained habitable despite a 20% dimmer sun. Moderate greenhouse gas inventories, including 20,000 ppm of CO2 and 1,000 ppm of methane, may have sustained liquid water and primitive life.
A new low-cost method of in-vitro fertilization developed at the University of Colorado Boulder showed successful human clinical trials in Belgium, suggesting infertility care may be universally accessible. The simplified laboratory system, estimated to cost between $250, performed roughly the same as conventional IVF programs.
Researchers led by CU-Boulder's John Stocke discovered normal spiral galaxies are surrounded by massive gas halos extending up to 1 million light-years in diameter, much larger than previously estimated. These findings have significant consequences for galaxy evolution and provide new insights into the formation process of stars.
The University of Colorado Boulder has joined the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-IV to study the structure and evolution of the universe. The survey will use powerful new instruments to analyze data from galaxies and quasars, shedding light on dark energy and the formation of our galaxy.
A new CU-Boulder study reveals a significant increase in dust emissions across the Western United States over the past 17 years. The research found that dust erosion is linked to an increase in calcium deposition in precipitation, with major increases observed in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah.
A new study by the University of Colorado Boulder suggests that some hominids added grasses or sedges to their diets around 3.5 million years ago, marking a significant change in their survival and evolution. This shift likely contributed to the emergence of human-like species.
Scientists discover chemical reaction between iron-containing minerals and water can produce enough hydrogen to sustain microbial communities, hinting at possibility of hydrogen-dependent life on Mars. The study also suggests that such reactions could take place in the ocean's crust at lower temperatures than previously thought.
A new study found that the world's glaciers lost an average of roughly 260 billion metric tons of ice annually between 2003 and 2009, contributing to ocean rise of 0.03 inches or 0.7 millimeters per year. This loss exceeds previous estimates, highlighting the crucial role of smaller ice bodies in global sea level rise.