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Raids and bloody rituals among ancient steppe nomads

A new study uncovers patterns of perimortem trauma in a Southern Siberian nomadic community from the 2nd-4th centuries CE, suggesting violence beyond warfare, including ritualistic practices. The research found that 25% of individuals died from interpersonal violence, with evidence of throat-slitting and scalping on some skeletal remains.

SourceUniversity of Bern·JournalAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology·DateSep 18, 2020

Water walking -- The new mode of rock skipping

Researchers at Utah State University have discovered a new mode of water surface skipping termed 'water walking', which involves elastic spheres gaining significant speed to maintain a deformed shape. The team's findings provide new insights into water impact physics and lay the foundation for future design of water-walking drones.

SourceUtah State University·JournalScientific Reports·DateApr 23, 2019

In Amazon wars, bands of brothers-in-law

A new study by University of Utah anthropologist Shane Macfarlan challenges the idea that humans naturally fight like chimpanzees. Instead, Yanomamö men form long-term alliances with other villages through marriage and cooperation, which leads to increased social status and benefits.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 27, 2014

How tribal courts can end war

In Enga, village court magistrates focus on restitution and 'restorative justice,' sending combatants home with compensation. The system has reduced violence and deaths, showing that indigenous means of conflict resolution can be more effective than Western law.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalScience·DateSep 27, 2012

Cyber war might never happen

Dr. Thomas Rid argues that cyber warfare has never taken place and is unlikely to occur in the future due to the lack of lethality in most attacks. He suggests that modern cyber attacks are more sophisticated versions of traditional sabotage, espionage, and subversion.

SourceKing's College London·JournalJournal of Strategic Studies·DateOct 18, 2011

Korean researchers reveal new sea defense model

A new underwater warfare model has been developed by Korean researchers, using the DEVS formalism, to analyze the effectiveness of various tactics and weapon systems in combat scenarios. The model provides a flexible framework for testing different algorithms and parameters with minimal modification.

SourceSAGE·JournalThe Journal of Defense Modeling and Simulation Applications Methodology Technology·DateJan 18, 2011

Warriors do not always get the girl

An international team of anthropologists discovered that more aggressive warriors among the Waorani have lower indices of reproductive success than less warlike men. The research contradicts previous findings on Yanomamo men, who were found to benefit from their aggressive behavior in terms of acquiring wives and children.

SourcePenn State·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 11, 2009

Global warring

A new study finds that climate change and temperature fluctuations significantly correlate with warfare frequency in eastern China over the last millennium. The research reveals that cooling temperatures impact agriculture, leading to shortages of essential resources and potentially triggering armed conflicts.

SourceSpringer·JournalHuman Ecology·DateJul 9, 2007

Mowing back antennas

The Navy is developing a new radio frequency concept, AMRF-C, to enable a limited number of transmit and receive antennas to handle multiple communications, radar, and electronic warfare functions. The goal is to reduce costs and improve performance by leveling so-called 'antenna forests'.

Felling antenna forests

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is developing an Advanced Multi-Function Radio-Frequency Concept (AMRF-C) antenna aperture that can integrate radar and communications functions, reducing the need for separate antennas and increasing stealth.

Making a CACE for it

The Marine Corps has developed an automated suite of tools called the Coherent Analytical Computing Environment (CACE) to help simplify complex mission planning. The CACE Decision Support Suite can produce four weeks' worth of flight schedules in just 15 minutes, reducing the time spent on scheduling from hours to minutes.