Month: September 2019
New study on sharing shows social norms play a role in decision making
A child's desire to share becomes influenced by social norms around the age of 8, new research has revealed. The extensive study — conducted on eight diverse societies across the world — examined children and adults' behavior when asked to respond to a set of specific sharing tasks.
Read moreA new way to turn heat into useful energy
An international team of scientists has figured out how to capture heat and turn it into electricity. The discovery could create more efficient energy generation from heat in things like car exhaust, interplanetary space probes and industrial processes.
Read moreEmpowering cancer patients to shift their mindsets could improve care, researchers argue
A cancer diagnosis can cause a significant emotional burden for patients and their families. This may persist years into survivorship. As a result, depression and anxiety are two to three times more common in cancer patients than the general population. Experts propose that targeting cancer patients' mindsets could have an impact on their health, functioning, and well-being, and they call for more research in this field.
Read moreCats are securely bonded to their people, too
Cats have a reputation for being aloof and independent. But a study of the way domestic cats respond to their caregivers suggests that their socio-cognitive abilities and the depth of their human attachments have been underestimated. The findings show that, much like children and dogs, pet cats form secure and insecure bonds with their human caretakers.
Read moreCroc-like carnivores terrorized Triassic dinosaurs in southern Africa 210 million years ago
Giant, predatory croc-like animals that lived during the Triassic period in southern Africa preyed on early dinosaurs and mammal relatives 210 million years ago. These predators, known as 'rauisuchians' preyed on early herbivore dinosaurs and their mammal relatives living at the time.
Read moreDiscovery of novel cancer signaling mechanism and design of new anticancer compound
Active mutations of a certain signaling receptor protein called KIT tyrosine kinase are found in several cancers, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the different locations in the AML cells where KIT induces cancer-specific signaling remain unclear. Now, a group of scientists has aimed to answer this question by using a newly synthesized compound (along with other existing ones) that targets intracellular transport, which may offer an attractive strategy to combat cancer.
Read moreSoap from straw: Scientists develop eco friendly ingredient from agricultural waste
A scientist has discovered a way of using one of the world's most abundant natural resources as a replacement for humanmade chemicals in soaps and thousands of other household products.
Read moreCan machine learning reveal geology humans can't see?
Identifying geological features in a densely vegetated, steep, and rough terrain can be almost impossible. Imagery like LiDAR can help researchers see through the tree cover, but subtle landforms can often be missed by the human eye.
Read moreNew evidence of the Sahara's age
The Sahara Desert is vast, generously dusty, and surprisingly shy about its age. New research looking into what appears to be dust that the Sahara blew over to the Canary Islands is providing the first direct evidence from dry land that the age of the Sahara matches that found in deep-sea sediments: at least 4.6 million years old.
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