New study analyzes link between digit ratio and oxygen consumption in footballers
The efficiency of oxygen supply to tissues is a factor in the severity of important diseases such as Covid-19 and heart conditions. Scientists already know that the relationship between the length of a person’s index and ring fingers, known as
Under pressure — space exploration in our time
In the past decade, humanity has seen the birth and expansion of a commercial space sector with new, private players, addressing technological challenges — from space launch to communication and satellite imagery of Earth. Last year, the global space industry
Advanced artificial photosynthesis catalyst uses CO2 more efficiently to create biodegradable plastics
A research team from Osaka Metropolitan University that had previously succeeded in synthesizing fumaric acid using bicarbonate and pyruvic acid, and carbon dioxide collected directly from the gas phase as one of the raw materials, has now created a new
Mystery solved: The oldest fossil reptile from the alps is an historical forgery
A 280-million-year-old fossil that has baffled researchers for decades has been shown to be, in part, a forgery following new examination of the remnants. The discovery has led the team led by Dr Valentina Rossi of University College Cork, Ireland
What can bulls tell us about men?
Infertility is a widespread problem: worldwide, one in eight couples fail to fulfil their desire to have children within a year — or even at all. In half the cases, this is due to fertility disorders that stem from the
A new design for quantum computers
Creating a quantum computer powerful enough to tackle problems we cannot solve with current computers remains a big challenge for quantum physicists. A well-functioning quantum simulator — a specific type of quantum computer — could lead to new discoveries about
Evidence of geothermal activity within icy dwarf planets
A team co-led by Southwest Research Institute found evidence for hydrothermal or metamorphic activity within the icy dwarf planets Eris and Makemake, located in the Kuiper Belt. Methane detected on their surfaces has the tell-tale signs of warm or even
The brain processes speech and its echo separately
Echoes can make speech harder to understand, and tuning out echoes in an audio recording is a notoriously difficulty engineering problem. The human brain, however, appears to solve the problem successfully by separating the sound into direct speech and its
Environmental monitoring offers low-cost tool for typhoid fever surveillance
Researchers can accurately track where typhoid fever cases are highest by monitoring environmental samples for viruses called bacteriophages that specifically infect the bacterium that causes typhoid fever. Senjuti Saha of the Child Health Research Foundation in Bangladesh and colleagues report
Reforestation programs could threaten vast area of tropical grasslands
New research led by the University of Liverpool reveals the scale of inappropriate reforestation projects across Africa. A study published in the journal Science reveals that an area the size of France is under threat by forest restoration initiatives due