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• Researchers map neurons in the brain involved with social interactions with others in groups
• Scientists part of team that points to strong connection between climate change, plastics pollution
• Bat study reveals secrets of the social brain
• New material could pave the way for better, safer batteries
• Shape-shifting materials with infinite possibilities
• Scientists look beyond the individual brain to study the collective mind
• How pearls achieve nanoscale precision
• Astronomers provide 'field guide' to exoplanets known as hot Jupiters
• New photonic chip for isolating light may be key to miniaturizing quantum devices
• Two beams are better than one
• Hidden costs of global illegal wildlife trade
• Spending time in nature promotes early childhood development
• Northern lakes warming six times faster in the past 25 years
• Africa-wide great ape assessment reveals human activity, not habitat availability, is greatest driver of ape abundance
• Tap water produces a protective shield against microplastics
• Early dinosaurs may have lived in social herds as early as 193 million years ago
• A new Earth bombardment model
• Some of the world’s oldest rubies linked to early life
• African grey parrots may have better self-control than macaws
• Savannah chimpanzees, a model for the understanding of human evolution
• Better silicon solar panels
• Bacteria, fungi interact far more often than previously thought
• Controllable nanoscale gas-liquid interface fabricated

Researchers map neurons in the brain involved with social interactions with others in groups Posted: 21 Oct 2021 02:52 PM PDT In social experiments, three monkeys sat around a rotary table and took turns offering food to one of the other two monkeys. Certain neurons in the brain responded to the actions of other monkeys in the group and influenced an animal's upcoming decisions to reciprocate or retaliate.

Scientists part of team that points to strong connection between climate change, plastics pollution Posted: 21 Oct 2021 02:51 PM PDT At the root of global climate change and the worldwide plastics problem are two related carbon-based fuels -- oil and natural gas. Not only are the two among the key drivers of climate change, they are instrumental in the manufacturing of plastics. As storms intensify and become more frequent, the movement of trash from land to our oceans and, and vice versa, is only going to get worse.

Bat study reveals secrets of the social brain Posted: 21 Oct 2021 02:51 PM PDT Neuroscientists used wireless devices to record the neural activity of freely interacting Egyptian fruit bats, providing researchers with the first glimpse into how the brains of social mammals process complex group interactions.

New material could pave the way for better, safer batteries Posted: 21 Oct 2021 02:51 PM PDT A material derived from trees could potentially replace liquid electrolytes in next-generation batteries.

Shape-shifting materials with infinite possibilities Posted: 21 Oct 2021 02:51 PM PDT Researchers have developed a shape-shifting material that can take and hold any possible shape, paving the way for a new type of multifunctional material that could be used in a range of applications, from robotics and biotechnology to architecture.

Scientists look beyond the individual brain to study the collective mind Posted: 21 Oct 2021 02:51 PM PDT Scientists argue that efforts to understand human cognition should expand beyond the study of individual brains. They call on neuroscientists to incorporate evidence from social science disciplines to better understand how people think.

How pearls achieve nanoscale precision Posted: 21 Oct 2021 02:51 PM PDT In research that could inform future high-performance nanomaterials, a study has uncovered how mollusks build ultradurable structures with a level of symmetry that outstrips everything else in the natural world, with the exception of individual atoms.

Astronomers provide 'field guide' to exoplanets known as hot Jupiters Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:11 AM PDT By combining Hubble Space Telescope observations with theoretical models, a team of astronomers has gained insights into the chemical and physical makeup of a variety of exoplanets known as hot Jupiters. The findings provide a new and improved 'field guide' for this group of planets and inform ideas about planet formation in general.

New photonic chip for isolating light may be key to miniaturizing quantum devices Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:11 AM PDT Light plays a critical role in enabling 21st century quantum information applications. Limited by size, engineers need to miniaturize quantum devices, which requires re-thinking certain components for harnessing light. Researchers have designed a simple, compact photonic circuit that uses sound waves to rein in light. The team's measurements show that their approach to isolation currently outperforms all previous on-chip alternatives and is optimized for compatibility with atom-based sensors.

Two beams are better than one Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:10 AM PDT History's greatest couples rely on communication to make them so strong their power cannot be denied. But that's not just true for people, it's also true for lasers. According to new research from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, adding two lasers together as a sort of optical 'it couple' promises to make wireless communications faster and more secure than ever before.

Hidden costs of global illegal wildlife trade Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:10 AM PDT Researchers have highlighted that the illegal and unsustainable global wildlife trade has bigger ramifications on our everyday lives than you might think.

Spending time in nature promotes early childhood development Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:10 AM PDT Want to ensure your child hits their expected developmental milestones? New research suggests living in areas with high exposure to green-space can help set them up for success.

Northern lakes warming six times faster in the past 25 years Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:10 AM PDT Lakes in the Northern Hemisphere are warming six times faster since 1992 than any other time period in the last 100 years, new research has found.

Africa-wide great ape assessment reveals human activity, not habitat availability, is greatest driver of ape abundance Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:09 AM PDT The first-ever Africa-wide assessment of great apes -- gorillas, bonobos and chimpanzees -- finds that human factors, including roads, population density and GDP, determine abundance more than ecological factors such as forest cover.

Tap water produces a protective shield against microplastics Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:09 AM PDT Tap water produces a natural protective shield against harmful microplastics, which can help prevent household products such as plastic kettles from releasing them.

Early dinosaurs may have lived in social herds as early as 193 million years ago Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:09 AM PDT Scientists believe they have found the earliest evidence for complex herd behavior in dinosaurs. Researchers say Mussaurus patagonicus may have lived in herds some 193 million years ago -- 40 million years earlier than other records of dinosaur herding.

A new Earth bombardment model Posted: 21 Oct 2021 09:09 AM PDT A team has updated its asteroid bombardment model of the Earth with the latest geologic evidence of ancient, large collisions. These models have been used to understand how impacts may have affected oxygen levels in the Earth's atmosphere in the Archean eon, 2.5 to 4 billion years ago.

Some of the world’s oldest rubies linked to early life Posted: 21 Oct 2021 05:46 AM PDT While analyzing some of the world's oldest colored gemstones, researchers discovered carbon residue that was once ancient life, encased in a 2.5 billion-year-old ruby.

African grey parrots may have better self-control than macaws Posted: 20 Oct 2021 05:37 PM PDT African grey parrots may be better able than macaws to delay gratification -- rejecting an immediate reward in favour of a better one in the future -- according to a new study.

Savannah chimpanzees, a model for the understanding of human evolution Posted: 20 Oct 2021 11:00 AM PDT To prosper, most great apes need lush forests in Africa (bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas) or Southeast Asia (orangutans), except for some groups of chimpanzees that live in Savannahs, habitats characterized by high temperatures and very low seasonal rainfall.

Better silicon solar panels Posted: 19 Oct 2021 07:32 PM PDT Researchers are applying a new technique to identify defects in silicon solar cells that cause a drop in efficiency. The lessons learned at the atomic level could lead to improvements in the way manufacturers strengthen their products against what is known as light-induced degradation.

Bacteria, fungi interact far more often than previously thought Posted: 19 Oct 2021 07:31 PM PDT In a novel, broad assessment of bacterial-fungal interactions, researchers using unique bioinformatics found that fungi host a remarkable diversity of bacteria, making bacterial-fungal interactions far more common and diverse than previously known.

Controllable nanoscale gas-liquid interface fabricated Posted: 19 Oct 2021 09:01 AM PDT When liquid meets gas, a unique zone forms. Variable by nature, molecules can cross from one state to another, combining in unique ways to either desirable or unwanted ends. From heat escaping a mug of coffee to increasing molecular concentrations in chemical solutions, gas-liquid interfaces are ubiquitous across nature and engineering. But a lack of tools capable of precisely controlling such gas-liquid interfaces limit their applications -- until now.

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