Optimists Are Alike, but Pessimists Are Unique, Brain Scan Study Suggests Optimists have similar patterns of brain activation when they think about the future—but pessimists are all different from one another, a brain scan study suggests By Allison Parshall edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier A new study shows that when people think about future events,…
A leaf-toed gecko from Rábida Island Rory Stansbury/Island Conservation A tiny gecko has been rediscovered on Rábida Island in the Galápagos, where it was believed to have been wiped out by invasive rats. The leaf-toed gecko (Phyllodactylus maresi), whose adults are just 8 centimetres long, was previously only known to have existed on Rábida from…
NASA Staff Rebuke White House Cuts in Rare Public Dissent A declaration of dissent from past and present NASA employees warns that science and safety are at risk and joins similar documents from staff at other federal science agencies By Alexandra Witze & Nature magazine A NASA logo is displayed at the entrance to the…
Artist’s impression of an encounter between an ancient caiman and a terror bird Julian Bayona Becerra About 13 million years ago in a vast South American wetland, colossal predators clashed. The fossilised bone from an enormous flightless bird found in Colombia shows tooth marks made by a giant caiman. Andrés Link at the University of the…
It’s summer and a telltale drop of sweat tickles down your back. Next thing you know, sweat is coursing off you in rivers, and your shirt is soaked. Now a new study, which essentially turned six people into overheated burritos for science, explains why. Contrary to common lore, sweat doesn’t just pop out of our…
Ozzy Osbourne’s Death Puts Spotlight on a Form of Parkinson’s Ozzy Osbourne, lead singer of Black Sabbath, has died at age 76. He had been previously diagnosed with a form of Parkinson’s disease linked to the gene PRKN By Lauren J. Young edited by Andrea Thompson Ozzy Osbourne at the press conference for Ozzy Osbourne…
AIs are getting better at maths problems Andresr/ Getty Images Experimental AI models from Google DeepMind and OpenAI have achieved a gold-level performance in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) for the first time. The companies are hailing the moment as an important milestone for AIs that might one day solve hard scientific or mathematical problems,…
“I believe that most people and institutions are totally unprepared for the A.I. systems that exist today, let alone more powerful ones,” wrote New York Times technology columnist Kevin Roose in March, “and that there is no realistic plan at any level of government to mitigate the risks or capture the benefits of these systems.”…
As smog clears worldwide, heatwaves are becoming more frequent CLAUDIO REYES/AFP via Getty Images Heatwaves have become more frequent as the world cleans up harmful aerosol pollution, unmasking more of the warming effects from greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This warming influence is even greater in populated places, where there tends to be more air…
School’s out. Teens are bored. And the siren call of social media and video games beckons. Parents and caregivers bungling through new summer routines, or lack thereof, have long sought to balance the time kids spend glued to screens with time spent outdoors. Many worry about the increasing evidence linking teen screen use to…
