121
Did fermented foods fuel brain growth?
Researchers hypothesize it’s fermentation, not fire, that’s behind our ancestors’ increasing brain size.
Topics /
Science & Space
The most popular blog posts about science & space on Hacker News. 205 posts.
122
123
The first amateur radio station on the moon
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.
124
MPPP – The first 'designer drug' disaster (2023)
The origin of the term is credited to Dr Gary L. Henderson, of the University of California at Davis. A designer drug is based on the structure of an existing drug – which may be naturally sourced from a plant (like cocaine or morphine ) or be synthetic (like amphetamine ) - but with a slightly different structure…
125
How to prevent Lyme disease this summer
The risk of Lyme disease has increased due to climate change and warmer temperature. A rheumatologist offers advice on how to best avoid ticks while going outdoors.
126
Study shows N95 masks near-perfect at blocking escape of airborne Covid-19
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – In a head-to-head comparison of masks worn by people with active COVID-19, the inexpensive “duckbill” N95 came out on top, stopping 98% of COVID-19 particles in the breath of infected people from escaping into the air. Led by researchers from the University of Maryland School of Public Health…
127
Iron as an inexpensive storage medium for hydrogen
Researchers at ETH Zurich are using iron to store hydrogen safely and for long periods. In the future, this technology could be used for seasonal energy storage.
128
What made Earth a giant snowball 700M years ago? Scientists have an answer
More than 700 million years ago, planet Earth was plunged into a 57-million-year-long ice age. Australian scientists led by Dr Adriana Dutkiewicz and Professor Dietmar Müller at the University of Sydney now have an answer why this happened.
129
Gravitational wave researchers cast new light on Antikythera mechanism mystery
Techniques developed to analyse the ripples in spacetime detected by one of the 21st century’s most sensitive pieces of scientific equipment have helped cast new light on the function of the oldest known analogue computer.
130
Capturing the ripples of spacetime: LISA gets go-ahead
Today, ESA’s Science Programme Committee approved the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, the first scientific endeavour to detect and study gravitational waves from space.
131
The science behind on-the-wrist blood pressure tracking
The next Apple Watch and Samsung wearables measures blood pressure using pulse wave analysis and artificial intelligence. Here's how it would work and what it means for health.
132
Cure for male pattern baldness given boost by sugar discovery
The key to curing male pattern baldness - a condition that affects up to 50 per cent of men worldwide - could lie in a sugar that naturally occurs in the human body, according to scientists at the University of Sheffield.
133
Double trouble: ESA's Gaia hit by micrometeoroid and solar storm
Launched in December 2013, ESA’s Gaia spacecraft is on a mission to map the locations and motions of more than a billion stars in the Milky Way with extreme precision.But it’s not easy being a satellite: space is a dangerous place. In recent months, hyper-velocity space dust and the strongest solar storm in 20 years…
134
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024 was awarded jointly to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun "for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation"
135
Seeing Like a Data Structure
Our data-centric way of seeing the world isn't serving us well. Barath Raghavan and Bruce Schneier argue that we need new socio-technical systems that leave room for the inherent messiness of reality.
136
Enzymes open new path to universal donor blood
Researchers at DTU and Lund University have discovered enzymes that remove hindrances that stood in the way of developing universal donor blood.
137
A living replacement knee to be tested in clinical trials within five years
Columbia biomedical engineers are collaborating with orthopedic surgeons to build a living replacement knee to be tested in clinical trials within five years.
138
Nearly half of teenagers globally cannot read with comprehension
The chart shows the share of children at the end of lower-secondary school age — aged 12 to 15 — who meet the minimum proficiency set by UNESCO in reading comprehension. This means they can connect the main ideas across various texts, understand the author’s intentions, and draw reasoned conclusions.
139
Prostate cancer includes two different evotypes
Artificial Intelligence has helped scientists reveal a new form of aggressive prostate cancer, which could revolutionise how the disease is diagnosed and treated in the future.
140
Study uses wearables to show that physical activity lengthens REM latency
AUSTIN, Texas — A new study by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin provides the most reliable validation to date
141
Study reveals blood sugar control is a key factor in slowing brain aging
“Maintaining low blood sugar levels, even within the normal range, shows promise for preserving a younger brain, especially when combined with a healthy diet and regular physical activity.
142
Research shows that people who BS are more likely to fall for BS (2021)
People who frequently try to impress or persuade others with misleading exaggerations and distortions are themselves more likely to be fooled by impressive-s
143
Solar generates fifth of global electricity on summer solstice midday peak
Today across midday peaks on the summer solstice, the world will generate about a fifth of its electricity from solar. This milestone highlights the rapid growth and impact of solar power, which has seen unprecedented expansion in recent years.
144
Transponder Landing System enables precision approaches at McMurdo in Antarctica
The ANPC transponder landing system at McMurdo station allows aircraft to land on the moving ice runway in poor weather or low visibility.
145
Tire-related chemical responsible for salmon deaths in urban streams (2020)
A team led by researchers at UW Tacoma, UW and Washington State University Puyallup has discovered a chemical that kills coho salmon in urban streams before the
146
147
Researchers discover new third class of magnetism
A new class of magnetism called altermagnetism has been imaged for the first time in a new study. The findings could lead to the development of new magnetic memory devices with the potential to increase operation speeds of up to a thousand times.
148
The Roots of Fear: Understanding the Amygdala
Treating anxiety, depression and other disorders may depend on the amygdala, a part of the brain that controls strong emotional reactions, especially fear. But a deep understanding of this structure has been lacking. Now scientists at the University of California, Davis have identified new clusters of cells with…
149
GE Aerospace Successfully Develops and Tests New Hypersonic Dual-Mode Ramjet
A dual-mode ramjet was developed and tested in less than 11 monthsTesting demonstrates a threefold increase in airflow compared to previously flight-tested hypersonic technology
150
