Lactose tolerance evolved in europeans thanks to famine and disease
LACTOSE TOLERANCE EVOLVED IN EUROPEANS THANKS TO FAMINE AND DISEASE Wide-ranging evolutionary study overturns the long-held idea that the gene for lactose tolerance spread because it allowed dairy-farming humans to consume more milk Prehistoric Europeans were drinking milk as adults thousands of years before most of them evolved the gene necessary to digest lactose, a […]
Trains could suck CO2 out of the air as they cross the country
TRAINS COULD SUCK CO2 OUT OF THE AIR AS THEY CROSS THE COUNTRY A single train fitted with the system could remove thousands of tonnes of carbon every year Retrofitting direct air capture technology to trains to recover CO2 could help us get back on track in the fight against climate change, a study carried […]
Scientists may have figured out how to control intrusive thoughts
SCIENTISTS MAY HAVE FIGURED OUT HOW TO CONTROL INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS The technique could help with unwanted symptoms of conditions like OCD and anxiety Most people experience unwanted thoughts from time to time. These internal intrusions can be as harmless as the urge to touch a button that reads ‘DO NOT PRESS’, or as debilitating as […]
Eating Marmite could ease anxiety and depression
EATING MARMITE COULD EASE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION B vitamins found in the spread may help the brain produce calming neurochemicals Sorry, haters, here’s yet another reason to love Marmite: vitamin B6 – a nutrient found in abundance in the yeast extract – may help to reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, a study carried out […]
Robot dog learns to walk by stumbling, just like young animals in the wild
ROBOT DOG LEARNS TO WALK BY STUMBLING, JUST LIKE YOUNG ANIMALS IN THE WILD When this robot gets knocked down, it gets up again Morti, a robot dog, has taught itself to walk, just one hour after taking its first step. It learned just like animals in the wild: by tripping and stumbling until it […]
We could soon peer through time to see the first stars
WE COULD SOON PEER THROUGH TIME TO SEE THE FIRST STARS By analysing primordial clouds of hydrogen, astronomers could detect traces of light from the earliest stars and galaxies Observing the birth of the first stars and galaxies has been a sought-after goal of astronomers for decades. And now a worldwide team has developed a […]
Feeling ‘hangry’ is real, and there’s science to prove it
FEELING ‘HANGRY’ IS REAL, AND THERE’S SCIENCE TO PROVE IT Scientists tracking people’s food intake and emotions have shown that being hungry really can make us angry It’s a common phenomenon: go too long without eating, and you start to feel a little… irritated, to put it politely. Things that might not have bothered you […]
Mummified baby mammoth found by Canadian miners
MUMMIFIED BABY MAMMOTH FOUND BY CANADIAN MINERS The immaculately preserved specimen is “one of the most incredible mummified Ice Age animals ever discovered” For palaeontologists this is better than striking gold: miners working to excavate permafrost in the Yukon in northwestern Canada have unearthed a frozen baby mammoth. Geologists from the Yukon Geological Survey and […]
Horizons: Microbes found in volcanic environments could help reveal more about life on other planets
HORIZONS MICROBES FOUND IN VOLCANIC ENVIRONMENTS COULD HELP REVEAL MORE ABOUT LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS Researchers studying bacteria in Hawaii’s lava caves have discovered intricate communities working together in hostile surroundings Deep within the lava caves of Hawaii, microbial life thrives. In fact, a recent study has found that the life teeming within the caves […]
The future’s bright…
As a remedy for all the bad news out there, let us prescribe you a small dose of feel-good science. Each issue, we’ll give you a rundown of the latest breakthroughs that aim to solve humanity’s biggest problems. From cars that capture carbon to batteries made from trees, here you’ll find many reasons to feel […]