The Kimberley region in the northwest corner of Western Australia is full of rugged ranges and gorges, and long stretches of red soil and rocky ground. The dry seasons are long, and the wet seasons often flood the Martuwarra Fitzroy River—an artery to the Indian Ocean—in the region's south.
Bats are some of the most highly specialized mammals to have ever evolved. This includes not only the evolution of active flight, but also their echolocation. This ability requires the bats to produce high frequency noises and then receive the sound back and interpret it to allow the animals to build up a detailed picture of the world through sound.
Just like a human newborn, coral larvae need just the right environment to settle and begin their new life. Understanding the ideal surface geometry for coral settlement and early growth was the shared goal of a new research project led by Griffith University with the support of Monsoon Aquatics.
A study by Dr. Gianpiero Fiorentino and his colleagues, published in the Journal of Paleontology, describes the identification of a new species of ant, Hypoponera electrocacica, belonging to the genus Hypoponera and representing the first occurrence of this genus in the fossil record of the Western Hemisphere, confirming the long-suspected presence of the genus in the Caribbean Miocene.
CU Boulder researchers have built high-performing optical microresonators, opening the door for new sensor technologies. At its simplest form, a microresonator is a tiny device that can trap light and build up its intensity. Once the intensity is high enough, researchers can perform unique light operations.
Several studies have predicted that not all geomagnetic reversals have been discovered, but it was unknown in which periods they might be hidden. Researchers led by the National Institute of Polar Research used a statistical method called adaptive kernel density estimation to model the frequency of geomagnetic reversals at high temporal resolution. Based on the model, they proposed that undiscovered reversals may be hidden in four periods after the Cretaceous Normal Superchron.
Loneliness and social isolation are now recognized as major public health threats, prompting governments to explore technological solutions. Research from Monash University argues new AI "digital companions" marketed as a solution for loneliness are profoundly unethical, and could even increase social isolation.
When lawmakers name bills after victims of tragedy—such as Megan's Law or the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993—public support surges, but this emotional boost may come at the expense of sound policymaking, according to research published in the journal Psychology, Public Policy, and Law.
UConn Center on Aging researchers have published a new editorial in the journal Aging titled "Polyploidy-induced senescence: Linking development, differentiation, repair, and (possibly) cancer?" In this editorial, Dr. Iman M. Al-Naggar, assistant professor of cell biology at UConn School of Medicine along with Dr. George A. Kuchel, director of the UConn Center on Aging, examines the biological and clinical significance of polyploidy-induced senescence.
Unseen but all around us, the air we breathe in enclosed spaces is crucial to our health and well-being. Indoor air is not simply outdoor air that has been run through a filter: it has its own chemical makeup and a unique combination of particles, gases and microorganisms. Because indoor air has many sources of its own, concentrations of many pollutants can be as high as—or higher than—outdoor levels, especially during everyday activities like cooking or cleaning.
