K-12 teachers and students across the country are increasingly using AI in and out of classrooms, whether it is teachers turning to AI to refine lesson plans or students asking AI to help them research a particular topic.
In a new, survey-based study of three kinds of "designer" crossbreed dogs, cockapoos, cavapoos and labradoodles, all three showed more undesirable behaviors than at least one of their purebred progenitor breeds, with cockapoos displaying the most unwanted habits. Gina Bryson of the Royal Veterinary College, U.K., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One.
The trajectory of base editing has been remarkable, progressing from the laboratory to patient care, treating debilitating or terminal illnesses, in less than a decade. A type of gene editing that makes chemical changes to our DNA, base editing was developed by Alexis Komor, associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at the University of California San Diego.
Students who attend schools with smartphone bans report missing sleep to make up for "lost time" on their phones but benefit from more face-to-face socializing in the school day, as a new UK study reveals a mixed picture of how phones affect secondary school students' experiences. In the latest study from the SMART Schools project published in Social Sciences and Medicine, a team of academics from the University of Birmingham conducted in-depth research with seven schools to identify ways in which smartphone policies influence well-being among students.
Panic buying doesn't just respond to shortages—it creates them. And according to a University of the Sunshine Coast behavioral scientist, the lessons learned during COVID-19 remain critical for preventing future buying frenzies.
New analyses of ancient ice from Antarctica and the air contained inside it are extending the history of Earth's climate records and expanding researchers' understanding of how the planet has changed over the last 3 million years.
Cameras that photograph insects overnight and AI that identifies them are among a new generation of tools that could finally allow scientists to track whether the world's plan to save nature is working for its most overlooked creatures. A global team of scientists has found that 23 biodiversity targets agreed by world governments to protect and restore nature by 2030 are well-designed and could—if met—help reverse falling insect numbers.
Cells in our bodies produce RNA based on genetic information stored in DNA, and RNA serves as a blueprint for making proteins. Researchers at KAIST have discovered a new phenomenon: Removing "circular RNA" that accumulates in cells as we age can slow down aging and extend lifespan. This study provides crucial clues for uncovering the principles of aging and developing treatment strategies for related diseases.
For modern residents of the Levant, the "Red Sea Trough" usually brings a brief, dusty transition between seasons. But 127,000 years ago, this same weather pattern may have been the literal key to human history. A new study, led by Ph.D. student Efraim Bril, Prof. Adi Torfstein and Dr. Assaf Hochman from the Institute of Earth Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and published in Climate of the Past, reveals that during the Last Interglacial (LIG) peak, the Levant wasn't just a dry bridge between continents, it was dynamic with more relatively wet conditions fueled by intense, localized rain. This shift in ancient weather likely provided the water sources necessary for early humans to successfully migrate "out of Africa."
Antidepressants and other psychoactive drugs are designed to affect the human brain. But after they enter the water system in excrement or unused drugs flushed down the drain, traces of these compounds can enter the environment in biosolids—the nutrient-rich material left over after wastewater treatment that is used as fertilizer. New research suggests an unexpected mitigation strategy: using wood-rotting fungi that can break down these chemicals before they reach soil, crops, and people.
