News about PaperPanda, Open Access, and Research
In 2020, a team of astronomers with the European Southern Observatory (ESO) discovered the closest black hole to Earth in the HR 6819 system, just 1,000 light-years away, only to have other scientists dispute the findings. As it turns out, those critics seem to have been correct. In new research, an international team of scientists … Read more
What does culture have to do with creativity? The answer could be “a lot.” For decades, psychologists trying to understand the roots of creative imaginations have looked at the way two kinds of cultures affect artistic and inventive efforts. Individualistic (sometimes called “cowboy”) cultures encourage people to be unique and to prioritize their own interests, … Read more
We tend to think of intelligence as something that describes just one individual. But it’s possible to describe all kinds of collectives as intelligent, too – whether we’re talking about social groups of humans, enclaves of insects, or even the mysterious behavior of slime mold and viruses. By extension, could intelligence be observed on a much … Read more
Being in space causes the human body to destroy about 50% more red blood cells, leading to a potentially dangerous condition known as anemia. The effects persist even after astronauts return to Earth, according to a new study. The study, led by researchers at the Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada, … Read more
Experts said Monday that an alleged hybrid coronavirus mutation dubbed “Deltacron” reportedly discovered in a Cyprus lab is most likely the result of a lab contamination, and not a new worrying variant. Cypriot media reported the discovery Saturday, describing it as having “the genetic background of the Delta variant along with some of the … Read more
The public is now used to seeing space up close, thanks to cameras watching everything from satellites deploying to a spacesuit-clad “dummy” cruising in a Tesla — so why doesn’t NASA’s giant new observatory have any cameras on board? It has to do with light and heat, Julie Van Campen, deputy commissioning manager for the … Read more
By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu and Layal Liverpool People wearing masks in the streets of Lyon, France. KONRAD K/SIPA/Shutterstock Latest coronavirus news as of 1pm on 5 January SARS-CoV-2 variant found in France was identified in November A coronavirus variant first … Read more
Opinion Treating the decision with nuance and care is essential to reproductive justice Abortion rights and anti-abortion demonstrators hold signs outside the U.S. Supreme Court while the court holds a hearing on a Mississippi abortion ban, in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, December 1, 2021. Credit: Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA/Alamy Live NewsOpinion Treating the decision with nuance … Read more