experiments

New Experiments Hint Human Language Likely Didn’t Start With Grunts

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Our ability to elaborately communicate is one of humanity’s greatest superpowers. It allows us to retain and build knowledge across generations, cooperating at a global scale unlike anything else seen on Earth. But much about how this ability evolved is still a mystery, including its origins.   Recently, a team of researchers set up some … Read more

Your Houseplants Really Can Impact Indoor Air Quality, Depending on The Pollutant

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Indoor air quality can be significantly improved by houseplants, new research has shown – specifically in terms of removing nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from the air, a pollutant created from fuel burning that’s been linked to respiratory disease.   Potted plants are simple to install, affordable to buy, and potentially a genuinely effective option when it … Read more

Russia Just Ceased Joint Experiments on The International Space Station

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Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, will no longer cooperate with Germany on science experiments aboard the Russian side of the International Space Station (ISS), it said in a tweet Thursday.    “The Russian space program will be adjusted against the backdrop of sanctions, the priority will be the creation of satellites in the interests of defense,” Roscosmos … Read more

Fusion Power Experiment in The UK Smashes Its Old Record in Major Step Forward

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Late last century, the Joint European Torus (JET) near Oxford, UK, churned out 22 megajoules of energy in what was, at the time, a record in fusion power. Now, experimental upgrades have brought the facility into line with the technology anticipated for a major international project, resulting in the production of nearly three times that … Read more

Record-Breaking Nuclear Fusion Experiment Achieves Historic Plasma Milestone

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The secret behind a record-breaking nuclear fusion experiment that spit out 10 quadrillion watts of power in a split second has been revealed: a “self-heating” – or “burning” – plasma of neutron-heavy hydrogen inside the fuel capsule used in the experiment, according to researchers.   Last year, scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in … Read more

Pavlovian Experiments on Locusts Provide New Clues on How Smell Works in The Brain

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From the fragrance of brewing coffee to the smell of rain soaking the soil, distinguishing scents is one of the reasons that having a sense of smell is wonderful. But how smells such as coffee can be understood by our brain, no matter the season, location, or time is a complex question to answer. There’s … Read more

Deep Conversations With Strangers Can Have Surprising Results, Study Shows

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When we want to really connect with others, we usually limit ourselves to family and close friends. Opening up to a stranger would likely seem a daunting prospect to most of us – but it looks like our expectations may not always match reality.   New research suggests that people’s expectations about their interactions with strangers … Read more

Strenuous 8-Year Effort to Replicate Key Cancer Research Finds an Unwelcome Surprise

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The replicability of scientific studies is under the microscope like never before: scientists are increasingly examining just how many studies can be repeated with the same results a second or third time around.   If a study doesn’t pass the so-called replication test, that casts some doubt over the findings; newly published investigations are now indicating … Read more