News about PaperPanda, Open Access, and Research
An experimental vaccine successfully eliminated aging cells from the bodies of mice, helping to prolong the rodents’ lives and reverse some signs of age-related disease. The researchers say the experiment is a step on the road to a similar vaccine for humans, but could it really work? “I think the data was extremely strong… I think … Read more
A dancer shrouded in shades of blue rises to her feet and steps forward on stage. Under a spotlight, she gazes at her partner: a tall, sleek robotic arm. As they dance together, the machine’s fluid movements make it seem less stereotypically robotic—and, researchers hope, more trustworthy. “When a human moves one joint, it isn’t … Read more
The anti-seizure qualities of the cannabis plant can likely not be boiled down to a single compound, like cannabidiol (CBD), according to emerging research. Studies in Australia have recently revealed numerous other compounds in the cannabis plant that also show anticonvulsant effects. Some of them could even be more powerful than CBD. A small … Read more
When Neanderthals lived at a site called Neumark-Nord in Germany, the region had far fewer trees than surrounding areas, suggesting they may have cleared the forest on purpose Humans 15 December 2021 A lakeside archaeological site at Neumark-Nord in Germany Wil Roebroeks, Leiden University Neanderthals may have reshaped part of the European landscape 125,000 years … Read more
A set of 3.7-million-year-old footprints were initially thought to have been left by a bear walking upright, but have now been reinterpreted as the prints of an unidentified hominin that walked a little bit like a modern catwalk fashion model Humans 1 December 2021 By Michael Marshall One of the hominin footprints preserved at Laetoli … Read more
Humans and AI working together can reveal new areas of mathematics where data sets are too large to be comprehended by mathematicians Technology 1 December 2021 By Matthew Sparkes A simple knot DeepMind AI software has collaborated with mathematicians to successfully develop a theorem about the structure of knots, but the suggestions given by the … Read more
To explain the paradox of a smart species that embraces fake news, conspiracy theories and paranormal woo, we need to rethink rationality, says psychologist Steven Pinker Humans 8 December 2021 By Graham Lawton Jennie Edwards HUMANITY faces some huge challenges, from the coronavirus pandemic and climate change to fundamentalism, inequality, racism and war. Now, more … Read more
By Jason Arunn Murugesu Foxes are notorious scavengers Jamie_Hall/Getty Images Between 2014 and 2018, more than 300 mutilated cat carcasses were found on London streets, leading to sensational media reports that a feline-targeting serial killer was on the loose. The fact that the cats often had their heads or tails cut off, as well as … Read more
If it wasn’t for an extinct relative of modern humans known as the Denisovans, some researchers suspect our own species might never have made their home on the highest and largest plateau in the world. The Tibetan Plateau, sometimes called the Himalayan Plateau, is nicknamed ‘the roof of the world’ because it sits, on … Read more