News about PaperPanda, Open Access, and Research
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
Climate change may see pollen season in the US begin earlier and end later by the end of the century – and those with hay fever may experience worse symptoms as pollen emissions could rise by as much as 250 per cent Environment 15 March 2022 By Jason Arunn Murugesu Green clover leaves surrounded by … Read more
Recordings from electrodes in people’s brains reveal that certain neurons in the hippocampus show a burst of activity to mark the boundary between different events Mind 7 March 2022 , updated 7 March 2022 By Clare Wilson Illustration of neurons in the hippocampus KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY A newly discovered kind of brain cell involved … Read more
Within a decade, a small rover on Mars will pick up samples of rock left by a previous mission. It will then load them into a rocket secured within a small platform on a flat patch of the planet’s surface. Once the rocket’s hatch has closed, the platform will toss it upward on its side, … Read more
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hasn’t gone to plan and has led to an economic backlash from the West. If Russian president Vladimir Putin feels backed into a corner, there is a real possibility he could use a nuclear weapon in an attempt to show strength, say analysts Humans | Analysis 28 February 2022 By Matthew … Read more
Mantleslugs carry spores of dozens of fungal species in their faeces, and some of them even begin to germinate within the moist digestive tracts Life 24 February 2022 By Jake Buehler Mantleslugs feeding on oyster mushrooms Nobuko Tuno Some mushroom-eating slugs may be important – if slow – dispersal vehicles for fungal spores, which the … Read more
Virgin Galactic’s suborbital spaceliner is grounded at the moment, but the company is confident it’ll be fully up and running by the end of the year. Virgin Galactic flies people and payloads to suborbital space using an air-launch strategy: A carrier plane called VMS Eve drops the six-passenger, two-pilot VSS Unity space plane at an … Read more
Each year, an estimated 11 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean, equivalent to a cargo ship’s worth every day. The rising tide—in the oceans and beyond—is just a symptom of much wider problems: unsustainable product design, short-sighted consumption, and insufficient waste management, scientists say. To curb the flood, says Jenna Jambeck, an environmental … Read more
After completing a human trial of modified pig skin grafts last year, a team in China hopes to start the first pig organ transplant trial later this year Health 9 February 2022 By Michael Le Page Trials using pig skin for human grafts could make the procedure more common wulingyun/Getty Images Several groups are vying … Read more
A committee of MPs says the UK government should update plans to ban gas boilers from new homes, introducing the move next year rather than in 2025 Environment 3 February 2022 By Adam Vaughan The control panel on a household gas boiler Shutterstock / KsanderDN A ban on gas boilers in new homes in England … Read more