study

DeepMind AI: Machine learning tool helps study strange electrons in chemical reactions

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Strange so-called fractional electrons are crucial to many chemical reactions, but traditional methods cannot model them – a problem that DeepMind has used machine learning to fix Physics 9 December 2021 By Leah Crane An artistic representation of molecules interacting DeepMind Machine-learning tools have taken us closer to understanding electrons and how they behave in … Read more

Hormone replacement therapy: Large study finds HRT does not increase risk of dying early

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A study of 300,000 people shows that HRT for menopause symptoms doesn’t increase the risk of early death, helping to overturn outdated fears about its safety Health 10 December 2021 By Alice Klein A woman applying a hormone replacement therapy patch Phanie/Alamy A large UK study has provided reassurance that taking hormone replacement therapy to … Read more

Researchers Find Evidence That Fracking Can Trigger an All-New Type of Earthquake

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Oil and gas extraction can trigger small, slow-moving, longer-lasting earthquake tremors, which scientists have documented in Canadian fracking fields for the first time. A team of researchers from the Geological Survey of Canada documented a new type of earthquake event resulting from slow ruptures near an active gas well. This helps to explain how near-imperceptible … Read more

Cataract Surgery Linked to Lower Risk of Developing Dementia, Even 10 Years Later

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Cataract surgery is often undertaken to reverse the natural decline in vision as we get older. Now, a new association study underscores the wider benefits such a procedure can have on one’s health – especially when it comes to reducing dementia risk.   Cataracts are cloudy areas that develop in the lens of the eye … Read more

Ancient Greeks didn’t kill ‘weak’ babies, new study argues | Science

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In his biography Life of Lycurgus, written around 100 C.E., Greek philosopher Plutarch recounted how the ancient Spartans submitted newborns to a council of elders for inspection. “Fit and strong” babies survived, but those found to be “lowborn or deformed” were left outside to die, Plutarch wrote, “on the grounds that it is neither better … Read more

Dogs Understand an Average of 89 Unique Words And Phrases, New Research Shows

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The way dogs have come to understand the nuances of human language is incredibly impressive for an animal that doesn’t speak words itself. Just a fraction of a second after we start saying a word – like ‘walk’ or ‘treat’ – dogs can predict and respond to what we are trying to say. To some … Read more