Rare boomerang collection from South Australia reveals a diverse past

New research has analysed a rare collection of non-returning boomerangs from Kinipapa (Cooper Creek), near Innamincka in South Australia’s far north-east. The four boomerangs and one wooden fragment were discovered in the creek bed during drought conditions in 2017 and 2018 by Jason Litherland from National Parks and Wildlife South Australia and Katheryn Litherland, a […]

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Expansion of the universe may directly impact black hole growth

Over the past 6 years, gravitational wave observatories have been detecting black hole mergers, verifying a major prediction of Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity. But there is a problem – many of these black holes are unexpectedly large. Now, a team of researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the University of Chicago, and […]

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Microglia: An emerging target in Alzheimer’s disease research

Advanced techniques in cellular analysis are contributing to a better understanding of how brain immune cells, also known as microglia, contribute to healthy function and dysregulation in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2021, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world’s largest source […]

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Whole genome sequencing increases diagnosis of rare disorders by nearly a third

Whole genome sequencing from a single blood test picks up 31% more cases of rare genetic disorders than standard tests, shortening the ‘diagnostic odyssey’ that affected families experience, and providing huge opportunities for future research. A definitive genetic diagnosis can really help patients and their families Patrick Chinnery Mitochondrial disorders affect around 1 in 4,300 […]

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One and Done: Researchers Urge Testing Eyewitness Memory Only Once

We all know the scene from countless courtroom dramas: A witness points at the defendant and confidently declares to judge and jury: “That’s the one, that’s who did it!” But is it? Perhaps. If that same witness was also confident the very first time their memory was tested – write a team of psychological scientists […]

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Revolutionary identity verification technique offers robust solution to hacking

A team of computer scientists, including Claude Crépeau of McGill University and physicist colleagues from the University of Geneva, have developed an extremely secure identity verification method based on the fundamental principle that information cannot travel faster than the speed of light. The breakthrough has the potential to greatly improve the security of financial transactions […]

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Is waking up to smoke a drag on people’s ability to quit smoking?

Many cigarette smokers wake in the night, smoke, and then return to sleep. Prior research has linked this behavior to smoking a higher number of cigarettes each day and to a higher likelihood of failing when trying to quit smoking. In recent years, some researchers began to propose that waking to smoke is a symptom […]

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How our brain uses nutritional state to regulate growth and age at puberty

Cambridge scientists have discovered how a receptor in the brain, called MC3R, detects the nutritional state of the body and regulates the timing of puberty and rate of growth in children and increases in lean muscle mass. This discovery shows how the brain can sense nutrients and interpret this to make subconscious decisions that influence […]

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