Scientists are growing better at retrieving the minuscule remnants of human genetic material that we leave floating in the air and water (environmental DNA or eDNA). This material can then be used to extract genetic data. As reported by Futurism, this technique has existed for some time and has been utilized to detect virus traces in effluent during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, however, scientists are attempting to determine how much specific information they can extract from human DNA. Obtaining information from eDNA In a recent article published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, scientists analyzed samples for genetic markers associated with ancestry and ethnicity. The University of Florida team led by wildlife geneticist David Duffy was able to determine medical and ancest...

Argentine paleontologists have discovered the remains of an enormous new species of herbivorous dinosaur with a long neck in the country's southern Patagonia region. The dinosaur is one of the largest ever discovered, according to the paleontologists. The 2018 discovery in the Pueblo Blanco Nature Reserve that was presented on Thursday was made by scientists. The dinosaur bones were so large that the van transporting them to a laboratory in Buenos Aires tipped over, but no one was injured and the remains were unharmed. Nicolas Chimento, a paleontologist, explained that the dinosaur was given the name "Chucarosaurus Diripienda," which means "hard-boiled and scrambled," because it had moved around and survived the mishap. The Chucarosaurus, at 50 tons and 30 meters in length, i...

NASA announced on Monday that the James Webb Space Telescope has detected water surrounding a comet. A comet named Read, which is located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, was found to contain water vapor. The findings, which were published in the journal Nature, could aid scientists in learning more about the origins of Earth's abundant water. Stefanie Milam, Webb's deputy project scientist for planetary science and co-author of the study, stated, "Our water-drenched planet, teeming with life and unique in the universe as far as we know, is a bit of a mystery; we're not sure how all this water got here." Understanding the history of water distribution in the solar system will assist us in determining whether or not other planetary systems are capable of harb...

Few systems have Tc values above 30 K since mercury's superconductivity was found over a century ago. ShanghaiTech University and Renmin University of China have observed superconductivity up to 32 K in MoB2 under pressure—the greatest Tc in transition-metal borides to date. Their February 14, 2023 National Science Review article discusses high-Tc superconductors in transition metal borides. Molybdenum diboride (MoB2) is unique in the MB2 family since it possesses both an AlB2-type and a CaSi2-type phase. Synchrotron X-Ray diffraction (XRD) shows that above 65 GPa, β-MoB2 transforms to α-MoB2, which has the same crystal structure as MgB2. A question arises naturally: is it possible to achieve superconductivity in MoB2 under high pressure. So, we carried out the in-situ hi...

"What is the theory of everything?" was a common query in my undergraduate physics program 20 years ago. It labeled theoretical physicists' efforts to explain the universe's fundamental particles and forces. Is it good? Does it assist scientists make breakthrough discoveries? Science requires smart questions. "Wishful thinking"? "What is the theory of everything?" reminds us that excellent science doesn't need good questions. I'll clarify. Let's play. I have a deck of cards with animal names and photos. I pick a card, and you ask questions to determine which animal I picked. You need animal knowledge to ask a good inquiry. You may ask "Does it live in the sea?" when you first play. No, and the game continues. Pick a card next. You examine the cards to choose and find only terr...

21st century is Quantum Age. General-purpose quantum computers will take years to develop. Domestic and foreign hybrid emulations that use quantum phenomena on classical hardware are available. As we properly develop quantum technology (QT) while retaining freedom in the free world, we must adhere to liberal democratic norms. Regimes with less concern for fundamental human rights may employ the technology. The free world must promote democratic ideals in any competition for technological superiority and collaborate on big issues like climate change, equality of opportunity, and A.I. takeover. The rise of hybrid quantum-artificial intelligence and how to stop it As quantum–A.I. hybrids become more common, business and government leaders must connect with research and innovation...

Arctic ocean explorers found an underwater volcano spewing dirt and methane from a bigger crater that likely developed during a catastrophic eruption at the end of the last ice age. The strange structure was discovered 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of Norway's Bear Island, Bjørnøya, in the Barents Sea. The team called the volcano the Borealis Mud Volcano. "Exploring the seabed and discovering new methane [seeps] is like finding hidden treasures," said Stefan Buenz(opens in new tab), a professor at The Arctic University of Norway (University of Tromsø) and co-leader of the AKMA expedition that made the discovery. "Every time we go down to the seabed, we get the feeling that we have just begun to understand the great and incredible diversity of such [seep] systems," Buenz said i...

Neuroscientific research has illuminated the neurological differences between monolingualism and bilingualism. Monolingual and multilingual brains differ greatly in neuroplasticity. MRI technology now lets scientists see monolingual and multilingual brains' neuroplasticity differences. Grey matter—cell bodies and dendrites of neurons—can be seen in MRIs. Iowa State University neuroscientist John Grundy says the brain forms new connections and pathways. Bilingual brains have richer grey matter and more neuronal cell bodies and dendrites. Effects of bilingualism on the brain Bilingual brains have greater white matter integrity. White matter nerve fibers connect brain areas for successful communication. Regular language use maintains these relationships. Multilingualism m...

Young scientists worldwide compete to create the most inventive space projects. The inaugural International Space Science and Scientific Payload Competition in Foshan, southern China, concludes Friday. Huang Fei says. Over 100 university teams from 30 nations competed. Thirty reached the final stage and presented their space experiment and instrument design proposals. They propose nanosatellites, space debris capture, and more. Ursula Andrea Martinez, Madrid Polytechnic University student We use boundary temperatures to regulate fluids in microgravity. Our experiment's fundamental concept is that." BIT student YVETTE LIU "We did a quantitative PCR payload for disease, microbial, and floated water monitoring in orbit to help monitor the space station's environment." W...