Why do humans kiss?
We ask Matilda Brindle, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Oxford.
Category: Science
Vaccine denial sets Americans up for more chronic illness
Despite well-established links between pathogens and chronic illness, the U.S. government continues to weaken public health measures to treat and prevent infectious diseases — a
Snakes keep evolving into cannibals — here’s what scientists think is going on
A review of over 500 reports of cannibalistic behavior in snakes finds it’s appeared multiple times in different evolutionary lineages, leading researchers to hypothesize it’s
‘The brain consistently moved upward and backward’: Astronauts’ brains physically shift in their heads during spaceflight
A new study analyzed brain MRI scans from 26 astronauts and found that the longer someone lived in space, the more their brain shifted in
How long do most planets last?
Planets are born, and they can also “die.” So what’s the lifespan of a typical planet?
‘DNA origami’ could be key for making an effective HIV vaccine, early study hints
A new vaccine design uses folded DNA to steer the immune system toward producing the rare immune cells needed to make protective antibodies against HIV.
Our leading theory of dark matter may be wrong, huge new gravity study hints
New research using a space-time phenomenon predicted by Einstein presents evidence that the invisible backbone of the universe may be much “fuzzier” than we realized.
AI griefbots could change how we mourn — but there are serious risks ahead
A researcher from the University of Essex dives into the philosophical and ethical questions surrounding “deathbots.”
‘Impossible’ mantle earthquakes actually occur all over the world, study finds
Researchers were once unsure whether mantle earthquakes existed. Now they have a global map of this mysterious phenomenon.
China’s emissions are flatlining — and may be falling — in critical turning point for biggest emitter, report says
The carbon emissions of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter have plateaued for nearly two years.
Four people on NASA’S Crew-12 arrive at the International Space Station
The crew will spend the next eight months conducting experiments to prepare for human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. (Image credit: NASA)
Ancient rock art depicting hunters and geometric shapes discovered in Egypt’s Sinai Desert — and it spans a period of 10,000 years
A rock shelter with rock art and inscriptions spanning millennia has been discovered in Egypt.
In a first, study links maternal genes to risk of pregnancy loss
For the first time, scientists have identified genetic variants that increase the risk of aneuploidy, in which cells have an abnormal number of chromosomes. Aneuploidy
‘Runaway’ black hole detected by the James Webb telescope adds a strange new chapter to our universe’s story
Recent observations suggest that ‘runaway’ black holes are tumbling through the cosmos. Building on decades of theory, the discovery adds a remarkable new chapter to