Tag Archives: ScienceAlert

Don’t like Mondays? You might be at higher risk of stress-related health problems, including cardiovascular disease. Modern society has built up Mondays to be the least-liked day of the week. We’ve just come back from a relaxing weekend and now have to face all the responsibilities we’ve been ignoring, knowing there’s the longest possible time before another weekend. Not only …

Disaster victims trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed building or mine may one day be rescued by a tiny and unlikely savior: a beetle with a backpack. Researchers have made major strides in cyborg technology, creating a breed of cyborg beetles that can climb walls, obstacles, and sloped surfaces while being remotely guided by a video game controller. Called …

Cannabis use may leave lasting fingerprints on the human body, a study of over 1,000 adults suggests – not in our DNA code itself, but in how that code is expressed. US researchers found it may cause changes in the epigenome, which acts like a set of switches that activate or deactivate genes involved in how our bodies function. “We …

It might be time to invest in some blackout curtains, turn off the TV before bed, and dim those lamps. New research suggests that exposure to light at night could elevate your risk of multiple heart issues. The association makes biological sense. Our bodies use light signals to tell when it’s time to sleep, and any disruption to that routine …

Walk through any trendy suburb and you might find a new “wellness” studio offering ice baths or “contrast therapy” (a sauna and ice bath combo). Scroll social media, and you’re likely to come across influencers preaching the cold plunge gospel with cult-like zeal. Ice baths have gone mainstream. Initially practised mainly among high-performance athletes, cold water immersion is now a …

An extinct genus of ray-finned fish that lived during the Jurassic period seems to have had quite the penchant for overreaching. A new analysis of fossilized Tharsis fish reveals that the carnivorous marine animals seem to have frequently met their end with large cephalopods known as belemnites lodged quite fatally in their gullets. According to paleontologists Martin Ebert and Martina …

The second half of July and the early days of August are the perfect time to get outside and look at the night sky. That’s when three of the year’s best meteor showers peak, each with their own special idiosyncrasies. For the Northern Hemisphere, the balmy temperatures of summer will make meteor-spotting the perfect activity, while in the south, longer …

The blue shark (Prionace glauca) might be more than its name. Scientists investigating the sleek ocean predator’s skin discovered nanostructures that not only produce its signature hue, but also potentially let it change color like a chameleon. Animals produce their colors in various ways. Some rely on pigmented cells that reflect a color by selectively removing wavelengths from ambient light, …

Protoplanetary disks made of gas and dust form around young stars, and this is where planets from. These disks don’t last forever. Eventually, the star’s energetic output dissipates the disk through photoevaporation, the material gets taken up in planets, and the planet-forming process ceases. All young stars are expected to have protoplanetary disks, and these dusty environments make it difficult …

The effects of climate change could awaken hundreds of volcanoes worldwide – which in turn could worsen the effects of climate change. According to recent models predicting changes in the magma beneath Patagonia’s glaciers, the retreat of ice has the power to shake subglacial volcanoes out of their slumber. The world isn’t at imminent risk of volcanic bombardment, but the …