Just Plain WEIRD #2
By Julia Buckley, CNN • Published 16th January 2020 Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy (CNN) — It’s Saturday morning in Civita di Bagnoregio, and the locals are patrolling the medieval walls, eyeing the visitors as they make their way toward the village. – As …
Researchers present what they’ve learned now that they can read the tiny text inside the Antikythera mechanism. By Robby Berman – Exploded view of Antikythera mechanism (Peulle/Wikimedia). Though it seemed to be just a corroded lump of some sort when it was found …
Toxoplasma gondii infections don’t just make mice afraid of cats. They get reckless with all sorts of other stuff, too. For decades, researchers have known that mice infected with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii lose their fear of cats. But there may be more …
New research tracks a rocky, interstellar object’s ability to transport life to another planet. By Passant Rabie – Around 4 billion years ago, Earth was under attack. The planet’s surface was bombarded by asteroid after asteroid and a whole host of other interstellar …
Using time-tested techniques, scientists are figuring out how to measure artificial organ growth. Very carefully. By David Grossman – What if a child with a failing organ could, instead of waiting on a donor list, simply have their new liver or heart grown …
By Loz Blain – Lucy is a robot janitor with a security badge. Trifo. – Trifo’s new Lucy robot vacuum is a clever little gadget that combines home cleaning with autonomous security patrolling thanks to its 1080p, high dynamic range camera and AI-enabled autonomous …
This Navy Seal method could be the key to overcoming panic. By Sarah Sloat – In moments of acute stress, it can be difficult to breath easy. When the “fight or flight” response is activated, the sympathetic nervous system activates rapid breathing. In the …
Five hundred years after coining the first dollar, a tiny mining town is coming to grips with the many ways it shaped the modern world. By Eliot Stein – The US dollar is the most widely used currency in the world. It is …
Tool of the devil, harmless family game—or fascinating glimpse into the non-conscious mind? The makers of the first talking board asked the board what they should call it; the name “Ouija” came through and, when they asked what that meant, the board replied, …
Some puzzling studies appear to show that tiny airborne particles may contribute to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Should we be concerned? By David Robson – Take a deep breath, and exhale. Depending on where you live, that life-giving lungful of air might …
