Electric fish are among the most intriguing specimens in nature’s cabinet of curiosities. They “see” their world and each other by sensing — and generating their own — electric fields. This unique ability provides a key area of exploration for the emerging field of NeuroAI, which…
Category: 7. SciTech
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Why Do Some Ice Cubes Have Spikes When Taken Out Of The Freezer? » ScienceABC
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Ice cubes in a tray expand as they freeze from the surface, so the water inside is squeezed out, which is how spikes form on ice cubes.
Do the humble ice cubes in your freezer have aspirations of becoming icicles? Though they won’t…
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Even Bill Gates thinks AI is a little scary — Harvard Gazette
Bill Gates remembers being “a tough kid.”
“Some teachers wanted to put me ahead in school; some wanted to put me behind,” said the tech pioneer, who has noted in the past that he would likely be diagnosed on the autism spectrum if growing up today. “I exercised my IQ to give my…
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What prompts genetic adaptation? Ask a finch. — Harvard Gazette
Could a novel approach to genetic studies give us a clearer picture of how evolutionary adaptations occur? That’s what the findings of new research on a common backyard bird, the house finch, imply. A groundbreaking pangenomic study has revealed a major DNA flip that appears to have made the…
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Landmark studies track source of Indo-European languages— Harvard Gazette
A pair of landmark studies, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, has finally identified the originators of the Indo-European family of 400-plus languages, spoken today by more than 40 percent of the world’s population.
DNA evidence places them in current-day Russia during the…
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Why Did Foot Binding Become A Symbol Of Beauty In Ancient China? » ScienceABC
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Foot binding reflected social, economic, and cultural influences, transforming a physically harmful ritual into an unusual symbol of beauty.
In a small village in ancient China, a girl was born into a family that prided itself on…
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Why Did Prohibition In The US Increase Organized Crime Instead Of Reducing Alcohol Consumption? » ScienceABC
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Prohibition banned legal alcohol, creating a lucrative black market that organized crime groups exploited, significantly expanding their power.
Prohibition in the United States, a period often synonymous with the Roaring Twenties, stands…
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Harvard scientists trap molecules to perform quantum operations — Harvard Gazette
Molecules haven’t been used in quantum computing, even though they have the potential to make the ultra-high-speed experimental technology even faster. Their rich internal structures were seen as too complicated, too delicate, too unpredictable to manage, so smaller particles have been…
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Why Did The Vikings Cease Their Expeditions To North America After Establishing Early Settlements? » ScienceABC
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The Vikings stopped sending expeditions due to the unsustainable settlements, hostile relations with indigenous peoples, and climate change.
The Vikings, legendary for their seafaring prowess and exploration, stand out in history for…
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Wish you had a better memory? — Harvard Gazette
Have you ever struggled to remember somebody’s name at a party or crammed for an exam only to blank during the test? In their 2023 book “Why We Forget and How to Remember Better,” brain scientists Andrew Budson and Elizabeth Kensinger, both Harvard alums, explain how memory works and…
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