Science News

Researchers have shown that it is possible to train artificial neural networks directly on an optical chip. The significant breakthrough demonstrates that an optical circuit can perform a critical function of an electron...

A new study reveals a single neuron is capable of encoding information from two different sounds by switching between signals associated with one sound to that of the other.

A new study reports when certain brain areas react more strongly to food rewards than financial rewards, children are more likely to overeat, even if they are not hungry or overweight.

HHMI researchers used electronic microscopy technology to generate a high resolution digital snapshot of the adult fruit fly brain.

Researchers have successfully restored the ability to walk in mice paralyzed as a result of spinal cord injuries with the help of a small molecular compound.

Researchers report rats exposed to phthalates, both while in the womb and through lactation, had fewer neurons and synapses than peers who were not exposed to the plasticizing chemicals. Additionally, the phthalate expos...

Researchers report, contrary to popular belief, Adderall and other ADHD drugs do not improve cognition in healthy college students. Instead, they may impair cognitive function.

Metallic glasses--alloys lacking the crystalline structure normally found in metals--are an exciting research target for tantalizing applications, including artificial joints and other medical implant devices. However, t...

The decision to label our current geological phase the Meghalayan rather than the Anthropocene is misguided, say Mark Maslin and Simon Lewis

Saturn's moon Titan is shrouded in a thick orange haze, but 13 years of data from the Cassini spacecraft have allowed us to peer through to the frozen surface

Women who have given birth to five or more children are 71% more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those who had fewer children, a new study reports. Additionally, those who experience incomplete pregnancies are...

Increasing blood sugar levels in those over 60 helps improve memory and performance, a new study reports.

A new study reports radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure from cell phones over a year may have negative effects of memory performance in teens.

Barnacle geese are accelerating their migration journeys and taking fewer rest stops along the way to cope with early Arctic springs caused by a warming climate

Did DNA analysis of an "alien" mummy violate legal and ethical boundaries?

Nothing accelerates technological innovation like cash. Lots and lots of cash. More bucks means more Buck Rogers. More cash means more people building, experimenting, failing, and eventually driving breakthroughs. In Dec...

IN DECEMBER 1989 Guido van Rossum, a Dutch computer scientist, set himself a Christmas project. Irked by shortcomings in other programming languages, he wanted to build his own. His principles were simple. First, it shou...

OK Blofeld. I'm coming after you UNUSUAL aircraft are a regular sight at the Farnborough air show, which opened in Britain this week. But the particular unusualness of the Liberty is not so much that it is a flying car, ...

Crumbs! ABSENCE of evidence is not evidence of absence. The value of that aphorism has just been shown by a discovery made at Qa' Shubayqa, in north-eastern Jordan. Amaia Arranz-Otaegui of the University of Copenhagen an...

Leader of the pack THAT predators often hunt in packs is a commonplace. Wolves do it. Killer whales do it. Even Velociraptor, a species of dinosaur made famous by "Jurassic Park", is believed to have done it. These are, ...

A GREAT deal rides on the accuracy of the gene-editing tool known as CRISPR-Cas9. Since its discovery in 2012 it has become popular for tinkering with genomes of all kinds, thanks to its ability to make editing cheap and...

There is no doubt that our ancient cousins used fire but we've only just found clues that reveal how they lit these fires