Competition Can Kill Creativity; “Hyperselection” Makes the World Pleasant but Boring

Freddie Mercury

Do anything you want with my music, but never make me boring!  Days before his death, Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen, reportedly said this to his manager. Twenty-five years later, Queen’s musical legacy lives on, his wish fulfilled. Still, it’s hard to imagine a six-minute song like “Bohemian Rhapsody” […]

Competition Can Kill Creativity; “Hyperselection” Makes the World Pleasant but Boring Read More »

Do anything you want with my music, but never make me boring!  Days before his death, Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen, reportedly said this to his manager. Twenty-five years later, Queen’s musical legacy lives on, his wish fulfilled. Still, it’s hard to imagine a six-minute song like “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Learning without a brain – how bacteria store memories and remember the past like artificial neural networks

E. coli uses

Learning is often thought to require a brain. But learning is a broad concept that does not necessarily depend on neurons. If an organism uses information from past experiences to shape its future decisions, it is also learning. Research from my lab, published in the journal PRX Life, shows that

Learning without a brain – how bacteria store memories and remember the past like artificial neural networks Read More »

Learning is often thought to require a brain. But learning is a broad concept that does not necessarily depend on neurons. If an organism uses information from past experiences to shape its future decisions, it is also learning. Research from my lab, published in the journal PRX Life, shows that

No Consensus on Droughts at COP17 Amidst Puerto Rico’s Missing Wet Season

river ends

The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) took place in Mongolia, a country plagued by desertification, droughts, and dzud winters—severe periods of heavy snow and harsh, cold weather, followed by summer drought. Millions of farm animals die of cold and starvation, leaving a scarring impact on Mongolian herders, who constitute

No Consensus on Droughts at COP17 Amidst Puerto Rico’s Missing Wet Season Read More »

The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) took place in Mongolia, a country plagued by desertification, droughts, and dzud winters—severe periods of heavy snow and harsh, cold weather, followed by summer drought. Millions of farm animals die of cold and starvation, leaving a scarring impact on Mongolian herders, who constitute

“Free-To-Play” Video Games More Akin to Gambling, Research Suggests

Scommesse

The fun in video games used to be in mastering and finishing them. However, the definition of fun in the gaming world has changed from skills to ‘skins’—custom designs and wearables inside a game that can be purchased with money. Many of the modern games are also “free-to-play”, but there

“Free-To-Play” Video Games More Akin to Gambling, Research Suggests Read More »

The fun in video games used to be in mastering and finishing them. However, the definition of fun in the gaming world has changed from skills to ‘skins’—custom designs and wearables inside a game that can be purchased with money. Many of the modern games are also “free-to-play”, but there

How Probability Shapes the Choices We Make Every Day

Mindset Over Matter

The matter of “probability” is something we came to associate with classrooms, scientific research, gambling, and other activities. But how many times have you found yourself waiting for a bus, only to see two of them arrive at the same time? Probabilities are a result of circumstances that can lead

How Probability Shapes the Choices We Make Every Day Read More »

The matter of “probability” is something we came to associate with classrooms, scientific research, gambling, and other activities. But how many times have you found yourself waiting for a bus, only to see two of them arrive at the same time? Probabilities are a result of circumstances that can lead

Not All Mosquitoes Prefer You— Their Interest Depends on Your Skin Chemistry

Aedes

When Edward O. Wilson, a champion of conservation and a renowned entomologist, calls for eradicating mosquitoes and is willing to take on the role of an executioner, there must be very little doubt about how dangerous these tiny insects can be. Nearly a million die from diseases carried through mosquito

Not All Mosquitoes Prefer You— Their Interest Depends on Your Skin Chemistry Read More »

When Edward O. Wilson, a champion of conservation and a renowned entomologist, calls for eradicating mosquitoes and is willing to take on the role of an executioner, there must be very little doubt about how dangerous these tiny insects can be. Nearly a million die from diseases carried through mosquito

Myopia Might be Tied to the Absence of a Color in Indoor Lighting

Kid with big glasses

The post-COVID lifestyle has been vastly different from that of previous generations. Buying groceries and consumer products is a click away, and a lot of work can be done while perched on the couch. A study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Planning Association reports that people spend

Myopia Might be Tied to the Absence of a Color in Indoor Lighting Read More »

The post-COVID lifestyle has been vastly different from that of previous generations. Buying groceries and consumer products is a click away, and a lot of work can be done while perched on the couch. A study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Planning Association reports that people spend

What are the ELISA Immunoassay Kit Components and Functions in Diabetes Research?

ELISA

Our body relies on glucose for energy. Usually, the pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that helps glucose move from the bloodstream into cells. However, when the body is unable to produce enough insulin, blood glucose levels become high. This condition is known as diabetes.  There are three types of diabetes:

What are the ELISA Immunoassay Kit Components and Functions in Diabetes Research? Read More »

Our body relies on glucose for energy. Usually, the pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that helps glucose move from the bloodstream into cells. However, when the body is unable to produce enough insulin, blood glucose levels become high. This condition is known as diabetes.  There are three types of diabetes:

First mRNA flu shot approved by FDA bodes well for improving drugs of the future – though a few hurdles remain before mRNA can move beyond vaccines

First mRNA flu shot approved by FDA bodes well for improving drugs of the future – though a few hurdles remain before mRNA can move beyond vaccines

Two hurdles mRNA drugs face are a short half-life and impurities that trigger immune responses. Christoph Burgstedt/Science Photo Library via Getty Images Li Li, UMass Chan Medical School Vaccines have been reliably and affordably protecting people from diseases worldwide for centuries. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, however, vaccine development was still

First mRNA flu shot approved by FDA bodes well for improving drugs of the future – though a few hurdles remain before mRNA can move beyond vaccines Read More »

Two hurdles mRNA drugs face are a short half-life and impurities that trigger immune responses. Christoph Burgstedt/Science Photo Library via Getty Images Li Li, UMass Chan Medical School Vaccines have been reliably and affordably protecting people from diseases worldwide for centuries. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, however, vaccine development was still

Illegal Mummy Trade is a Risky Affair: The Mummy’s Curse or Fungus?

Ramses

The mummy’s curse is more likely to be biological than supernatural. A growing trend of buying and selling mummified human remains exposes collectors and postal services to dormant microorganisms and toxic materials. Research into the covert trade of centuries-old embalmed human parts like hands, feet, and heads reports the issue

Illegal Mummy Trade is a Risky Affair: The Mummy’s Curse or Fungus? Read More »

The mummy’s curse is more likely to be biological than supernatural. A growing trend of buying and selling mummified human remains exposes collectors and postal services to dormant microorganisms and toxic materials. Research into the covert trade of centuries-old embalmed human parts like hands, feet, and heads reports the issue

Never Again, EpiPen: Fecal Transplant Treats Nut Allergy in Six People

Adrenalina autoinyector10

It takes a few minutes for anaphylaxis to set in, and a quarter to half an hour to kill you if left untreated. Anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction that rapidly leads to a severe drop in blood pressure and constricts the airway. Insect stings, any medication, and even peanuts can

Never Again, EpiPen: Fecal Transplant Treats Nut Allergy in Six People Read More »

It takes a few minutes for anaphylaxis to set in, and a quarter to half an hour to kill you if left untreated. Anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction that rapidly leads to a severe drop in blood pressure and constricts the airway. Insect stings, any medication, and even peanuts can

This Cancer-Causing Virus Infects 80% of Americans at Least Once. A Chewing Gum Can Fix That

chewing

While cancer itself is not contagious, the risk of contracting infections that lead to cancer later is fairly common. Some cancers begin in the tissues lining the mouth and throat, such as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). These are often associated with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) or some bacterial

This Cancer-Causing Virus Infects 80% of Americans at Least Once. A Chewing Gum Can Fix That Read More »

While cancer itself is not contagious, the risk of contracting infections that lead to cancer later is fairly common. Some cancers begin in the tissues lining the mouth and throat, such as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). These are often associated with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) or some bacterial

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