This week’s freezing temperatures may have temporarily re-enforced climate specticism, while heat waves, on the other hand, increase belief in global warming. A team of climate scientists and psychologists found out that the explanation is the phenomenon of attribute substitution, whereby people prefer to use less relevant but more easily available information (such as today’s […]
Category: Paper of Interest
Caffeine may enhance memory consolidation
Studying for that big exam? A new study found that taking 200 mg caffeine-pills one hour after – not before – a learning session improved memory performance the following day. Over 100 healthy people particpated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, but the mechanisms that explain this effect are still unclear.
Can GPS help predict volcanic eruptions?
Like Eyjafjallajökull before it, the Icelandic volcano Grímsvötn delayed air traffic across Europe in May 2011. During its eruption, scientists used GPS equipment to monitor the deformation of the ground on its slopes. In a new paper, they describe how this deformation corresponds to the height of the ash plume ejected, and could be used […]
Chlorine gas in the Arctic 
Scientists measuring atmospheric gases in Alaska have detected surprisingly high levels of chlorine gas (Cl2) – up to 400 parts per trillion. The gas likely results from a light-driven chemical reaction between ground-level ozone and chloride salts in snow and ice. The resulting gas and its breakdown products can have a profound effect on the […]
8 million lives saved due to tobacco control in the US
Researchers estimate that since 1964, the implementation of tobacco control in the US has prevented 8 million deaths. In the meantime, 17.7 million people died of smoking-attributable causes. Fifty years ago, in January 1964, the US surgeon general published the first American report on smoking and health which launched tobacco control as a public health […]
‘Living fossil’ genome provides a window on immune system evolution
Elephant sharks – also known as Australian ghost sharks – shared a common ancestor with humans about 450 million years ago, and have changed very little since. This week, the elephant shark genome was sequenced and found to evolve more slowly than any other known vertebrate. The data provides important insights into how modern traits […]
What colour were ancient reptiles?
To the chagrin of dinosaur fans everywhere, skin colour generally doesn’t survive fossilization. But a new analysis of fossilized skin from three ancient sea-going reptiles – an icthyosaur, a mosasaur and a sea turtle – may have changed that by providing strong chemical evidence of the pigment melanin. Interestingly, the icthyosaur appears to have been […]
Climate change could affect microbes too
Saccharomyces paradoxus is a tree fungus closely related to the yeast used to make bread and beer. A new genetic mapping study shows that samples of S. paradoxus taken from across eastern North America are genetically distinct from each other, and that each grows best in the conditions that match its native habitat. This suggest […]
Why do prairie dogs do ‘the wave’?
When one prairie dog in a colony does a “jump-yip” display, the rest respond contagiously, like sports fans doing ‘the wave.’ However the purpose of this behaviour has been debated. New research shows that prairie dogs that start the wave adjust their behaviour based on how many responses they get and how delayed those responses […]
Sea lice have unexpected effect on chum salmon
Fisheries data from British Columbia show that when sea lice infest populations of pink and coho salmon, their productivity suffers. Surprisingly, this correlation is not present for chum salmon, which are less popular among predators. A new study uses mathematical models to explore one possible explanation: by slowing down all species, sea lice provide predators […]
Migratory birds don’t track weather
Why do birds fly south in the winter? It’s not to escape the cold: a new study shows that migratory birds actually experience a wide range of climates over the course of the year despite their long journeys. The authors suggest that the relative lack of species diversity in places like Canada is not because […]
Why do we take our medical advice from celebrities?
When it comes to medicine, the power of persuasion exerted by celebrities can be used for good (e.g. raising money for disease research) or ill (e.g. promoting dubious treatments.) A new review study explores the many reasons why we follow celebrity advice, including classical conditioning, herd mentality, a desire to raise one’s own social status […]
Parasitic wasps fight cabbage pests
The larvae of the invasive Diamondback Moth are a major pest of garden plants like cabbage and broccoli and have become resistant to many pesticides. One alternative is biological control: parasitic wasps lay eggs in the caterpillars which hatch into larvae that devour the caterpillars from the inside. A new paper by a Canadian high […]
Women underrepresented in scientific publications
A new analysis of thousands of papers published between 2008 and 2012 shows that women are still underrepresented in authorship of scientific papers. Women account for less 30% of authorships, and articles with women as a dominant author receive fewer citations. The researchers also found that Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Quebec were the Canadian provinces […]
Mating has costs for male ladybugs
The toll of raising young on females is well-documented, but a new study looks at the less well-understood costs mating poses to males. Males of the two-spot ladybird beetle (Adalia bipunctata) who had mated had 53% shorter life spans than those who hadn’t. As well, males who produced a spermatophore – a capsule containing sperm […]
Science: Popular on Twitter
Scientists normally use the number of citations to rank the impact of a scientific paper, but can popularity on Twitter form another metric? Researchers looked at over 1.4 million peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2012 and determined how many times they were tweeted. They found that articles on health topics were tweeted the most, […]