Tighter regulations of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers are necessary to stop the spread of misinformation about vaccines, according to a new paper. Researchers have examined 330 websites of CAM providers in Alberta and BC, to evaluate how these practitioners may be contributing to the anti-vaccination sentiment among their patients. Their findings showed that […]
Fundamental research is failing in Canada: survey 
The number of scientists investigating basic-science questions in Canada has dropped by nearly 20%, a new survey reports. Reasons for the drop include decreased funding and institutional preference for applied research over fundamental research. Over 1,300 Canadian researchers took part in an online survey that asked them to share their views on the state of […]
The cycle of mercury pollution in the Arctic tundra
Human activity has been a major source of mercury pollution in the Arctic, and a new study has identified the form most often taken by the pollutant: gaseous elemental mercury (GEM). The News & Views article discusses how the Arctic tundra acts as a major sink for mercury, as the local plants uptake GEM from the […]
Porcupine study reveals how populations change with predation and foraging
Investigation of predator-prey relationships in a changing environment is an important way to track changes to local ecosystems. A new investigation takes a look at the effects of both top-down (predation-driven) and bottom-up (food and foraging-dependent) systems in predator-prey dynamics. The research team tracked a population of porcupines in Wisconsin, US, over a period of 14-year […]
Asynchronized sleep schedules and earlier bedtimes among the elderly could be an ancient survival mechanism
An anthropological study of modern hunter-gatherers in Tanzania suggests that the difference in sleep schedules may be an age-old survival mechanism. The team observed daily lives of a modern hunter-gatherer community of the Hadza people in Northern Tanzania. After a day of procuring food, the Hadza, the young and old alike, gather to sleep in […]
Oil and gas infrastructures increase the number of brood parasitism among grassland songbirds
We’re only beginning to find out all the ways in which industrial activity disrupts the ecosystem, and a new bird study gives yet another example of the unexpected ways in which human activity affects the local fauna. Researchers found that the presence of oil and natural gas infrastructure—such as fences, power lines, and transmitters around […]
Multicoloured photons springboard information storage into a quantum leap
Researchers demonstrate how light particles—photons—can become a powerful quantum resource when generated on a photonic chip in the form of colour-entangled quDits. Unlike a qubit, which is a mechanical system with only two states (the classic example being 0 and 1), quDits can have multiple quantum states: for example, a high-dimensional photon can be red and yellow and green and blue […]
A rare look at the potential effects of climate change on terrestrial species in Antarctica
Much research has been dedicated to studying the effects of climate change and global warming on the Antarctic ice sheet and sea levels; but the same can’t be said about the ice-free parts of the region, which cover less than 1% of the continent. Researchers modelled the potential effect of climate change under two Intergovernmental […]
GPS-like data can be used to help predict volcanic eruptions
Scientists are learning to use satellite imaging and mathematical calculations to better predict volcanic activity. Modern satellite technologies, similar to GPS, can now track the ground movements that happen as magma shifts beneath the Earth’s surface. A team of geoscientists are pioneering the use of a process called data assimilation, which incorporates new measurements with […]
There’s a difference between how younger and older people listen to speech-like sounds
Hearing analysis reveals differences in perception of speech-like noises among younger versus older people. A new study suggests that people in different age groups use two distinctive techniques to filter out noise and focus on auditory signals resembling human speech. When younger people listen to these sounds, their brains naturally synchronize to the rhythm, and […]
Concussion protocols not followed in majority of cases at World Cup 2014
In over 60 cases of head collisions at the World Cup 2014, proper concussion assessment protocols were not followed, a new study concluded. Researchers reviewed video footage of 64 matches, identifying 72 head collisions affecting 81 players—far more than the 19 head injuries reported by team physicians to FIFA. The researchers then recorded the number of […]
Fracking byproducts contaminate lakewater with radioactive and carcinogenic chemicals
Results of a new study show that there’s still much to be improved when it comes to the treatment of the byproducts of hydraulic fracturing, which has become a popular method of oil and gas extraction in US and Canada over the past decade. Researchers sampled sediments and porewaters from a lake downstream from two […]
Special carbon compounds in Bobolink bird feathers contain information about their diet
You are what you eat; and in the case of a tiny migratory grassland bird, the Bobolink, their contain the secrets to what they eat. Information stored within the Bobolink’s plumage can also help with the efforts to protect the declining species. Researchers have found that carbon compounds from the elusive winter diet—what the Bobolink eats […]
Material for flexible electronics created by mimicking plant properties
For the first time ever, scientists have a lead on creating an aerogel that is lightweight, resilient, and flexible enough to bend. The graphene-based aerogel mimics the structure of Thalia dealbata, or the powdery alligator-flag: a strong, lean plant that can withstand harsh winds. This kind of aerogel can be used in creating bendable screens for tablets or smartphones, […]
Immune cells that go from helpful to harmful under the influence of toxins
A certain type of immune cell, which normally helps the body recover by fighting off infection, can bring about a disproportionately aggressive response and do more damage than the original pathogens. Such is the case with toxic shock syndrome, which is not brought about directly by bacteria or toxins, but rather by inflammation triggered by the […]
Human voices scare off mountain lions, disrupting mealtimes
New study of mountain lion behavior suggests that the big cats don’t like their encounters with humans any more than we do. Researchers studied the behavior of pumas in the Santa Cruz Mountains to see how the animals react to the sound of human voices. The team placed audio equipment at the puma kill sites; […]
