Category: Science

Nerve cells in REM sleep are as alive as they are in wakefulness | Photo Credit: Tamara Govedarovic/Unsplash A: Sleep does not mean the brain is inactive and we do hear sounds while sleeping. Sleep is a recurrent and healthy state of inertia and reduced responsiveness found among higher vertebrates. It is controlled by the…

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Some rivers split up as they flow while some others don’t. This riverine phenomenon has intrigued researchers for decades. What determines whether a river flows as a single thread or develops into a multi-threaded system? The question may sound simple but it has become a fundamental issue in river geomorphology, straddling concepts across geology, geography,…

Read More “Geographers uncover why some rivers stay single while others split” »

Something unusual has been going on in the wild. Many members of the largest species of dolphins, commonly called killer whales (Orcinus orca), have been found sharing freshly killed prey with humans. And they don’t just offer their prey: the dolphins have waited for the humans to respond. In a new study reported in the…

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Rising seas are a major consequence of global warming, with many implications for low-lying coastal areas. Coral reefs, which are highly sensitive to their environment, are also particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in sea level. When the sea level rises, sunlight may no longer penetrate the water to reach a coral reef that it could reach…

Read More “Data show seas rising faster around Maldives, Lakshadweep than believed” »

A labelled diagram of the human pelvis. | Photo Credit: Public domain Walking on two legs is the single most distinctive trait that separates humans from other primates. Unlike apes, our pelvis is short, broad, and bowl-shaped, and thus stable for walking upright while supporting internal organs and holding space to deliver large-headed infants. For…

Read More “Ancient humans evolved to walk on two legs in two steps” »

The Jinshajiang River ravine in Yunnan province in China, November 2018. | Photo Credit: Rod Waddington (CC BY-SA) A range of natural and human-induced factors have caused declines in the flows of at least 70% of hydrological stations in China, the most comprehensive analysis of this kind attempted in the country has found. Changes in…

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Plastic is cheap, versatile, and used almost everywhere, from packaging and textiles to medical supplies. But unlike natural materials, plastic doesn’t simply decay; instead, it breaks down into smaller fragments called microplastics (<5 mm) and nanoplastics (<1 µm). These particles persist for decades or longer, accumulate in water bodies, and attract other pollutants like heavy…

Read More “Microbes that digest plastic may also fuel antibiotic resistance” »