Dr. Gianalberto Losapio from the University of Lausanne and University of Milan discusses with us their recently accepted paper “Monitoring and modelling the effects of ecosystem engineers on ecosystem functioning,”…
Category: Life
Does GMO corn increase crop yields? More than 20 years of data confirm it does — and provides substantial health and safety benefits
While many studies show that genetically modified crops contribute to yield gains, GMO critics say that they don’t. Such claims, they say, are industry talking points drawn from industry-funded studies.…
Shared Interests, Shared Essence: Unraveling the Psychology of Instant Connections
Summary: New research sheds light on the similarity-attraction effect, a psychological principle that governs how we form relationships based on shared interests. The study highlight the critical role of ‘self-essentialist…
Glutamate Imbalance Impairs Hippocampus, Leading to Psychosis
Summary: A new study has found that people with a genetic risk for psychosis have an imbalance of glutamate and GABA neurotransmitters in their brains, specifically in the hippocampus. This…
Feeling Hungry? It Might Just Slow Aging
Summary: The sensation of hunger itself may slow aging. Researchers discovered that flies induced to feel hungry, either through diet or brain stimulation, lived longer. They also found that hunger…
Why some hammerhead sharks seem to ‘hold their breath’ during dives
Even fish sometimes hold their breath in cold, dark, deep water. Scalloped hammerhead sharks living near Hawaii spend their days basking in warm surface waters. But at night, these fish…
Aging in the Arctic—Insights from a study on woody shrubs – Functional Ecologists
In this new post, Jackson Drew—a PhD candidate in Alaska—presents his work ‘Age Matters: older Alnus viridis ssp. fruticosa are more sensitive to summer temperatures in the Alaskan Arctic‘. Here…
Empathy Unleashed: AI’s Personal Disclosures Boost User Acceptance
Summary: When artificial intelligence (AI) agents disclose personal information, it can boost users’ empathy towards them, thus increasing acceptance of AI technologies. The study involved online experiments where participants engaged…
Ground squirrels hibernate to avoid predation, but not at the expense of reproductive opportunities – Functional Ecologists
Austin Allison—a PhD student at Colorado State University and recent MS graduate from the University of Idaho—discusses his recently accepted paper: “Why hibernate? Tests of four hypotheses to explain intraspecific…
Viewpoint: Here’s the wacky formula used by Environmental Working Group to stoke unwarranted fears about safe chemicals
The EWG study, published in Environmental Research, is a model. Rather than actually measure serum levels of PFOs [Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid], the group merely measured the quantity of PFOs in…
