Subterranean mosquitoes specialized for life in subways and sewers first evolved to pester humans millennia ago in Mediterranean civilizations. A widely accepted story about the mosquitoes’ evolution put their origins…
Category: Life
Which venomous snakes strike the fastest?
Some vipers are the sprinters of snakes. Vipers wielded the fastest attacks in a comparison of 36 venomous snakes from three families, researchers report October 23 in Journal of Experimental…
GLP podcast: Are science journals corrupt? Dr. Kevin Folta examines the ‘replication crisis’
The science community faces an existential crisis as thousands of studies are retracted and dozens of peer-reviewed journals are forced to close their doors after publishing fraudulent and low-quality research.…
Ketamine Fails to Outperform Placebo in Major Depression Trial
Summary: A large randomized and blinded clinical trial has found no additional benefit of repeated ketamine infusions over standard inpatient care for treating major depression. The study compared ketamine with…
Scientists and fishers have teamed up to find a way to save manta rays
The vessel rolled in the swell as fishers pulled huge nets bursting with tuna onto the deck then poured the catch down a loading hatch. But Melissa Cronin wasn’t there…
Hearing Voices May Stem from the Brain Misreading Its Own Inner Speech
Summary: A new study reveals that auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia may arise when the brain fails to recognize its own inner voice as self-generated. Normally, the brain predicts the sound…
When a Hug Turns Dark: How Manipulative Partners Use Touch
Summary: Touch can strengthen bonds and calm stress, but not all affection is sincere. A new study reveals that people with “dark triad” traits—narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism—often use physical touch…
Guppies fall for optical illusion. Doves typically do not.
Duping a guppy is easier than duping a ring dove — at least when it comes to a classic optical illusion. In the Ebbinghaus illusion, two identical circles placed side…
Vaccine rejectionism spurring continued surge in U.S. measles cases
Nearly two months after a deadly, massive measles outbreak in Texas was declared over, the highly contagious disease continues to spread across the country. The U.S. has now confirmed 1,596 cases this year, according…
