What's more appetizing than a mouthful of fluffy feathers? Not much, apparently, for a rare type of arthropod from the planet's remote past.That's because around 105 million years ago, ancient beetles fed on the feathers of the dinosaurs. In fact, fossilized remains trapped in amber recently revealed this relationship between the arthropods and the theropods, according to a paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.(Credit: CN IGME-CSIC) The larval molts of the beetles w ...read more
Recently, Kobi Gal, an AI researcher at Ben-Gurion University and the University of Edinburgh, asked GPT4 to generate messages for SciStarter, based on self-determination theory (the motivation behind people's choices). Kobi and his team created an AI-powered recommendation system for SciStarter as described here, here, and here.And here are the motivation messages from GPT4 based on Self-Determination Theory to motivate SciStarter.org volunteers:Autonomy: "As a SciStarter.org volunteer, you ha ...read more
Just minutes into his latest six-part docuseries The End is Nye, Bill Nye gets drenched in a rainstorm. Later on, a hurricane sends him hurtling into a car’s windshield. In a later episode, he explodes in a fiery inferno after being struck by debris from a wayward comet. Don’t worry: Nye, the science educator and engineer who became a household name in the 90’s thanks to his much-loved Bill Nye the Science Guy show, meets his (fictional) demise in every single episode. In a recent intervie ...read more
Decades of conflicting reports seem to have finally resolved into a clear, buzz-killing picture, while yet another study confirms it: No amount of alcohol consumption will protect against disease or extend your lifespan, according to a sweeping review published in late March.The meta-analysis, printed in the Journal of the American Medical Association, draws on more than a hundred studies involving nearly 5 million people.The researchers found that just 25 grams a day for women and 45 for men †...read more
Vacationing somewhere far from home is always fun — but traveling there via plane can be a real lesson in self-discipline. Hours upon hours in a cramped, confined space with low air pressure and low humidity can bring on discomforts ranging from headache to dehydration. No surprises there.But even after stepping off the plane, your troubles may be only beginning. While the symptoms of travel fatigue fade fairly quickly, the icky feelings that accompany jet lag — irritability, indigestion, sl ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine
