New findings from theoretical computer science — ScienceDaily

We are fascinated by machines that can control cars, compose symphonies, or defeat people at chess, Go, or Jeopardy! While more progress is being made all the time in Artificial Intelligence (AI), some scientists and philosophers warn of the dangers of an uncontrollable superintelligent AI. Using theoretical calculations, an international team of researchers, including scientists […]
Findings illuminate biology behind promising hypoimmune platform for regenerative medicine — ScienceDaily

UC San Francisco scientists have discovered a new way to control the immune system’s “natural killer” (NK) cells, a finding with implications for novel cell therapies and tissue implants that can evade immune rejection. The findings could also be used to enhance the ability of cancer immunotherapies to detect and destroy lurking tumors. The study, […]
10 huge black hole findings from 2020

Physicists are currently in a golden age of new knowledge about black holes. Since 2015, researchers have been able to get signals directly from merging black holes using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), while observatories like the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) have produced the first image of a black hole’s shadow. This year was […]
The 10 coolest dinosaur findings of 2020

Dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago, but we’re still learning their secrets. Here are 10 mind-blowing dino discoveries, including newly described species, an analysis of soft-shelled dinosaur eggs and takedowns of speculative species. 1. Spinosaurus could swim Two Spinosaurus hunt Onchopristis, a prehistoric sawfish, in the waters of the Kem Kem river system in […]
Extraterrestrial evidence: 10 incredible findings about aliens from 2020

Here on the little space rock we call Earth, humans often wonder whether or not we are alone in this universe. Though that question was not answered in 2020, many discoveries seemed to increase the prospect of extraterrestrial entities existing. Findings on the closest planet to us, in the outer solar system and the far […]
Findings also suggest less-than-expected transfer of maternal SARS-CoV-2 antibodies through placenta — ScienceDaily

Pregnant women who are infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, during the third trimester are unlikely to pass the infection to their newborns, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study followed 127 pregnant women who were admitted to Boston hospitals during the spring of 2020. Among the 64 […]
Findings could inform management practices aimed at conserving wild bee populations — ScienceDaily

Bumble bees found in low-quality landscapes — characterized by a relative lack of spring flowers and quality nesting habitat — had higher levels of disease pathogens, as did bumble bees in areas with higher numbers of managed honey bee hives, according to research led by Penn State scientists. The results of the study, which examined […]
The findings have important implications to better protect this endangered species — ScienceDaily

A new collaborative study lead by scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found evidence of growing numbers of critically endangered smalltooth sawfish within coastal waters off Miami, Florida, an area where the regular presence of this rare species had […]
Findings support views that maintaining lifelong heart health behaviors could reduce dementia risk — ScienceDaily

A long-term study of 1,449 people in Finland found that those who had better scores on standard metrics of cardiovascular health in midlife, especially for behavioral factors such as smoking, had a lower risk of dementia later in life. Yajun Liang of Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access […]
New geological findings from eastern Fennoscandia add new dimensions to the history of European ice

IMAGE: Map showing the localities in NW Europe and Fennoscandia where deposits representing the different warm intervals during the last 420,000 years of Ice Age are preserved. The grey ellipsoid indicates… view more Credit: Matti Räsänen In Finland, the majority of the glacial and warm interval records have been interpreted to represent only the last, Weichselian, […]