Jianguo Gu, Ph.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has now unraveled how the sensory information is processed in the Merkel discs and further conveyed to the ending of a sensory nerve, the start of its journey to...
This image shows the four-celled stomata found in grasses, featuring two dumbbell-shaped guard cells surrounded by two subsidiary cells. Scientists attribute the tremendous success of grasses to this valve structure, which is capable of more-sensitive and precise responsiveness to...
Melting ice. The seemingly simple process of phase changes -- those transitions between states of matter -- is more complex than previously known.
Credit: © shefkate / Fotolia
The seemingly simple process of phase changes -- those transitions between states of...
A rigorous and comprehensive meta-analysis of data collected between 1973 and 2011 finds that among men from Western countries, sperm concentration declined by more than 50%, with no evidence of a 'leveling off' in recent years. These findings strongly...
Having a glass of wine.
Credit: © WavebreakmediaMicro / Fotolia
Drinking alcohol improves memory for information learned before the drinking episode began, new research suggests.
In the University of Exeter study, 88 social drinkers were given a word-learning task. Participants were...
Some mice and rats employ a whistle-like mechanism.
Credit: © allocricetulus / Fotolia
Grasshopper mice (genus Onychomys), rodents known for their remarkably loud call, produce audible vocalizations in the same way that humans speak and wolves howl, according to new research...
Participants in the PES program receiving their payments for conserving trees.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust
A new Northwestern University study suggests that paying people to conserve their trees could be a highly cost-effective way to...
Working principle of a molecular pulley binder.
Credit: KAIST
Silicon anodes are receiving a great deal of attention from the battery community. They can deliver 3~5-times higher capacities compared with those using current graphite anodes in lithium ion batteries. A higher...
This is an infographic on plastic pollution.
Credit: Janet A Beckley
Humans have created 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics since large-scale production of the synthetic materials began in the early 1950s, and most of it now resides in landfills or...
Bats (stock image).
Credit: © ArtThailand / Fotolia
Like many predators, the fringe-lipped bat primarily uses its hearing to find its prey, but with human-generated noise on the rise, scientists are examining how bats and other animals might adapt to find...
A study of how MIT students used the cryptocurrency Bitcoin shows that delaying access for tech-savvy early adopters can stifle the spread of new products.
Credit: Christine Daniloff/MIT
Giving early adopters the first access to new technologies can help diffuse those...
