research

Atomic clocks are nothing new, these timepieces have been around for many years. Scientists working on experimental atomic clocks at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have reported three new performance records for their clocks. The team says that the clocks have improved accuracy enough that not only are they going to improve timekeeping and navigation, but they may be sensitive enough to detect faint signals from gravity, the early universe, and dark matter.

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Researchers have published the results of a new study that shows that breeding between Neanderthal and early humans was much more common than previously believed. Early humans and Neanderthal lived together for about 30,000 years and were certain to have had frequent contact in that span. Previously, researchers found that at least one pairing of a Neanderthal and an early human resulted in an offspring, that fact is reflected in the DNA of modern humans.

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It's almost like Prometheus was prophesying the findings published today. In the film, researchers discover the same set of symbols depicting a single star constellation in multiple (newly discovered) ancient caves across the planet. In today's study, researchers analyzed already-known archeological sites, finding a set of symbols representing an array of constellations that track to our night sky today.

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A Chinese scientist called He Jiankui claims to have used a gene-editing tool called CRISPR to modify the genetic material of twin baby girls born this month in China. Gene editing of this sort is banned in the US due to fear of the DNA changes being passed to future generations with the risk of harm to other genes. Some have denounced the researcher for human experimentation and claim that this sort of practice is too unsafe to try.

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NASA scientists have discovered the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria on the International Space Station. The bacteria strains were found in the ISS's exercise area and toilet, according to a new study, though they aren't likely to harm the humans onboard. The bacterium Enterobacter's presence on the ISS is worrisome to officials, however, as a pathogenic variety could put the astronauts at risk.

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A group of scientists has come up with a plan to stop global warming that doesn't involve cutting back on our emissions or being green. This plan involves dimming the sun by spewing sulfates into the lower stratosphere. What could go wrong?

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Scientists around the world are working on solutions that will help people who have paralysis to lead a more normal life. With the popularity of smartphones and tablets, one of the routine tasks that most of us take for granted is being able to control tablets and smartphones. For those with paralysis, controlling electronic devices is often impossible.

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A new study warns that demand for insulin to treat type 2 diabetes may increase more than 20-percent by 2030, but that half of patients around the world may be unable to get the treatment. The medication is vital for many diabetics who may otherwise suffer severe health consequences due to the health condition.

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Now that Stanford's made a glove for robots so that they might have a sense of touch, what's next? It's not a great time to hand a robot a sharp metal object, of that you can be sure. A paper was published this week in the scientific journal Science Robotics by chemical engineer Zhenan Bao and her team on what makes this robot hand work.

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A historian and archaeologist by the name of Michael McCormick recently recounted some of the worst years to be alive. Reasons for these three worst years ever are owed largely to pollution, famine, and disease. These years do not take war into consideration - just the overall quality of life during world-changing events for humans across most of the world. All of the top 3 worst years to be alive happened in AD, or CE, whichever you'd like to use. These are within the last 2,018 years, and not before.

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MIT engineers have created the first aircraft that is capable of flying despite not having any moving parts. Rather than using fossil fuels, the new aircraft is powered by ionic wind, according to the institute, which says the vehicle is completely silent and lightweight. Unlike planes and drones, this aircraft doesn't produce any emissions.

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A set of scientists in Australia studied a group of wombats that'd been run over by cars. The study, done exclusively on the digestive tracks of wombats "that has been euthanized following motor vehicle collisions" aimed to discover the truth behind a mysterious natural secret that'd plagued the minds of many for time uncounted. They wanted to know how and/or why wombat poop comes out in cubes.

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