New research finds three alternative answers beyond errors in handler or dog training that can explain why dogs trained to identify scat for conservation purposes sometimes collect non-target scats.
Viruses under the microscope
Human herpesviruses such as HHV-6 can remain dormant in cells for many years without being noticed. When reactivated, they can cause serious clinical conditions. Researchers have now found a way of differentiating between active and inactive viruses.
The walking dead: Fossils on the move can distort patterns of mass extinctions
Using the fossil record to accurately estimate the timing and pace of past mass extinctions is no easy task, and a new study highlights how fossil evidence can produce a misleading picture if not interpreted with care.
World speed record for polymer simulations shattered by over a hundred-fold
By analogy to linear polymers, which reptate with a random walk embedded in a 3D network, we show that star polymers relax by a random walk in a 5D network.
A Decade-Old Attack Can Break the Encryption of Most PCs
The computer industry thought cold boot hacks were solved 10 years ago. Researchers have proven that’s not the case.
Why Big Tech and the Government Need to Work Together
Opinion: Former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter argues for cooperation between tech workers and the DoD
Give Sandra Oh the Emmy, but ‘Killing Eve’ Deserved More Nominations
The BBC America show was easily the most revolutionary of 2018—and it deserves more recognition.
Dietary fiber reduces brain inflammation during aging
As mammals age, immune cells in the brain known as microglia become chronically inflamed. In this state, they produce chemicals known to impair cognitive and motor function. That’s one explanation for why memory fades and other brain functions decline during old age. But, according to a new study, there may be a remedy to delay the inevitable: dietary fiber.
*Spider-Man* Story: There Are Two Sides to Every Memetic Breakup
Just ask the people who got all excited about the marriage proposal hidden in Insomniac’s new PS4 game.
Jeff Bezos is going to create schools where ‘the child is the customer’
A year after asking for suggestions on philanthropy, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is unveiling his first projects. The highlight will be the creation of a network for nonprofit preschools that are to be built in low-income communities and accept students at no charge.
Bezos also intends to fund existing nonprofits that help homeless families by providing access to housing and food. Both initiatives will be overseen by something he’s calling the Bezos Day One Fund, which he’s committing $2 billion toward.
Each of the initiatives will have a specific group behind it: the Day 1 Families Fund and the Day 1 Academies Fund. The Families Fund will issue grants on a yearly basis to organizations doing “needle-moving work.” The Academies Fund will…