Music is usually considered as a universal art form. It is found in virtually all human cultures and its use is associated with many different human tasks, from the most sacred to the most profane. Its elusive nature has haunted thinkers for millennia. Aristotle, Plato and Pythagoras, among others, devoted much of their time to […]
Rabies is a fatal viral disease largely transmitted to humans by infected animals—predominantly from domestic dogs. The contagion is usually through the saliva from rabid animals. The disease is entirely preventable through prompt administration of post-exposure prophylaxis to bite victims and can be controlled through widely applied vaccination of domestic dogs. Yet, rabies is still […]
Humanities & Social Sciences • Science • Technology • Weekly Selection
Canyons on Titan carved by rivers of methane Canyons on Saturn’s moon Titan were carved by rivers of methane in much the same way that water carved the Grand Canyon on Earth. Scientists examined radar images taken by the Cassini space probe and say that some liquid hydrocarbons may still exist in Titan’s canyons. The […]
Luthiers still use Chladni figures in the design and construction of acoustic instruments such as violins, guitars, and cellos. The technique invented by the German physicist and musician Ernst Chladni (1756–1827) shows the modes of vibration under forcing. The backplate of the instrument is covered with flour or sand, and bowed until it reached resonance […]
In previous posts, we have reviewed the different loopholes of Bell experiments. To make a long story short, entanglement experiments are based on measuring some magnitudes in two quantum systems, calculating a value based on the outcomes of these measurements, and if this value goes beyond a certain threshold we can say that the universe […]
Humanities & Social Sciences • Science • Technology • Weekly Selection
Evidence of ancient flood uncovered in China Scientists have uncovered evidence that the myth that an enormous flood spawned China’s Xia dynasty isn’t just legend. Geologists, historians and archaeologists worked together to determine a massive flood occurred around 1,922 B.C., around the time Emperor Yu is said to have founded civilization in China. The Washington […]
The human microbiota is the community of microorganisms that resides in our body. They are found in a number of organs and biofluids, including the skin, mammary glands, placenta, seminal fluid, uterus, ovarian follicles, lung, saliva, oral mucosa, and conjunctiva, but the most abundant group resides in the gastrointestinal tract. This complex community has been […]
Improvisation is a hallmark of jazz music, arguably its most salient feature. When they improvise, musicians compose and play simultaneously, one of the most notorious examples of spontaneous creativity. What happens in the brain during improvisation is largely a mystery, but studying it may help us gain some insight on the basis that underlie the […]
Humanities & Social Sciences • Science • Technology • Weekly Selection
Cancer found in bone of ancient human ancestor Evidence of cancer has been found in the toe bone of an ancient human ancestor who died 1.6 million to 1.8 million years ago, suggesting the deadly disease isn’t just caused by lifestyle factors. Researchers examining the bone using 3D imaging identified a malignant osteosarcoma tumor. National […]
One of the most obvious differences between modern science and other kinds of knowledge, both present and past, is its massive use of mathematics, and in particular, its relying on calculations based on numerical formulae (for there can be mathematics without numbers, like in set theory, topology, or many branches of algebra, but these parts […]