Article archives

Nature, nurture and randomness

Nature, nurture and randomness

Biology

By Invited Researcher

More than genes and upbringing determine animal personalities: There’s a good dose of chance in the mix, too. In the age-old debate about nature versus nurture — whether our characteristics are forged by our genes or our upbringing — I have an answer for you. It is both. And it is neither. I’m a behavioral […]

A resistive switching memory based on hafnium dioxide

A resistive switching memory based on hafnium dioxide

Computer scienceMaterials

By César Tomé

A novel computer memory design has been created by researchers, offering significant enhancements in performance while simultaneously addressing the pressing need to minimize energy consumption in internet and communications technologies. Projections suggest that these technologies could account for nearly one-third of the world’s electricity consumption within the next decade. A team of researchers has devised […]

MI weekly selection #519

MI weekly selection #519

Weekly Selection

By César Tomé

Stronger earthquakes after cosmic radiation Cosmic radiation touching the Earth’s surface may lead to stronger earthquakes. Using data from the Cosmic Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory, scientists found a link between cosmic radiation and seismic activity that may be due to disruptions in the flow of matter in Earth’s core and magnetosphere. Full Story: Space Air […]

A new way to rationally design anti-Kasha emitters

A new way to rationally design anti-Kasha emitters

ChemistryDIPC Computational and Theoretical Chemistry

By DIPC

Light emission (fluorescence or phosphorescence) in organic molecules, in the vast majority of cases, proceeds from the lowest energy excited state irrespective of the excitation energy used. This is known as the Kasha’s rule, which states that most of the molecules are emissive from the lowest energy, same (ground state) spin multiplicity, S1 excited state […]

For some fire-loving insects, wildfires provide the best breeding grounds

For some fire-loving insects, wildfires provide the best breeding grounds

Biology

By Invited Researcher

wildfires Author: Aaron Bell, Researcher, PhD Candidate, Biology, University of Saskatchewan With the summer solstice and first official day of summer on June 21, hot and dry conditions have already given rise to a very active fire season across Canada. The smoke from these fires has drifted great distances, disrupting activities and causing a nuisance […]

Groundwater pumping alters Earth’s spin

Groundwater pumping alters Earth’s spin

Geosciences

By César Tomé

According to a recent study , humans have displaced a significant volume of water from the ground and relocated it, resulting in an Earth shift of approximately 80 centimetres (31.5 inches) eastward solely between 1993 and 2010. According to prior climate models, researchers had initially estimated that humans extracted around 2,150 gigatons of groundwater between […]

Language makes us human. Or not

Language makes us human. Or not

Language

By Invited Researcher

It is a warning that keeps repeating once and again: the behavior of artificial intelligence will soon be indistinguishable from that of human beings. A frightening and inevitable moment that is drawing ever closer. A recent paper available on arXiv [/footnote] Daniel Jannai, Amos Meron, Barak Lenz, Yoav Levine, Yoav Shoham (2023) Human or not? […]

MI weekly selection #518

MI weekly selection #518

Weekly Selection

By César Tomé

New theory of how Earth formed Scientists have found evidence that the Earth was created from a rapid landslide in less than 5 million years rather than a gradual series of celestial collisions, revising the longstanding theory of how Earth-like planets form in the galaxy. “With this new planet formation mechanism, the chance of having […]