https://www.scivillage.com/ Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:19:27 +0000 MyBB https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20224.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 21:15:08 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20224.html https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1124565

EXCERPTS: A sample of parrots living with humans showed the ability to correlate names with individuals, but also to use proper names in ways humans typically don't. Like many animals, parrots make sounds that suggest they are talking with each other, maybe even calling out to a specific parrot. But do they truly have names in the same way people do?

To find out, Lauryn Benedict, a biology professor at the University of Northern Colorado, didn’t set up shop in the tropics to record parrot chatter, as they’ve done in the past. She instead found birds who spoke her language -- birds that live with humans and mimic what they hear, including people’s names.

Working with long-time collaborator Christine Dahlin from University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a team of researchers from Austria, Benedict analyzed vocalizations from more than 880 captive parrots. They heard many of the birds using names in ways that seemed similar to people, to identify individuals. They also found some unusual ways names popped up in the recordings.

[...] Nearly half of the survey takers included examples of parrots using names. Of those 413 clips, 88 seemed to be birds using names as labels for people and animals. The research team also found strong evidence that some birds applied names not only to a particular category, such as “people,” but to a single individual.

On the other hand, many of the birds also used these labels in ways that people typically wouldn’t. For instance, parrots sometimes said their own name just so they could get some attention... (MORE - no ads)

PAPER: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0346830]]> https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1124565

EXCERPTS: A sample of parrots living with humans showed the ability to correlate names with individuals, but also to use proper names in ways humans typically don't. Like many animals, parrots make sounds that suggest they are talking with each other, maybe even calling out to a specific parrot. But do they truly have names in the same way people do?

To find out, Lauryn Benedict, a biology professor at the University of Northern Colorado, didn’t set up shop in the tropics to record parrot chatter, as they’ve done in the past. She instead found birds who spoke her language -- birds that live with humans and mimic what they hear, including people’s names.

Working with long-time collaborator Christine Dahlin from University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a team of researchers from Austria, Benedict analyzed vocalizations from more than 880 captive parrots. They heard many of the birds using names in ways that seemed similar to people, to identify individuals. They also found some unusual ways names popped up in the recordings.

[...] Nearly half of the survey takers included examples of parrots using names. Of those 413 clips, 88 seemed to be birds using names as labels for people and animals. The research team also found strong evidence that some birds applied names not only to a particular category, such as “people,” but to a single individual.

On the other hand, many of the birds also used these labels in ways that people typically wouldn’t. For instance, parrots sometimes said their own name just so they could get some attention... (MORE - no ads)

PAPER: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0346830]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20187.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:29:55 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20187.html https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1124162

INTRO: Conventional wisdom has held for some time that children who grow up in environments rich with biodiversity — farms, homes with pets, rural settings in general — are less likely to have allergies. The thing nobody has ever completely understood is why?

Yale researchers have now found an answer. It turns out that exposure to diverse microbes and proteins early in life creates broad immune memory and a specific antibody that helps block allergic reactions later in life. Rather than overreacting to harmless allergens (ragweed, cats, peanuts, etc.), researchers say, an experienced immune system responds in a balanced way.

The findings may inform better strategies for allergy prevention, encouraging early exposure to natural environments and new therapies that boost protective immune responses rather than just suppressing symptoms.

The all-Yale study is published in the journal Nature.... (MORE - details, no ads)]]> https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1124162

INTRO: Conventional wisdom has held for some time that children who grow up in environments rich with biodiversity — farms, homes with pets, rural settings in general — are less likely to have allergies. The thing nobody has ever completely understood is why?

Yale researchers have now found an answer. It turns out that exposure to diverse microbes and proteins early in life creates broad immune memory and a specific antibody that helps block allergic reactions later in life. Rather than overreacting to harmless allergens (ragweed, cats, peanuts, etc.), researchers say, an experienced immune system responds in a balanced way.

The findings may inform better strategies for allergy prevention, encouraging early exposure to natural environments and new therapies that boost protective immune responses rather than just suppressing symptoms.

The all-Yale study is published in the journal Nature.... (MORE - details, no ads)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20161.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:35:23 +0000 Magical Realist]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20161.html
But I can also think about that hurricane outside that memory--how it was tearing up other buildings and homes all thruout our town. It is knowledge of that event that I can access that is not dependent on my memory. It is a third hand knowledge based on what I later found out about the storm, unlike memory which is a first hand knowledge of only what happened to me. Images form in my head of the storm damaging other places that I don't remember happening. But they obviously did.

So what makes my memory anything more than thinking about what happened to us in that house? There is in fact a sort of objectification or third person view of what happened to me, seeing myself and my mom and sister in the house going thru various events as if I was an invisible observer of it all. Is memory then just thinking about what you experienced in the past, reconstructing certain images as having been? Where does the first person knowledge end and the third person knowledge begin? Strangely enough as I think about it now it is just all mixed up together.]]>
But I can also think about that hurricane outside that memory--how it was tearing up other buildings and homes all thruout our town. It is knowledge of that event that I can access that is not dependent on my memory. It is a third hand knowledge based on what I later found out about the storm, unlike memory which is a first hand knowledge of only what happened to me. Images form in my head of the storm damaging other places that I don't remember happening. But they obviously did.

So what makes my memory anything more than thinking about what happened to us in that house? There is in fact a sort of objectification or third person view of what happened to me, seeing myself and my mom and sister in the house going thru various events as if I was an invisible observer of it all. Is memory then just thinking about what you experienced in the past, reconstructing certain images as having been? Where does the first person knowledge end and the third person knowledge begin? Strangely enough as I think about it now it is just all mixed up together.]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20139.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:24:24 +0000 Magical Realist]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20139.html
"We cannot "see" darkness itself because sight requires light to enter the eye and stimulate photoreceptors. Darkness is the absence of light, meaning there is no signal for the eyes to send to the brain."

And yet I see darkness quite clearly. If I drive up to a store and the lights are out, I know it is closed because I see it is dark inside. If I look into a deep hole in the ground, I can see the darkness inside. Even when I enter a completely dark space, I can see the blackness in front of me. It is a distinctive color telling me it is dark. I can see shadows and silhouettes and the clear night sky and even black holes. So to me this suggests a fundamental error about what it means to see. Seeing is not just light entering the eye. It is the phenomenal visibility of any datum change whatsoever. We can see the non-physical absence of light just as clearly and unmistakeably as we can see its physical presence because of the relational property of contrast between the two.]]>
"We cannot "see" darkness itself because sight requires light to enter the eye and stimulate photoreceptors. Darkness is the absence of light, meaning there is no signal for the eyes to send to the brain."

And yet I see darkness quite clearly. If I drive up to a store and the lights are out, I know it is closed because I see it is dark inside. If I look into a deep hole in the ground, I can see the darkness inside. Even when I enter a completely dark space, I can see the blackness in front of me. It is a distinctive color telling me it is dark. I can see shadows and silhouettes and the clear night sky and even black holes. So to me this suggests a fundamental error about what it means to see. Seeing is not just light entering the eye. It is the phenomenal visibility of any datum change whatsoever. We can see the non-physical absence of light just as clearly and unmistakeably as we can see its physical presence because of the relational property of contrast between the two.]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20114.html Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:44:22 +0000 Magical Realist]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20114.html

"… In that Empire, the Art of Cartography attained such Perfection that the map of a single Province occupied the entirety of a City, and the map of the Empire, the entirety of a Province. In time, those Unconscionable Maps no longer satisfied, and the Cartographers Guilds struck a Map of the Empire whose size was that of the Empire, and which coincided point for point with it. The following Generations, who were not so fond of the Study of Cartography as their Forebears had been, saw that that vast map was Useless, and not without some Pitilessness was it, that they delivered it up to the Inclemencies of Sun and Winters. In the Deserts of the West, still today, there are Tattered Ruins of that Map, inhabited by Animals and Beggars; in all the Land there is no other Relic of the Disciplines of Geography."

– Jorge Luis Borges: On_Exactitude_in_Science (1946)

"On Exactitude in Science", or "On Rigor in Science" (Spanish: "Del rigor en la ciencia"), is a one-paragraph short story by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges.

The story, credited fictionally as a quotation from "Suárez Miranda, Viajes de varones prudentes, Libro IV, Cap. XLV, Lérida, 1658", describes an empire where cartography becomes so exact that only a map on the same scale as the empire itself will suffice. Later generations come to disregard the map, however, and as it decays, so does the land and society beneath it...

....."On Exactitude in Science" elaborates on a concept in Lewis Carroll's Sylvie and Bruno Concluded: a fictional map that had "the scale of a mile to the mile." One of Carroll's characters notes some practical difficulties with this map and states that "we now use the country itself, as its own map, and I assure you it does nearly as well."[4]

"What a useful thing a pocket-map is!" I remarked.

"That's another thing we've learned from your Nation," said Mein Herr, "map-making. But we've carried it much further than you. What do you consider the largest map that would be really useful?"

"About six inches to the mile."

"Only six inches!" exclaimed Mein Herr. "We very soon got to six yards to the mile. Then we tried a hundred yards to the mile. And then came the grandest idea of all! We actually made a map of the country, on the scale of a mile to the mile!"

"Have you used it much?" I enquired.

"It has never been spread out, yet," said Mein Herr: "the farmers objected: they said it would cover the whole country, and shut out the sunlight! So we now use the country itself, as its own map, and I assure you it does nearly as well."---From Lewis Carroll, Sylvie and Bruno Concluded, Chapter XI, London, 1893

Italian writer Umberto Eco expanded upon the theme, quoting the story as the epigraph for his short story "On the Impossibility of Drawing a Map of the Empire on a Scale of 1 to 1", collected in his How to Travel with a Salmon and Other Essays.[4][5]

French philosopher Jean Baudrillard cited "On Exactitude in Science" as a predecessor to his concept of hyperreality in his 1981 treatise Simulacra and Simulation.[6]

James C. Scott's book Seeing Like a State includes an epigraph quoting "On Exactitude in Science" but attributing the quote to the fictional writer Suárez Miranda rather than to Borges."---- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Exactitude_in_Science

"Between the scale of atoms and the scale of stars, between the time of mayflies and the time of mountains, we exist as proteins lit up with purpose, matter yearning for meaning on a planet capable of trees and tenderness, a world on which every living thing abides by the same dumb resilience through which we rose from the oceans to compose the Benedictus and to build the bomb.

All of our models and our maps, all of our poems and our love songs, all the conjectures chalked on the blackboard of the mind in theorems and scriptures, spring from the same elemental restlessness to locate ourselves in the cosmos of being, to know reality and to know ourselves. Across the abyss between one consciousness and another, between one frame of reference and another, we go on searching for an organizing principle to fathom the ultimate questions.."---Maria Popova]]>

"… In that Empire, the Art of Cartography attained such Perfection that the map of a single Province occupied the entirety of a City, and the map of the Empire, the entirety of a Province. In time, those Unconscionable Maps no longer satisfied, and the Cartographers Guilds struck a Map of the Empire whose size was that of the Empire, and which coincided point for point with it. The following Generations, who were not so fond of the Study of Cartography as their Forebears had been, saw that that vast map was Useless, and not without some Pitilessness was it, that they delivered it up to the Inclemencies of Sun and Winters. In the Deserts of the West, still today, there are Tattered Ruins of that Map, inhabited by Animals and Beggars; in all the Land there is no other Relic of the Disciplines of Geography."

– Jorge Luis Borges: On_Exactitude_in_Science (1946)

"On Exactitude in Science", or "On Rigor in Science" (Spanish: "Del rigor en la ciencia"), is a one-paragraph short story by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges.

The story, credited fictionally as a quotation from "Suárez Miranda, Viajes de varones prudentes, Libro IV, Cap. XLV, Lérida, 1658", describes an empire where cartography becomes so exact that only a map on the same scale as the empire itself will suffice. Later generations come to disregard the map, however, and as it decays, so does the land and society beneath it...

....."On Exactitude in Science" elaborates on a concept in Lewis Carroll's Sylvie and Bruno Concluded: a fictional map that had "the scale of a mile to the mile." One of Carroll's characters notes some practical difficulties with this map and states that "we now use the country itself, as its own map, and I assure you it does nearly as well."[4]

"What a useful thing a pocket-map is!" I remarked.

"That's another thing we've learned from your Nation," said Mein Herr, "map-making. But we've carried it much further than you. What do you consider the largest map that would be really useful?"

"About six inches to the mile."

"Only six inches!" exclaimed Mein Herr. "We very soon got to six yards to the mile. Then we tried a hundred yards to the mile. And then came the grandest idea of all! We actually made a map of the country, on the scale of a mile to the mile!"

"Have you used it much?" I enquired.

"It has never been spread out, yet," said Mein Herr: "the farmers objected: they said it would cover the whole country, and shut out the sunlight! So we now use the country itself, as its own map, and I assure you it does nearly as well."---From Lewis Carroll, Sylvie and Bruno Concluded, Chapter XI, London, 1893

Italian writer Umberto Eco expanded upon the theme, quoting the story as the epigraph for his short story "On the Impossibility of Drawing a Map of the Empire on a Scale of 1 to 1", collected in his How to Travel with a Salmon and Other Essays.[4][5]

French philosopher Jean Baudrillard cited "On Exactitude in Science" as a predecessor to his concept of hyperreality in his 1981 treatise Simulacra and Simulation.[6]

James C. Scott's book Seeing Like a State includes an epigraph quoting "On Exactitude in Science" but attributing the quote to the fictional writer Suárez Miranda rather than to Borges."---- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Exactitude_in_Science

"Between the scale of atoms and the scale of stars, between the time of mayflies and the time of mountains, we exist as proteins lit up with purpose, matter yearning for meaning on a planet capable of trees and tenderness, a world on which every living thing abides by the same dumb resilience through which we rose from the oceans to compose the Benedictus and to build the bomb.

All of our models and our maps, all of our poems and our love songs, all the conjectures chalked on the blackboard of the mind in theorems and scriptures, spring from the same elemental restlessness to locate ourselves in the cosmos of being, to know reality and to know ourselves. Across the abyss between one consciousness and another, between one frame of reference and another, we go on searching for an organizing principle to fathom the ultimate questions.."---Maria Popova]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20094.html Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:05:33 +0000 Magical Realist]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20094.html
It seems inevitable to me, if we even manage to survive our planetary impacts. Alas, the turmoil and suffering we will have to go thru adapting bodies built over 6 million years for earthbound living to the disorienting void of omnidirectional and perpetually nocturnal space! Will we have long since stripped ourselves of these fleshy earth suits, assuming perhaps some more airy and starlike form?]]>
It seems inevitable to me, if we even manage to survive our planetary impacts. Alas, the turmoil and suffering we will have to go thru adapting bodies built over 6 million years for earthbound living to the disorienting void of omnidirectional and perpetually nocturnal space! Will we have long since stripped ourselves of these fleshy earth suits, assuming perhaps some more airy and starlike form?]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20061.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:37:14 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20061.html https://iai.tv/articles/scientific-knowl..._auid=2020

INTRO: Before Francis Crick and James Watson unveiled DNA’s double helix, a colleague dismissed Crick as incompetent—he couldn’t recall basic facts about DNA’s four bases. But, as economist Arthur M. Diamond notes, the intuitive knowledge that drives discovery and progress often lies beyond language. Despite this, we still invest our money in those with the slickest pitches over those with unspoken insight, stifling progress. Diamond’s solution is radical: we must totally redesign how money flows through society. Judge creators by what they build, not what they write; replace bureaucratic applications with practical contests; and tear down institutional barriers blocking self-starting scientists and creators... (MORE - details)]]> https://iai.tv/articles/scientific-knowl..._auid=2020

INTRO: Before Francis Crick and James Watson unveiled DNA’s double helix, a colleague dismissed Crick as incompetent—he couldn’t recall basic facts about DNA’s four bases. But, as economist Arthur M. Diamond notes, the intuitive knowledge that drives discovery and progress often lies beyond language. Despite this, we still invest our money in those with the slickest pitches over those with unspoken insight, stifling progress. Diamond’s solution is radical: we must totally redesign how money flows through society. Judge creators by what they build, not what they write; replace bureaucratic applications with practical contests; and tear down institutional barriers blocking self-starting scientists and creators... (MORE - details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20046.html Wed, 25 Mar 2026 01:30:18 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20046.html https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1117457

INTRO: People often downplay being offended during online arguments to appear more rational, according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA). A new study reveals how social media users navigate, negotiate and often reject accusations of being offended during heated online exchanges, even when their language suggests strong emotional involvement.

Recent debates illustrate the pattern. For example, when YouTuber and professional boxer Jake Paul criticised singer Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, he faced backlash and repeatedly reframed his comments as ‘clarifications’ rather than emotional reactions.

Similarly, heated reactions around singer-songwriter Billie Eilish’s Grammys comments saw users choose wording such as “I’m not offended”, presenting themselves as rational while clearly deeply invested in the discussion. These high‑profile moments reflect the same patterns of denial, moral positioning, and emotional management uncovered in the UEA study.

The team, which included researchers from the University of Kent, analysed a network of real X (Twitter) exchanges that began with a woman telling a joke and quickly spiralled into a heated argument. One male participant was repeatedly accused of being “offended” but strongly denied it, even as his own language revealed frustration and moral judgement.

Dr Chi‑Hé Elder, from UEA’s School of Media, Language and Communication Studies, said: “Without the benefit of facial expressions or tone of voice to draw on, interactions in the digital world can quickly become complicated. People may claim that they aren’t offended, but if they simultaneously describe comments as toxic or morally wrong, this looks very much like offence‑taking behaviour.”

The study shows that offence isn’t just an emotional reaction, it also performs a social function. It can be used to signal disapproval, make a moral point, or shape how we want to be seen by others. That makes everyday phrases like “being offended” ambiguous – they can refer to feeling upset, or to the public performance of appearing offended.

But why do people deny being offended? According to the researchers, admitting to offence carries negative connotations. It can make someone appear overly emotional or undermine their credibility in a debate. By rejecting the label, people can try to take the moral high ground, presenting themselves as calm and rational even when their behaviour suggests otherwise... (MORE - details, no ads)]]> https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1117457

INTRO: People often downplay being offended during online arguments to appear more rational, according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA). A new study reveals how social media users navigate, negotiate and often reject accusations of being offended during heated online exchanges, even when their language suggests strong emotional involvement.

Recent debates illustrate the pattern. For example, when YouTuber and professional boxer Jake Paul criticised singer Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, he faced backlash and repeatedly reframed his comments as ‘clarifications’ rather than emotional reactions.

Similarly, heated reactions around singer-songwriter Billie Eilish’s Grammys comments saw users choose wording such as “I’m not offended”, presenting themselves as rational while clearly deeply invested in the discussion. These high‑profile moments reflect the same patterns of denial, moral positioning, and emotional management uncovered in the UEA study.

The team, which included researchers from the University of Kent, analysed a network of real X (Twitter) exchanges that began with a woman telling a joke and quickly spiralled into a heated argument. One male participant was repeatedly accused of being “offended” but strongly denied it, even as his own language revealed frustration and moral judgement.

Dr Chi‑Hé Elder, from UEA’s School of Media, Language and Communication Studies, said: “Without the benefit of facial expressions or tone of voice to draw on, interactions in the digital world can quickly become complicated. People may claim that they aren’t offended, but if they simultaneously describe comments as toxic or morally wrong, this looks very much like offence‑taking behaviour.”

The study shows that offence isn’t just an emotional reaction, it also performs a social function. It can be used to signal disapproval, make a moral point, or shape how we want to be seen by others. That makes everyday phrases like “being offended” ambiguous – they can refer to feeling upset, or to the public performance of appearing offended.

But why do people deny being offended? According to the researchers, admitting to offence carries negative connotations. It can make someone appear overly emotional or undermine their credibility in a debate. By rejecting the label, people can try to take the moral high ground, presenting themselves as calm and rational even when their behaviour suggests otherwise... (MORE - details, no ads)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20003.html Wed, 18 Mar 2026 20:53:03 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20003.html https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1120021

EXCERPT: For decades, archaeologists believed that symbolic uses of clay in Southwest Asia emerged only with farming and the Neolithic way of life. This study and the recent discovery of a clay figurine in  Nahal Ein Gev II overturns that assumption.

Instead, it shows that a “symbolic revolution” began earlier, during the first stages of sedentarization, when communities were still hunting and gathering but beginning to live in permanent settlements. Clay ornaments became a way to express identity, affiliation, and social relationships, visually and publicly.

“These objects show that profound social and cognitive changes were already underway,” said Prof. Leore Grosman. “The roots of the Neolithic lie deeper than we once thought.”

By documenting one of the world’s oldest traditions of clay adornment, the study reframes the Natufians not just as forerunners of agriculture, but as innovators of symbolic culture, people who used clay to say something about who they were, and who they were becoming.... (MORE - missing details, no ads)]]> https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1120021

EXCERPT: For decades, archaeologists believed that symbolic uses of clay in Southwest Asia emerged only with farming and the Neolithic way of life. This study and the recent discovery of a clay figurine in  Nahal Ein Gev II overturns that assumption.

Instead, it shows that a “symbolic revolution” began earlier, during the first stages of sedentarization, when communities were still hunting and gathering but beginning to live in permanent settlements. Clay ornaments became a way to express identity, affiliation, and social relationships, visually and publicly.

“These objects show that profound social and cognitive changes were already underway,” said Prof. Leore Grosman. “The roots of the Neolithic lie deeper than we once thought.”

By documenting one of the world’s oldest traditions of clay adornment, the study reframes the Natufians not just as forerunners of agriculture, but as innovators of symbolic culture, people who used clay to say something about who they were, and who they were becoming.... (MORE - missing details, no ads)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19946.html Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:56:18 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19946.html https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/...ontrarian/

KEY POINTS: Whenever a scientific consensus forms around an idea, it’s because the overwhelming majority of scientists working in the field, based on the strength of the evidence, have come to accept it as foundational. However, an essential part of science is challenging conventionally accepted wisdom, and that includes challenging whatever the current consensus is, and exploring alternatives. Challenges to the scientific consensus are numerous and frequent, coming from experts, armchair experts, and amateurs alike. However, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it; here’s what separates the two. (MORE - details)]]> https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/...ontrarian/

KEY POINTS: Whenever a scientific consensus forms around an idea, it’s because the overwhelming majority of scientists working in the field, based on the strength of the evidence, have come to accept it as foundational. However, an essential part of science is challenging conventionally accepted wisdom, and that includes challenging whatever the current consensus is, and exploring alternatives. Challenges to the scientific consensus are numerous and frequent, coming from experts, armchair experts, and amateurs alike. However, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it; here’s what separates the two. (MORE - details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19909.html Fri, 06 Mar 2026 21:55:53 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19909.html https://theconversation.com/this-is-why-...ime-276407

INTRO: One of the most bothersome things about being sick or having seasonal allergies is that it makes your nose stuffy and blocked. This makes breathing in through your nostrils frustrating – if not altogether impossible.

But even when you aren’t sick, perhaps you’ve noticed that when you take a deep breath, only one of your nostrils seems to be allowing the air in. Before you panic and wonder if you’re coming down with something, what you’re experiencing is actually a normal bodily process.

Multiple times a day, without us even noticing, the nostrils naturally switch between a dominant nostril for airflow. This process is called the nasal cycle and it plays an important role in the health of our nose.

The body actually switches the dominant nostril as frequently as every two hours while we’re awake. This switch is less frequent when we’re sleeping as our breathing rate slows and the volume of air entering and leaving the body lowers.

There are two key aspects to the nasal cycle: congestion and decongestion.

During the congestion phase, one nostril will experience reduced airflow, while the opposite nostril will be open, or decongested – allowing for more air to pass through it. The decongested phase actually fatigues the open nostril, as air dries it out and brings pathogens into contact with it. This is why it’s important for the dominant nostril to swap.

We believe good journalism is good for democracy and necessary for it.
Learn more
This alternating cycle is automatic, regulated subconsciously by the hypothalamus in the brain. However, some people have no nasal cycle (such as those who have a hypothalamic disorder). There’s also evidence that the left nostril may be more dominant – particularly in right handed people.

Studies looking at nasal breathing even suggest that when the right nostril is dominant, the body is in a more alert or stressed state. But when the left nostril takes over, the body is in a more relaxed state.

The nasal cycle is important for a number of reasons... (MORE - details)]]> https://theconversation.com/this-is-why-...ime-276407

INTRO: One of the most bothersome things about being sick or having seasonal allergies is that it makes your nose stuffy and blocked. This makes breathing in through your nostrils frustrating – if not altogether impossible.

But even when you aren’t sick, perhaps you’ve noticed that when you take a deep breath, only one of your nostrils seems to be allowing the air in. Before you panic and wonder if you’re coming down with something, what you’re experiencing is actually a normal bodily process.

Multiple times a day, without us even noticing, the nostrils naturally switch between a dominant nostril for airflow. This process is called the nasal cycle and it plays an important role in the health of our nose.

The body actually switches the dominant nostril as frequently as every two hours while we’re awake. This switch is less frequent when we’re sleeping as our breathing rate slows and the volume of air entering and leaving the body lowers.

There are two key aspects to the nasal cycle: congestion and decongestion.

During the congestion phase, one nostril will experience reduced airflow, while the opposite nostril will be open, or decongested – allowing for more air to pass through it. The decongested phase actually fatigues the open nostril, as air dries it out and brings pathogens into contact with it. This is why it’s important for the dominant nostril to swap.

We believe good journalism is good for democracy and necessary for it.
Learn more
This alternating cycle is automatic, regulated subconsciously by the hypothalamus in the brain. However, some people have no nasal cycle (such as those who have a hypothalamic disorder). There’s also evidence that the left nostril may be more dominant – particularly in right handed people.

Studies looking at nasal breathing even suggest that when the right nostril is dominant, the body is in a more alert or stressed state. But when the left nostril takes over, the body is in a more relaxed state.

The nasal cycle is important for a number of reasons... (MORE - details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19877.html Mon, 02 Mar 2026 21:16:33 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19877.html https://www.psypost.org/the-psychology-o...nfidelity/

EXCERPT: “There are many factors that contribute to people’s decisions to cheat, sometimes not having anything to do with their primary or spousal relationships,” Selterman noted. The results challenged some common assumptions about infidelity. The researchers found that a low quality of relationship with a primary partner was not always the main driver for cheating.

“The fact that we did not observe significant correlations between relationship quality and whether or not participants had an affair was very surprising,” Selterman explained. Many users reported experiencing high levels of love for their spouses. They generally indicated that their marriages suffered from very low levels of sexual satisfaction rather than a lack of emotional attachment.

About half of the participants reported that they were not sexually active with their primary partners. “In our sample of Ashley Madison users, we found that overall, sexual dissatisfaction was high and a large number of participants reported not having sex at all with their partners or spouses,” Selterman stated. “So they looked for affairs, and some of them had affairs, and among those folks who did have an affair, they experienced high satisfaction with their affairs and low levels of regret.”

“They seemed to still maintain love and intimacy with their spouses,” Selterman continued. “It seems like they genuinely feel like they didn’t do anything wrong, which is remarkable given how highly stigmatized infidelity is.” Having an affair did not reliably predict that the user would eventually divorce their primary spouse... (MORE - details)]]> https://www.psypost.org/the-psychology-o...nfidelity/

EXCERPT: “There are many factors that contribute to people’s decisions to cheat, sometimes not having anything to do with their primary or spousal relationships,” Selterman noted. The results challenged some common assumptions about infidelity. The researchers found that a low quality of relationship with a primary partner was not always the main driver for cheating.

“The fact that we did not observe significant correlations between relationship quality and whether or not participants had an affair was very surprising,” Selterman explained. Many users reported experiencing high levels of love for their spouses. They generally indicated that their marriages suffered from very low levels of sexual satisfaction rather than a lack of emotional attachment.

About half of the participants reported that they were not sexually active with their primary partners. “In our sample of Ashley Madison users, we found that overall, sexual dissatisfaction was high and a large number of participants reported not having sex at all with their partners or spouses,” Selterman stated. “So they looked for affairs, and some of them had affairs, and among those folks who did have an affair, they experienced high satisfaction with their affairs and low levels of regret.”

“They seemed to still maintain love and intimacy with their spouses,” Selterman continued. “It seems like they genuinely feel like they didn’t do anything wrong, which is remarkable given how highly stigmatized infidelity is.” Having an affair did not reliably predict that the user would eventually divorce their primary spouse... (MORE - details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19859.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:26:26 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19859.html https://gizmodo.com/scientists-have-disc...2000725898

EXCERPTS: All in all, the researchers found, the bed bugs consistently spent much less time on wet surfaces as opposed to dry ones. Nearly 90% of the time, the bugs moved away from the wet surfaces before they even came close to touching the water. That said, juvenile bed bugs, or nymphs, were about 60% quicker than older bugs at turning away from water, suggesting they have an especially strong aversion to water.

Though this appears to be the first documented report of bed bugs fearing water, it makes intuitive sense, the researchers say. These insects are incredibly flat, and the strong adhesive force of water could threaten to block their spiracles on their belly, the external pores that allow them to breathe (their version of lungs). In other words, even a tiny bit of water might be enough to easily drown them.

[...] At the end of the day, it’s comforting to know that even our real-life nightmares have their own fears to be worried about... (MORE - details)]]> https://gizmodo.com/scientists-have-disc...2000725898

EXCERPTS: All in all, the researchers found, the bed bugs consistently spent much less time on wet surfaces as opposed to dry ones. Nearly 90% of the time, the bugs moved away from the wet surfaces before they even came close to touching the water. That said, juvenile bed bugs, or nymphs, were about 60% quicker than older bugs at turning away from water, suggesting they have an especially strong aversion to water.

Though this appears to be the first documented report of bed bugs fearing water, it makes intuitive sense, the researchers say. These insects are incredibly flat, and the strong adhesive force of water could threaten to block their spiracles on their belly, the external pores that allow them to breathe (their version of lungs). In other words, even a tiny bit of water might be enough to easily drown them.

[...] At the end of the day, it’s comforting to know that even our real-life nightmares have their own fears to be worried about... (MORE - details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19840.html Sun, 22 Feb 2026 01:09:27 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19840.html https://www.404media.co/the-u-s-military...r-old-ice/

EXCERPTS: Scientists with the U.S. military have revived microbes frozen in Alaskan permafrost that dates back nearly 40,000 years—leading to the discovery of 26 new species—as part of an effort to pioneer technologies to help the military endure extremely cold environments, according to a new release from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC).

Researchers with ERDC’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) discovered the novel microbes in its Permafrost Tunnel Research Facility in Fox, Alaska. Some of these microbes were frozen into the ice 38,000 years ago, a time when Neanderthals still walked Earth, though the samples contain species from many different eras across tens of thousands of years.

[...] But why is the U.S. Army interested? Some of the possible military applications of CRREL’s research include the development of frostbite prevention creams for soldiers working in extreme environments, novel antifreeze formulas, and techniques for de-icing vehicles and other equipment. Microbial research could also lead to new methods for creating stable ice so that, for example, vehicles could pass safely over melted or thawed ground.

“For the military, frostbite is a huge, huge problem when you're in extreme weather conditions in the Arctic,” Barbato said, noting that cold conditions can also stop batteries and other items from working. “You want to write with a pen—guess what? Your ink froze. You actually have to write with a pencil.”

“When you think about military operations in the cold, you have to think of all these practical things,” she continued. “To link it back to the microorganisms, they've developed these properties and materials that we can use to advance the opportunity of staying in the cold longer, and not having as many medical emergencies due to frostbite.” (MORE - missing details)]]> https://www.404media.co/the-u-s-military...r-old-ice/

EXCERPTS: Scientists with the U.S. military have revived microbes frozen in Alaskan permafrost that dates back nearly 40,000 years—leading to the discovery of 26 new species—as part of an effort to pioneer technologies to help the military endure extremely cold environments, according to a new release from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC).

Researchers with ERDC’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) discovered the novel microbes in its Permafrost Tunnel Research Facility in Fox, Alaska. Some of these microbes were frozen into the ice 38,000 years ago, a time when Neanderthals still walked Earth, though the samples contain species from many different eras across tens of thousands of years.

[...] But why is the U.S. Army interested? Some of the possible military applications of CRREL’s research include the development of frostbite prevention creams for soldiers working in extreme environments, novel antifreeze formulas, and techniques for de-icing vehicles and other equipment. Microbial research could also lead to new methods for creating stable ice so that, for example, vehicles could pass safely over melted or thawed ground.

“For the military, frostbite is a huge, huge problem when you're in extreme weather conditions in the Arctic,” Barbato said, noting that cold conditions can also stop batteries and other items from working. “You want to write with a pen—guess what? Your ink froze. You actually have to write with a pencil.”

“When you think about military operations in the cold, you have to think of all these practical things,” she continued. “To link it back to the microorganisms, they've developed these properties and materials that we can use to advance the opportunity of staying in the cold longer, and not having as many medical emergencies due to frostbite.” (MORE - missing details)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19819.html Wed, 18 Feb 2026 23:23:42 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-19819.html https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1117075

INTRO: Rutgers researchers have made a discovery that could change the future of seafood farming in New Jersey. A study led by marine scientist Daphne Munroe has shown that Atlantic surfclams can be successfully farmed in the open ocean.

Her research, published in the North American Journal of Aquaculture, proves that offshore aquaculture is not only possible but promising. This method could help meet the increasing demand for seafood while protecting wild clam populations.

“We’re among the first to show that offshore clam farming can really work,” said Munroe, an associate professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences in the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. “It’s exciting because it opens the door to a new kind of business for New Jersey’s farming and fishing industries.”

The study was funded by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and was done in partnership with commercial fishing companies. “We didn’t do this in a lab,” Munroe said, emphasizing the importance of working with industry partners. “We did it in the real world, with real fishermen. That’s what makes the results so meaningful.”

Aquaculture is the practice of farming fish, shellfish and other aquatic organisms. It’s similar to agriculture, but instead of growing crops on land, farmers raise seafood in water. Most aquaculture takes place near the shore in protected bays or in artificial ponds and lakes.

These areas are easier to manage and safer from storms, but they are crowded with other user groups like homeowners and boaters and can be subject to poor water quality which can hinder farm operations. Offshore aquaculture avoids these challenges, Munroe said, by using the vast, cleaner waters of the open ocean, where there is more room and less potential for pollution... (MORE - details, no ads)]]> https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1117075

INTRO: Rutgers researchers have made a discovery that could change the future of seafood farming in New Jersey. A study led by marine scientist Daphne Munroe has shown that Atlantic surfclams can be successfully farmed in the open ocean.

Her research, published in the North American Journal of Aquaculture, proves that offshore aquaculture is not only possible but promising. This method could help meet the increasing demand for seafood while protecting wild clam populations.

“We’re among the first to show that offshore clam farming can really work,” said Munroe, an associate professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences in the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. “It’s exciting because it opens the door to a new kind of business for New Jersey’s farming and fishing industries.”

The study was funded by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and was done in partnership with commercial fishing companies. “We didn’t do this in a lab,” Munroe said, emphasizing the importance of working with industry partners. “We did it in the real world, with real fishermen. That’s what makes the results so meaningful.”

Aquaculture is the practice of farming fish, shellfish and other aquatic organisms. It’s similar to agriculture, but instead of growing crops on land, farmers raise seafood in water. Most aquaculture takes place near the shore in protected bays or in artificial ponds and lakes.

These areas are easier to manage and safer from storms, but they are crowded with other user groups like homeowners and boaters and can be subject to poor water quality which can hinder farm operations. Offshore aquaculture avoids these challenges, Munroe said, by using the vast, cleaner waters of the open ocean, where there is more room and less potential for pollution... (MORE - details, no ads)]]>