A team of UK researchers has decoded the complete genome of a semi-aquatic mammal called the European water vole (Arvicola amphibius). The European water vole (Arvicola amphibius). Image credit: Peter Trimming / CC BY 2.0. The European water vole is a small semi-aquatic rodent native to Europe and Asia. Often …

Quark-gluon plasma is a state of dense matter with the quarks and gluons being its constituents. Soon after the Big Bang the matter was just in such a phase. When the Universe was expanding and cooling down the quark-gluon plasma turned into hadrons (neutrons and protons), which further formed the …

According to a new paper published this week in the journal Scientific Reports, people whose genetic profile makes them more likely to be ‘early birds’ the rest of the year can adjust to the Daylight Saving Time change in a few days; but those who tend to be ‘night owls’ …

Paleontologists have performed a complete re-analysis of Oxyuropoda ligioides, a land-based peracarid crustacean first reported in 1908 from the Late Devonian floodplains of Ireland and left with unresolved systematic affinities despite a century of attempts at identification. Oxyuropoda ligioides in its 365-million-year-old continental environment (Kiltorcan, Kilkenny, Ireland). Image credit: Diane …

The two novel types of neuroglial cells — usually referred to simply as glial cells or glia — may play an important role in brain plasticity and repair, according to new research led by the University of Basel. A glial cell of new type (green), arising from adult stem cells …

Processings…Please wait. Twitter has launched Shop Modules, a dedicated section at the top of profiles where brands can showcase their products, as a pilot, the company announced Wednesday. The Shop Module pilot is currently rolling out with a handful of brands in the U.S., and only people in the U.S. …

Physicists are still arguing over whether black holes have “hair,” but we’re pretty sure neutron stars have mountains. These dead stars are extreme in every respect, from their magnetic field to gravitational influence, but the only thing extreme about the mountains is how small they are. A new analysis of …

Microsoft has tried time and time again to make a successful smartphone, and thus far, it has failed. The Microsoft Surface Duo Android phone was the company’s most recent attempt, and now the sequel has allegedly leaked in all its glory. It looks similar to the current Duo, with the …

NASA’s Perseverance rover has been playing second fiddle to the Ingenuity helicopter in recent months. But in fairness, it’s a helicopter on Mars. Not to be outdone, Perseverance is gearing up for the next big step in its mission on the red planet. In the coming weeks, NASA will harvest …

Astronomers announced earlier this year that an enormous 62-mile (100-kilometer) object was creeping inward from the fringes of the solar system. We didn’t know what this mysterious visitor was at the time, but a recent development has shed light on the subject. The object, now officially designated C/2014 UN271, began …