Science

According to an observational study published in the journal JAMA, varicose veins may be a warning sign of a type of blood clot known as a deep venous thrombosis. Chang et al found a significant association between varicose veins and DVT. The illustration shows how a varicose vein forms in …

Neuronal cell types in the avian brains linked to goal-directed behaviors and cognition are similar to cells in a region of the mammalian brain called the neocortex, says a new study led by University of Chicago’s Professor Clifton Ragsdale. According to Briscoe et al, IT neurons were present in the …

When Google launched its (now-defunct) Lunar X-Prize competition, a number of teams from around the world joined up to try and hit the deadline. The first German team, PTScientists, may have failed to hit the launch window Google specified, but it hasn’t given up on the larger mission. In fact, …

When one considers the types of equipment shipped up to the International Space Station, there’s a certain list of default equipment that makes sense. Spare parts? Check. Food and medical supplies? Check. Some manner of entertainment options? Check. Eleven-pound robot head? Not so much. But IBM has visions of how …

Nocturnal animals can use the stars and the Milky Way to find their way during the darkest hours, according to a new review article, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. African dung beetles (Scarabaeus satyrus) use the glow of the Milky Way to navigate. Image credit: Emily …

Vitamin D can’t be metabolized without sufficient magnesium levels, meaning Vitamin D remains stored and inactive for as many as 50% of Americans, according to a review of previous studies, published in the March 2018 issue of the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. Magnesium is the fourth most abundant …

A team of planetary scientists from Brown University and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has mapped the mineralogy of the South Pole-Aitken basin, a vast impact structure on the far side of the Moon. Published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, the findings could help guide future exploration of …

The discovery of an Earth-like planet orbiting Proxima Centauri back in August 2016 was an exciting moment for astronomers and space exploration enthusiasts alike. Not only was the planet nearly the same size as Earth (1.3x larger), it also existed within the narrow habitable range of its host star. Unfortunately, …

A new study by researchers from the University of Western Australia and the University of Exeter shows that in wild Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen), individuals that live in large groups show increased cognitive performance, which is linked to increased reproductive success. The Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) is a medium-sized passerine …

Elephants were once among the most widespread megafaunal families. However, only three species exist today: two species of the genus Loxodonta, the forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) and the savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana), which are restricted to Africa; and one of the genus Elephas, which is endemic to Asia (Elephas maximus). …