Tuesday 4 February 2020

Cuttlefish eat less for lunch when they know there'll be shrimp for dinner

When cuttlefish know that shrimp—their favourite food—will be available in the evening, they eat fewer crabs during the day. This capacity to make decisions based on future expectations reveals complex cognitive abilities.

Industry-linked studies more favorable to indoor tanning, researchers say

Studies of indoor tanning that are financially linked to the industry are significantly more likely to downplay the risks and highlight perceived benefits of indoor tanning than studies without such ties, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Genetic variants reduce risk of Alzheimer's disease

A DNA study of over 10,000 people by UCL scientists has identified a class of gene variants that appear to protect against Alzheimer's disease.

Public opinion of drugs effectiveness may be too biased

People asked by experts to comment on the effectiveness of new psychiatric drug treatments appear to be unfairly biased even though they declare a conflict of interest, suggests research published online in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine today.

US tests pilotless combat jets controlled from another aircraft

The US Navy and Boeing announced Monday they had flown two fighter jets in exercises under the control of a third jet nearby, proving that multiple pilotless combat missions can be run from a separate aircraft.

Iconoclastic Musk basks as Tesla shares soar

Elon Musk is some way away from his goal of sending millions of people to Mars, but Tesla's shares are heading into orbit on Wall Street, leaving conventional automakers in the dust.

Twitter moves to curb manipulated content including 'deepfakes'

Twitter unveiled a plan Tuesday to curb the spread of manipulated content including "deepfake" videos as part of a move to fight misinformation which could result in violence or other harm.

New hydrogels wither while stem cells flourish for tissue repair

Baby diapers, contact lenses and gelatin dessert. While seemingly unrelated, these items have one thing in common—they're made of highly absorbent substances called hydrogels that have versatile applications. Recently, a type of biodegradable hydrogel, dubbed microporous annealed particle (MAP) hydrogel, has gained much attention for its potential to deliver stem cells for body tissue repair. But it is currently unclear how these jelly-like materials affect the growth of their precious cellular cargo, thereby limiting its use in regenerative medicine.