ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 645

3D Electron Discovery In High-Temperature Superconductor Could Lead To Breakthrough

Physics





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In this artistic rendering, a magnetic pulse (right) and X-ray laser light (left) converge on a high-temperature superconductor. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Scientists at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California have discovered a surprising 3D arrangement of electrons in a high-temperature superconductor. Superconductors are materials that, at certain temperatures (usually close to absolute zero), transmit electricity without resistance.

Study Suggests Women Are Bisexual Or Gay, But Almost Never Straight

Editor's Blog





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savageultralight/Shutterstock

What turns us on and where we place ourselves on the sexual spectrum is exceedingly personal. A new study investigating the existence of this spectrum may prove somewhat controversial, then: It claims that women are almost always gay or bisexual and are almost certainly not straight.

Leading Theory About How Consciousness Works May Be Wrong

The Brain





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A long-standing theory about the neurological mechanisms that constitute consciousness has now been challenged. agsandrew/Shutterstock

Scientists’ attempts to discern the neurological activities that constitute consciousness have taken a dramatic twist, after a recent study appeared to contradict one of the leading theories on the topic. Until now, it had been widely accepted that conscious thought requires complex, sustained and widespread brain activity, while the mind’s unconscious workings involve much shorter and simpler processes.

Extinct Rodents Of Unusual Size Discovered In Timor

Plants and Animals





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Dr Julien Louys compares the jawbone of one of the giant extinct rats he has discovered with one from a modern rat. Stuart Hay, ANU

For tens of thousands of years, Timor was populated by giant rats, with seven extinct species recently discovered. Among these is the largest rat species every known, which only became extinct about a thousand years ago.

ExxonMobil Under Investigation Over Claims It Lied To The Public Over Climate Change

Environment





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It is claimed that ExxonMobil funded climate denial organizations to lobby against measures to limit climate change. 360b/Shutterstock

Following allegations earlier this year that the oil giant ExxonMobil knew about climate change decades ago, and then purposely lied to and misled the public and investors, the company is now under investigation by the New York state attorney general, Eric Schneiderman. The company has received a subpoena, an order issued by the government to provide the courts with financial records, emails, and other documents that relate to climate change.

New Cause Behind Three Mysterious Mass Extinctions Revealed

Environment





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A Coelophysis, a dinosaur that existed around the time of the Triassic mass extinction event/Shutterstock

When the phrase “mass extinction” is mentioned, many think of enormous volcanism or asteroid impacts wiping out a large chunk of Earth’s life. There have been five in the history of the planet, and thanks to the detrimental nature of human activity, we are currently in the sixth.

Male Spider Mutilates Females’ Genitalia To Prevent Her From Mating Ever Again

Plants and Animals





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The spider is a from the orb-weaving Larinia genus, like the Larinia minor shown here. Carlos De Soto Molinari/Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

We all know how dangerous mating can be in the world of spiders, especially for the males. If he’s not risking his life to get one lucky shot at inseminating the female, he’s “castrating” himself to plug up the female so no further suitors can do the deed. But new research has documented how in one species, it seems that the female is the one getting the raw end of the deal during sex.

Landmark Trial Finds Injection Every Other Month Treats HIV Patients

Health and Medicine





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r.classen/Shutterstock

An end to daily pills could finally be on the horizon for HIV patients. A new trial has found that an injection of long-acting forms of antiviral drugs work just as well as a daily oral regimen of three therapies. That is, the cocktail of pills taken by mouth were no more effective at suppressing the rate of viral replication than the experimental jab.

China Has Been Dramatically Underreporting Coal Consumption

Environment





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The fact that China has been burning more coal could mean they'll start to curb their emissions sooner. L.F/Shutterstock

It’s being reported how China, currently the world’s largest consumer of coal, has actually been dramatically underreporting how much of the fossil fuel it has been burning. Official data released by the government shows that since 2000, the country has been burning up to 17 percent more coal each year than previously declared, equivalent to (the CO2 that) what the entire German economy emits in a year from fossil fuels.

How To Make A Diamond With Acid

Chemistry





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Denis Vrublevski/Shutterstock

A new process of diamond formation has been theorized that could indicate they are more plentiful than thought. It involves the acidification of water at great depths, producing minuscule diamonds in subsurface fluids that can be brought to the surface.