Urban squirrels, how much are we disturbing you?

Human disturbance in urban environments makes some squirrels fail, but others perform better in novel problem-solving.

Scientists show technology can save people from shark bites

With shark bites increasing in countries like Australia—scientists say the use of personal electronic deterrents is an effective way to prevent future deaths and injuries which could save the lives of up to 1063 Australians along the coastline over the next 50 years.

The 'one who causes fear'—new meat-eating predator discovered

Research published today in the peer-reviewed Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology describes a newly discovered species of dinosaur—named the 'one who causes fear', or Llukalkan aliocranianus.

Widespread facemask use is vital to suppress the pandemic as lockdown lifts, say scientists

A new mathematical model suggests that the easing of lockdown must be accompanied by wider and more effective use of control measures such as facemasks even with vaccination, in order to suppress COVID-19 more quickly and reduce the likelihood of another lockdown.

Scientists discover unique Cornish 'falgae'

Red algae that grow in Cornwall's Fal Estuary are genetically unique, new research shows.

Cuba begins testing 2nd COVID-19 vaccine on health care workers

Cuba began vaccinating tens of thousands of health care workers with a second COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, even though it has yet to complete clinical trials.

Father and son find nearly all grocery produce is uncontaminated by COVID-19

In the early days of the pandemic, Vishal Shah painstakingly disinfected all of his family's produce from the grocery store with a disinfectant before bringing it into their West Chester house to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19.

Zuckerberg confirms Instagram for kids plans at Congressional hearing on misinformation

During his contentious testimony with Congress members, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed the platform's plans to create an Instagram for kids.

The curious case of northeast Brazil's cross-breeding sea turtles

Sea turtles have been around since dinosaurs roamed the Earth, stretching back about 110 million years. Yet now their existence is at risk, with six of today's seven species classified as threatened or endangered.

Comcast commits $1 billion to help close the digital divide as Americans increasingly rely on the internet

Comcast Corp. plans to spend $1 billion over the next decade to help low-income Americans connect to the internet, company officials said Wednesday.

Ecuador policeman held over 185 baby tortoises in suitcase

An Ecuadorian policeman has been arrested after airport officials in the Galapagos Islands discovered 185 baby giant tortoises stuffed in a suitcase to be trafficked, prosecutors said Monday.

In Tunis, flamingos wade past waste in key Africa wetlands

Hundreds of flamingos wade past waste in the murky waters of the vast Sijoumi lagoon, a critical wetland in the heart of Tunisia's capital threatened by overexpansion.

Disney+ has a $1 price increase taking effect Friday

It's official: Starting Friday, you'll be paying more for your Disney+ streaming subscription.

Amazon faces new lawsuit alleging it fixed book prices

A proposed class-action lawsuit from a Seattle firm has added to the swarm of antitrust scrutiny gathering around Amazon.

Airport crowds, airline ticket sales show travel recovering

Evidence is mounting that Americans are eager to drive or fly somewhere after being mostly cooped up at home for a year.

VW plans brand-name change to 'Voltswagen' in US

Volkswagen plans to change its brand name in the United States to "Voltswagen" as its shifts its production increasingly toward electric vehicles and tries to distance itself from an emissions cheating scandal.

Maternal exposure to chemicals linked to autistic-like behaviours in children

A new study by Simon Fraser University's Faculty of Health Sciences researchers—published today in the American Journal of Epidemiology—found correlations between increased expressions of autistic-like behaviors in pre-school aged children to gestational exposure to select environmental toxicants, including metals, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalates, and bisphenol-A (BPA).

The truth about Christ lies in contradiction, philosopher finds

While the quest to explain how Christ can be both fully human and fully divine enjoys a long, fascinating history, Jc Beall, the O'Neill Family Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, believes that the quest should end.

When parole, probation officers choose empathy, returns to jail decline

Heavy caseloads, job stress and biases can strain relations between parole and probation officers and their clients, upping offenders' likelihood of landing back behind bars.

New research finds majority of children with autism may be 'doing well'

One of the biggest longitudinal research studies of its kind in the world led by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) suggests that positive outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more common than previously thought.

Your neighborhood may influence your COVID-19 risk

Markers of the pandemic's impact—testing rates, positivity ratio (cases among total tests), case rates by overall population and deaths—are clustered in neighborhoods, with low-income and predominantly minority communities experiencing worse outcomes than wealthier and predominantly white neighborhoods. The findings, part of the first research to look at comprehensive neighborhood-level data from March through September 2020 from three large U.S. cities—Chicago, New York and Philadelphia—were published today in Annals of Internal Medicine by researchers from Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health.

Scientists identify molecular pathway that helps moving cells avoid aimless wandering

Working with fruit flies, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have identified a new molecular pathway that helps steer moving cells in specific directions. The set of interconnected proteins and enzymes in the pathway act as steering and rudder components that drive cells toward an "intended" rather than random destination, they say.