Planet Neuroscientists

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

A Uranium-Mining Boom Is Sweeping Through Texas

State leaders want nuclear reactors to provide consistent, low-carbon power for AI, oil extraction, and more. But in South Texas, people worry mining for fuel will poison their water.

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-07 07:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Proposed time limits on anesthesia may have jeopardized patient safety

Blue Cross Blue Shield’s now rescinded plan to put time limits on anesthesia put a spotlight on a poorly understood profession.

in Science News on 2024-12-06 22:06:33 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Notre Dame is reopening. What does that mean for its acoustics?

Researcher Brian Katz is studying the acoustics of the Paris cathedral and how it’s been altered throughout the centuries.

in Science News on 2024-12-06 20:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

A Mysterious Respiratory Disease Has the Democratic Republic of the Congo on High Alert

The WHO has sent epidemiologists to the country to uncover the cause of the illness, which has killed more than 70 people, half of them children.

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-06 18:52:48 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Space missions spanned the solar system in 2024

Humankind accomplished new feats in space this year, including scooping up some of the moon’s farside and launching a probe to Jupiter’s moon Europa.

in Science News on 2024-12-06 18:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Astronomers detect the first astrosphere around a sunlike star

Finding a bubble of hot gas blown by the stellar wind from a young star gives researchers a peek at what our sun was like when it was young.

in Science News on 2024-12-06 16:00:43 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Skip the Sea Kelp Supplements (2024)

Sea kelp, otherwise known as bladderwrack, has become a trendy superfood. But the modern hype doesn’t hold up.

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-06 15:02:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

How the weight loss drug tirzepatide is also helping heart failure patients

Data continue to show that tirzepatide, called Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss, is safe and effective, but side effects remain.

in Science News on 2024-12-06 14:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Environmental Sensing Is Here, Tracking Everything from Forest Fires to Threatened Species

The internet of things turned every device in your house into a smart something. Now it’s coming for nature—to track forest fires and tree health or to listen out for threatened animals.

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-06 12:30:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Why Soccer Players Are Training in the Dark

Sports science company Okkulo has shown that its specially lit training environment can improve players’ visual-motor skills—and a growing number of sports are starting to test it out.

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-06 11:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

HMM Python package comparison

At the beginning of my postdoc, I searched for and compared Python packages for fitting hidden Markov models. As this may be useful to other HMM fans, I am sharing the resulting table, which non-comprehensively covers various features of IOHMM and Dynamax. Feature Description IOHMM Dynamax GaussianHMM HMM with Gaussian emissions, Gaussian mixture model UnSupervisedIOHMMContinue reading

in CoCoSys lab on 2024-12-06 10:34:22 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

2024 in review

Each year, I quickly review science, lab, life and everything. See 2021 in review, 2022 in review, 2023 in review. Last year, I… For the year to come, I look forward to

in CoCoSys lab on 2024-12-06 09:16:25 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Schneider Shorts 6.12.2024 – An important step towards addressing UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

Schneider Shorts 6.12.2024 - a family business with pelvic implants, whitewashing in France, NIH sabotaged from inside, fraud funded in Australia, with Iranian papermills, unethical trials in Sweden, US Congress on COVID origins, and finally, how cannabis consume causes fake data and chocolate avoidance causes diabetes.

in For Better Science on 2024-12-06 06:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Science places expressions of concern on two articles as Toronto’s Sinai Health investigates

Science has issued expressions of concern for two articles from the lab of Daniel Durocher, a professor of molecular genetics at the University of Toronto.

The notices, and two more editor’s notes on Nature articles, follow PubPeer comments on several of Durocher’s papers pointing out potentially duplicated images, as described by ForBetterScience. Durocher has responded to many of the comments promising to look into the issues.

Besides his academic positions at Toronto and the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health, Durocher co-founded Repare Therapeutics, a biotech company with five ongoing clinical trials of potential treatments for cancer.

The two Science articles, “Mitosis inhibits DNA double-strand break repair to guard against telomere fusions” from 2014, and “Orchestration of the DNA-damage response by the RNF8 ubiquitin ligase,” from 2007, together have been cited nearly 1,000 times, according to Clarivate’s Web of Science.

In an email to Retraction Watch, Jovana Drinjakovic, the science communications officer at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health, confirmed the institution is investigating the 2014 paper:

We acknowledge that the journal Science is planning to publish the Editorial Expression of Concern regarding two studies that were published in 2007 and 2014. While the 2007 paper has a figure error that the authors are working to correct, the 2014 paper was noted to contain data irregularities. As soon as the senior author was made aware of the irregularities pertaining to the 2014 study, he promptly notified Sinai Health. This triggered an internal inquiry, in accordance with its policy on addressing research misconduct allegations.

We received Drinjakovic’s email after reaching out to Durocher for comment.

“The senior author is currently in discussions with the journal about the next steps,” Drinjakovic said, referring to Durocher. “It would be inappropriate to comment further on this matter until the internal process has been completed.”

In April 2021, an anonymous user on PubPeer commented on the 2007 paper, identifying “more similar than expected” microscopy images in one figure. Durocher responded the same month, agreeing with the observation and stating he would “search for the original timelapse movie and will correct if needed.”

The expression of concern for the article states:

The authors informed the editors of a duplicate image in Fig. 3D. We are alerting readers to this concern while we work with the authors to determine an appropriate correction to the paper.

Stephen P. Jackson, of the University of Cambridge, in England, and the penultimate author on the paper, has previously retracted articles from Cell, Nature, and Science.

Last month, scientific sleuth Sholto David, who uses the PubPeer handle “Mycosphaerella arachidis,” pointed out potential duplications in six figures of the 2014 Science article. Durocher responded:

Thank you for raising these issues. They are taken seriously. I have alerted my Institute director about the noted irregularities and they will be investigated.

The expression of concern states:

The editors and authors have been made aware of potential data integrity issues in several figures. We are alerting readers to this concern while we work with the institution and the authors to determine an appropriate course of action.

David told Retraction Watch the notice “should just be a retraction.” He called the paper “very muddled” and its data “extensively manipulated.”

Meagan Phelan, the communications director for the Science family of journals, confirmed PubPeer “was among the impetuses” for the notices. She added:

The authors have been swift and thorough to respond to us and to address related issues. We’re seeing more and more authors work quickly and thoughtfully to correct the record in this way, and it continues to encourage us.

On November 21, Nature added editor’s notes to two of Durocher’s papers, “A mechanism for the suppression of homologous recombination in G1 cells,” from 2015, and “53BP1 is a reader of the DNA-damage-induced H2A Lys 15 ubiquitin mark,” from 2013. The articles have been cited nearly 900 times. Both notices state:

Readers are alerted that concerns have been raised regarding the reliability of data presented in this article. Further editorial action will be taken if appropriate once the investigation into the concerns is complete and all parties have been given an opportunity to respond in full.

David also in November commented on the Nature studies with questions about the data. Durocher and the first author of one of the articles responded, promising to look into the questions.

Like Retraction Watch? You can make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, add us to your RSS reader, or subscribe to our daily digest. If you find a retraction that’s not in our database, you can let us know here. For comments or feedback, email us at team@retractionwatch.com.

Processing…

Success! You're on the list.

Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.

in Retraction watch on 2024-12-05 19:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Climate change made 2024 the hottest year on record. The heat was deadly

Heat waves fueled by climate change killed scores of people and upended daily life. Here are some of those stories.

in Science News on 2024-12-05 18:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Meet a scientist tracking cactus poaching in the Atacama Desert

Botanist Pablo Guerrero has been visiting Atacama cacti all his life. They’re not adapting well to a drier climate, booming mining and plant collection.

in Science News on 2024-12-05 16:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Climate stress may undermine male spiders’ romantic gift giving

Even spider love lives show an effect of climate uncertainty: Stressed males may offer a bit of silk-wrapped junk rather than a tasty insect treat.

in Science News on 2024-12-05 14:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

A spacecraft duo will fly in formation to create artificial solar eclipses

ESA’s Proba-3 mission will use one satellite to block out the sun for another satellite, bringing the sun’s middle corona into new focus.

in Science News on 2024-12-05 10:53:36 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

We’ve Never Been Closer to Finding Life Outside Our Solar System

Thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope, we may have spotted a galactic neighbor with all the right molecular ingredients a mere 40 light-years away.

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-05 09:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Dietary evidence bolsters Clovis hunters’ reputation as mammoth killers

Mammoths made up as much as 40 percent of the ancient North Americans’ diet, a chemical analysis of human remains reveals.

in Science News on 2024-12-04 19:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Trees are failing to adapt to climate change. Losing fungi partners may be why

Certain fungi give trees nutrients and water, but heat and drought are putting both at risk.

in Science News on 2024-12-04 15:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

New videos reveal the hidden lives of Andean bears

The footage give clues to the range of plants the bears eat and how they mate, information important for conservation.

in Science News on 2024-12-04 13:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

A Parasite That Eats Cattle Alive Is Creeping North Toward the US

For decades, the screwworm was eliminated in North America, but containment efforts in Panama have failed. Now cattle smugglers are helping the parasite advance north.

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-04 10:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Lasers Are Making It Easier to Find Buried Land Mines

The technology searches for buried objects by sending vibrations into the ground and measuring what comes back.

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-04 09:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Here’s how long it would take 100 worms to eat the plastic in one face mask

An experiment reveals that a bio-solution to humans’ microplastics mess is likely to fall short, but could inspire other ways to attack the problem.

in Science News on 2024-12-04 00:01:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Mark Cuban’s War on Drug Prices: ‘How Much Fucking Money Do I Need?’

“I’m not trying to land on Mars,” Cost Plus Drugs founder Mark Cuban joked at WIRED’s The Big Interview event.

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-03 23:38:58 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Wiley medical journal retracts dozens of papers for manipulated peer review, with more to come

International Wound Journal, a Wiley title, has retracted 27 papers since June with notices mentioning “manipulated” or “compromised” peer review.

“A comprehensive investigation examining manipulated peer review in this journal is in progress,” a Wiley spokesperson told Retraction Watch. The publisher anticipates retracting more articles as the investigation continues.

The first retraction of the batch, of the November 2023 article “Analysis of the Association Between Serum Levels of 25(OH)D, Retinol Binding Protein, and Cyclooxygenase-2 and the Disease Severity in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers,” appeared June 14. The notice stated Wiley and the journal’s editor in chief “concluded that the peer review process of this article was manipulated” following an investigation by the publisher.

The authors “did not respond to the notice of retraction,” according to the notice. Corresponding author Liwei Bai of The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University in Weihui, China, did not immediately respond to our request for comment.

Although the Wiley spokesperson told us the publisher’s investigation began “through our standard processes and channels prior to the receipt of inquiries from external parties,” 20 of the retractions in the batch credited “a third party.” These notices stated:

It came to the publisher’s attention from a third party that a number of articles shared concerning similarities in format and structure. Following an investigation by the publisher, the retraction has been agreed on as the peer review and publishing process for this article were found to be manipulated

Five papers pulled November 12 have different notices, which stated the articles were accepted “solely on the basis of a compromised peer review process,” and therefore must be retracted.

International Wound Journal recently became open access, according to a September 2023 editorial marking the journal’s 20th birthday. The journal had increased its number of editions from eight to 10 in 2023, and would add two more in 2024, the editors wrote, “as our submission volumes have increased exponentially.” The editors also shared plans to publish “several ‘special’ editions to supplement our annual editions.”

In an August editorial, the editors acknowledged some of the increase in submissions the journal had seen “is related to ‘papermill’ type activity.” They continued:

This has challenged our submission and review process. To manage this, we are implementing significant back-end processes to identify and reject such content. We are also creating the largest single editorial board for any wound care journal, to strengthen our review process to enhance its effectiveness. This has become necessary to ensure the continued quality of our journal, especially considering the threat that “papermill type” activity may have on our overall subject area. This is a global challenge to the world of academic and clinical research. It is something that the IWJ does not take lightly and we are working diligently in playing our part to minimize its impact in the world of wound care.

Like Retraction Watch? You can make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, add us to your RSS reader, or subscribe to our daily digest. If you find a retraction that’s not in our database, you can let us know here. For comments or feedback, email us at team@retractionwatch.com.

Processing…

Success! You're on the list.

Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.

in Retraction watch on 2024-12-03 20:45:47 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Starchy nanofibers shatter the record for world’s thinnest pasta

The fibers, made from white flour and formic acid, average just 372 nanometers in diameter and might find use in biodegradable bandages.

in Science News on 2024-12-03 16:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Ethiopian wolves are the first large carnivores found to slurp nectar

Wolves from three different packs were seen licking red hot poker flowers. That sweet tooth could make them the first known large predator pollinators.

in Science News on 2024-12-03 14:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

An unexpected ice collapse hints at worrying changes on the Antarctic coast

The Conger Ice Shelf disintegrated in 2022. Satellite data leading up to the collapse hint at worrying changes in a supposedly stable ice sheet.

in Science News on 2024-12-03 10:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Martin Birchall, Paolo De Coppi, and other clowns of UCL’s degenerative medicine

Several years ago, UCL investigated the Macchiarini affair and found their surgeon Martin Birchall was not only innocent, but also entitled to more money and more patients to experiment upon. Now, Patricia Murray was awarded for exposing this UCL malfeasance, and Sholto David scrutinised UCL papers for data manipulation.

in For Better Science on 2024-12-03 06:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Crossref suspends company’s membership after Retraction Watch report

Crossref, a nonprofit focused on metadata of scholarly publications, has suspended the membership of a company linked to websites which copied the appearance of journals belonging to Elsevier and Springer Nature, among others from major publishers, Retraction Watch has learned.

The move follows Anna Abalkina’s reporting on Retraction Watch about the activities of Springer Global Publications, which had used its membership in Crossref to assign Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to papers in 13 journals with similar names to those established by legitimate publishers. The DOIs linked to papers on webpages mimicking the appearance of the original journals.

Springer Global Publications did not immediately respond to our request for comment on the suspension of its Crossref membership. The company previously told us it did not “create, review, or manage the content associated with the identifiers we issue,” and did not publish any journals.

The website of the company has also been suspended by its hosting provider, and is no longer available online.

Ginny Hendricks of Crossref told us the organization had suspended Springer Global Publications for “misrepresenting information on their application form,” because the company told us they don’t publish the journals they provide DOIs for. “Sometimes these things take months, but this was clear cut,” Hendricks said.

[Editor’s note: Crossref acquired the Retraction Watch Database last year and funds our efforts to maintain and update the repository.]

According to Crossref’s policies on suspending or revoking membership, the executive committee of the nonprofit’s board must review and ratify the decision to revoke membership. The board’s next meeting will likely take place in January, Hendricks said, but in the meantime Springer Global Publications “can’t access the system and are already suspended from membership.”

Like Retraction Watch? You can make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, add us to your RSS reader, or subscribe to our daily digest. If you find a retraction that’s not in our database, you can let us know here. For comments or feedback, email us at team@retractionwatch.com.

Processing…

Success! You're on the list.

Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.

in Retraction watch on 2024-12-03 04:22:33 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Sheltering from Time: A Review of Time Shelter

In this review, Rebecca Pope discusses the International Booker Prize winning novel, 'Time Shelter'. Georgi Gospodinov discusses transporting patients with Alzheimer's Disease back in time in a 'clinic for the past', as a promising treatment. But is this always a good idea?...

Bulgarian author, Georgi Gospodinov, brings us his third novel, ‘Time Shelter’, which brings us into the world of Alzheimer’s Disease through the eyes of a fictional narrator, while discussing the utility of immersive therapies.

‘Time Shelter’ was a fascinating read. Having completed a Neuroscience MSci degree, I had scientific knowledge of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) already, but this text was based on the patient experience - a new angle for me as a preclinical researcher. Fortunately, I have never had someone close to me develop AD, so have not personally experienced how awful it is for a friend or family member.

In the book, Gospodinov delves into the idea of immersive therapies, alongside a clinician, Gaustine, creating floors of a clinic focused on a specific year, or decade, of times past. By utilising seemingly fictional patient stories - their backgrounds, the time they are living in, their changing relationships, their response to the immersion - Gospodinov discusses his interactions with them and the emotions that are raised both for them, as well as within him, in-depth during every observation. In fact, the clinic is so successful that individuals with no memory loss are also keen to experience the past!

It is difficult to know how each person will experience their decline and loss of memory after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, or in which time they will be ‘living’ for the foreseeable future. Will they be ‘reliving’ a traumatic time of their life, or will it be a place of comfort? How can we support them and make them comfortable? This is yet another example of why personalised therapies are so important.

We are collections of our memories - if they are unwillingly stripped from us, who remains?

Whilst creating these realistic and dystopian, frozen moments in time, Gospodinov highlighted the attention to detail that is required, including about things that in the moment do not seem particularly important (advertisements, trending colours, widespread opinions, major news stories, popular children’s toys). It gave me an appreciation for the things immediately around me as I was sitting reading the book in the park - the fashion, the language, the 2024 obsession with running!

We are collections of our memories - if they are unwillingly stripped from us, who remains? Do we instead become a collection of the memories that other people possess of us? It is incredible that something, be it a scent or a piece of music, can suddenly bring people back to themselves, reanimating them (and sometimes giving seemingly non-verbal people the power of speech). Knowing what these prompts are is the major difficulty, and a clinician must spend ample amounts of time with the patient or their friends and family to gather personal information to try to guess at these things. Unfortunately, it seems that in these cases, the brain is effectively locking away our memories and forgetting to label the key…

Is it right to have somebody living in another time with the ‘real’ world passing them by outside?

The novel also touches on the ethics of the treatments; is it right to have somebody living in another time with the ‘real’ world passing them by outside? Gospodinov also raises the question: is it always a good idea to feed their illusion? The example he uses is of a lady who has returned to living in a time of perpetual fear, as a prisoner of Auschwitz. Certainly, there are very real moral questions to be asked here, to be considered on a case by case basis. The latter half of the book focused on the dystopian introduction of a political voting system for European countries to select which decade they would like to live in. Gospodinov went into intricate detail about the politics, music, affluence, and other factors of each country in the decades chosen. This was an intriguing and terrifying concept, but was also a bit dry to read.

With our ageing society, AD is becoming more prevalent, and the likelihood that we will know someone affected by the disease is ever increasing. In 2019, more than 55.2 million people were experiencing dementia in old age and this number is predicted to increase to 78 million by 2030 (1). It is becoming more and more urgent to develop therapies that can provide immediate comfort for patients, with the long-term goal of developing preventative treatments. I think that immersive experiences would be a relief for people with AD who are distressed and confused, largely stuck in the past. The isolation and frustration that patients must feel to not be understood and to be alone in their experience is truly devastating and difficult for those around them.

Overall, ‘Time Shelter’ was an interesting read, with its title being a clever nod to ‘bomb shelter’, implying that the immersive therapies are providing a literal shelter from time. It

prompts the reader to reflect about the best, personalised care for people with AD and raises moral questions surrounding treatment.

Reference:

1 - Yi, X., Liu, Z., Li, H. et al. Immersive experiences in museums for elderly with cognitive disorders: a user-centered design approach. Sci Rep 14, 1971 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51929-4

This post was written by Rebecca Pope and edited by Julia Dabrowska, with graphics produced by Lilly Green. If you enjoyed this article, be the first to be notified about new posts by signing up to become a WiNUK member (top right of this page)! Interested in writing for WiNUK yourself? Contact us through the blog page and the editors will be in touch.

in Women in Neuroscience UK on 2024-12-02 18:30:09 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Neandertals may have built a hearth specifically to make tar

Findings from a cave in Gibraltar suggests Neandertals may have used complex fire structures to obtain adhesives from plants.

in Science News on 2024-12-02 18:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Electronic ‘tattoos’ offer an alternative to electrodes for brain monitoring

A standard EEG test requires electrodes that come with pitfalls. A spray-on ink, capable of carrying electrical signals, avoids some of those.

in Science News on 2024-12-02 16:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Giant hornets have been sighted in Europe for the first time

Four southern giant hornets have turned up in Spain. Similar stingers, known for honeybee attacks, had the Pacific Northwest on edge a few years ago.

in Science News on 2024-12-02 13:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Can Artificial Rain, Drones, or Satellites Clean Toxic Air?

India’s capital has turned to tech to fight its worst air pollution in eight years.

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-02 11:30:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

These Stem Cell Treatments Are Worth Millions. Donors Get Paid $200

A Swedish startup wants to democratize stem cell treatments, but the finances of the unproven therapies raise ethical questions.

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-02 10:30:25 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

The End Is Near for NASA’s Voyager Probes

The two probes have left the solar system and are still collecting data from the interstellar environment—but their atomic hearts are growing weaker and weaker.

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-02 09:30:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Chocolate Has a Sustainability Problem. Science Thinks It's Found the Answer

Scientists have discovered a new way of making chocolate that uses the entire cocoa pod to reduce waste and improve farmer revenue streams. But can chocolate made any other way taste as sweet?

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-01 11:30:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

An Uncertain Future Requires Uncertain Prediction Skills

Forecasting is both art and science, reliant on both rigor and luck—but you can develop a mindset that anticipates and plans ahead.

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-01 09:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

The Mystery of How Supermassive Black Holes Merge

The giant holes in galaxies’ centers shouldn’t be able to combine, yet combine they do. Scientists suggest that an unusual form of dark matter may be the solution.

in WIRED Science on 2024-12-01 07:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Open Knowledge | Katina Magazine

"Introducing Katina! 📣 Katina is a digital publication that addresses the value of hashtag#librarians to society and elevates their role as trusted stewards of knowledge. Named after Katina Strauch, the visionary founder of the hashtagCharlestonConference, it is written by and for the international communities of librarians, vendors, and hashtagpublishers. Katina is organized into three core sections and one of them is Open Knowledge"

in Open Access Tracking Project: news on 2024-12-01 02:16:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Readers ask about glowing bat toes and a rare particle decay

Toe-tally mysterious Hairs on the toes of Mexican free-tailed bats light up under ultraviolet light, but the reason is unknown, Jason Bittel reported in “Mexican free-tailed bats’ toes glow in the dark” (SN: 8/28/24). Reader Eleanor Peterson asked if the glowing toes might attract prey. It is unlikely, but it is a logical thought, says […]

in Science News on 2024-11-30 12:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

The $60 Billion Potential Hiding in Your Discarded Gadgets

Rich nations mine just a fraction of e-waste, leaving $60 billion a year in critical metals wasting away in boxes and drawers. But in West Africa, a dangerous recycling work is thriving.

in WIRED Science on 2024-11-30 12:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Weekend reads: Cassava’s Alzheimer’s drug fails; new journal hijacking scam; Hong Kong academic jailed

Giving Tuesday is coming up. Would you consider a donation to support Weekend Reads, and our daily work?

The week at Retraction Watch featured:

Our list of retracted or withdrawn COVID-19 papers is up past 450. There are more than 50,000 retractions in The Retraction Watch Database — which is now part of Crossref. The Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker now contains more than 300 titles. And have you seen our leaderboard of authors with the most retractions lately — or our list of top 10 most highly cited retracted papers? What about The Retraction Watch Mass Resignations List — or our list of nearly 100 papers with evidence they were written by ChatGPT?

Here’s what was happening elsewhere (some of these items may be paywalled, metered access, or require free registration to read):

“Controversial Alzheimer’s drug from Cassava Sciences fails clinical testing.”
“Hong Kong jails pro-democracy academic Benny Tai for 10 years.”
“Revealed: Saudi Arabia accused of modifying official Cop29 negotiating text.”
“Researchers urged to give local leaders credit on research papers.”
“Standard Terminology for Peer Review: Where Next?”
“Neglect of hidden academic labour ‘bad for science.'”
Researcher tracks “trends in hoaxes of academic communication.”
“Experts fail to reliably detect AI-generated histological data,” researchers find.
“Scientific publishers are producing more papers than ever: Concerns about some of their business models are building.”
“The paper mills helping China commit scientific fraud.”
“Stanford expert on ‘lying and technology'” cites two nonexistent papers under oath.
“A call for research to address the threat of paper mills.”
“Worryingly high prevalence of retraction among top-cited researchers.”
“Business School Professors Contend With a Fraught Publishing Landscape.”
“eLife reports submissions shift over Impact Factor loss.”
Claim that scientist found Christopher Columbus’ remains criticized for “total lack of evidence,” presentation postponed.
If research misconduct is labeled a “felony” and questionable research practices “misdemeanours,” how should plagiarism be labeled?
“What are paper mills, how they act and their consequences to science: an introduction to the tip of the iceberg.”
“Publishing in January and Impact on Citations: Does the Data Support the Strategy?”
“Methods to reduce fraudulent participation and highlight autistic voices in research.”
“Suspected Undeclared Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Academic Literature: An Analysis of the Academ-AI Dataset.”
“Promoting equity in medical research: ensuring access to publishing opportunities for researchers in Syria and Palestine.”
“Digital preservation is not keeping up with the growth of scholarly knowledge.”
“Norway wrestles with plagiarism in year of high-profile cases.”
“The reproducibility crisis and other problems in science,” a talk.
Paper blaming COVID-19 vaccines for excess mortality
comes under scrutiny.
“Case studies are vital to monitoring the development of open science.”
“A study on the knowledge, attitude, and practice of research integrity among medical professionals in Ningxia, China.”
“In the big data era, prioritize statistical significance in study design.”

Upcoming Testimony

Canada Parliament House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research, Dec. 3, 2024, “Impact of the Criteria for Awarding Federal Funding on Research Excellence in Canada“

Like Retraction Watch? You can make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, add us to your RSS reader, or subscribe to our daily digest. If you find a retraction that’s not in our database, you can let us know here. For comments or feedback, email us at team@retractionwatch.com.

Processing…

Success! You're on the list.

Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.

in Retraction watch on 2024-11-30 11:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Tune In to the Healing Powers of a Decent Playlist

Music therapy will move from the fringes of modern medicine to become a sophisticated tool for improving health outcomes.

in WIRED Science on 2024-11-30 09:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Returning the Amazon Rainforest to Its True Caretakers

Indigenous peoples forced from the Amazon rainforest are finally getting the legal power to return—and it’s not only about justice. Under their stewardship, the forests can thrive.

in WIRED Science on 2024-11-29 09:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

Schneider Shorts 29.11.2024 – All organs are similar and identical

Schneider Shorts 29.11.2024 - an Alzheimer's biotech in free fall, an Israeli Scientist explains the unexplainable, a German fraudster indicted, with a butterfly bully, good fellows and bad fellows, inconsistencies in PLOS One, and finally, with some hot chocolate to clean your brain.

in For Better Science on 2024-11-29 06:00:00 UTC.

- Wallabag.it! - Save to Instapaper - Save to Pocket -

How the World Can Cope Better With Extreme Rainfall and Flooding

Climate change, misdiagnosed vulnerability, and ignorance of risk amplify extreme rainfall disasters.

in WIRED Science on 2024-11-28 12:30:00 UTC.

Planet Neuroscientists

An aggregation of RSS feeds from various neuroscience blogs.

Feed list