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Categories: Anthropology: Early Humans, Mathematics: Puzzles
Published Researchers reconstruct the genome of centuries-old E. coli using fragments extracted from an Italian mummy
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have identified and reconstructed the first ancient genome of E. coli, using fragments extracted from the gallstone of a 16th century mummy.
Published Bioarchaeological evidence of very early Islamic burials in the Levant
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study combining archaeological, historical and bioarchaeological data provides new insights into the early Islamic period in modern-day Syria. The research team was planning to focus on a much older time period but came across what they believe to be remains of early Muslims in the Syrian countryside.
Published Chromatin originated in ancient microbes one to two billion years ago
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers now reveal that nature's storage solution first evolved in ancient microbes living on Earth between one and two billion years ago.
Published 'Fantastic giant tortoise,' believed extinct, confirmed alive in the Galápagos
(via sciencedaily.com) A tortoise from a Galápagos species long believed extinct has been found alive. Fernanda, named after her Fernandina Island home, is the first of her species identified in more than a century. Geneticist successfully extracted DNA from a specimen collected from the same island more than a century ago and confirmed that Fernanda and the museum specimen are members of the same species and genetically distinct from all other Galápagos tortoises.
Published How species form: What the tangled history of polar bear and brown bear relations tells us
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study is providing an enhanced look at the intertwined evolutionary histories of polar bears and brown bears. Becoming separate species did not completely stop these animals from mating with each other. Scientists have known this for some time, but the new research draws on an expanded dataset -- including DNA from an ancient polar bear tooth -- to tease out more detail.
Published What oxytocin can tell us about the evolution of human prosociality
(via sciencedaily.com) Modern humans are characterized by their prosociality, a broad term that encompasses intraspecies empathy, social tolerance, cooperation and altruism. These facets of social cognition have been associated with variations in the oxytocin and vasotocin genes (OT and VT) and their receptors (OTR and VTR).To shed light on the genetic basis of this behavior, scientists carried out a new study comparing the available genomic sequences of these genes between modern humans, non-human primate species (e.g., chimpanzees, bonobos, and macaques) and archaic humans, using all the available genomes of Neanderthals and Denisovans.
Published Scientists reveal how seascapes of the ancient world shaped genetic structure of European populations
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have explored the importance of sea travel in prehistory by examining the genomes of ancient Maltese humans and comparing these with the genomes of this period from across Europe. Previous findings from the archaeological team had suggested that towards the end of the third millennium BC the use of the Maltese temples declined. Now, using genetic data from ancient Maltese individuals the current interdisciplinary research team has suggested a potential contributing cause. Researchers found that these ancient humans lacked some of the signatures of genetic changes that swept across Europe in this period, because of their island separation. Scientists concluded that physical topography, in particular seascapes played a central role as barriers to genetic exchange.
Published Ancient tooth unlocks mystery of Denisovans in Asia
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What links a finger bone and some fossil teeth found in a cave in the remote Altai Mountains of Siberia to a single tooth found in a cave in the limestone landscapes of tropical Laos? The answer to this question has been established by an international team of researchers from Laos, Europe, the US and Australia. The human tooth was chanced upon during an archaeological survey in a remote area of Laos. The scientists have shown it originated from the same ancient human population first recognised in Denisova Cave (dubbed the Denisovans), in the Altai Mountains of Siberia (Russia).
Published The numbers don't lie: Australia is failing at maths and we need to find a new formula to arrest the decline
(via sciencedaily.com) Australia has suffered a significant drop in teenage maths proficiency in the past 20 years -- sliding from 11th in the OECD rankings to 29th place out of 38 countries, prompting widespread debate over potential curriculum changes. One researcher says hand gestures could stop the slide.
Published Video games can help boost children's intelligence
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have studied how the screen habits of US children correlates with how their cognitive abilities develop over time. They found that the children who spent an above-average time playing video games increased their intelligence more than the average, while TV watching or social media had neither a positive nor a negative effect.
Published Scientific advance leads to a new tool in the fight against hackers
(via sciencedaily.com) A new form of security identification could soon see the light of day and help us protect our data from hackers and cybercriminals. Quantum mathematicians have solved a mathematical riddle that allows for a person's geographical location to be used as a personal ID that is secure against even the most advanced cyber attacks.
Published Single-photon source paves the way for practical quantum encryption
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers describe new high-purity single-photon source that can operate at room temperature. The source is an important step toward practical applications of quantum technology, such as highly secure communication based on quantum key distribution (QKD).
Published Active video games provide alternative workout
(via sciencedaily.com) Working out isn't known for being fun. But new active video and virtual reality games may help change that. Exergaming, or active video gaming, may be the perfect introduction to helping people be more active, according to new research.
Published Computer games in the classroom: Educational success depends on the teacher
(via sciencedaily.com) Future teachers see educational potential in computer games, study shows. Teacher training should therefore address their potential in the classroom.
Published California's push for computer science education examined
(via sciencedaily.com) Despite California's computer science education policies, gender, racial and ethnic disparities persist among the high schools that offer these courses, the students enrolled in them and the faculty who teach them.
Published Spatial training with blocks and puzzles could unlock the UK's mathematical potential
(via sciencedaily.com) A sustained focus on spatial reasoning training could help children learn science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Published Words are needed to think about numbers, study suggests
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have found a new relationship between counting ability of Tsimane' individuals and their ability to perform matching tasks that involve numbers up to about 25. The results suggest that in order to think about exact numbers, people need to have a word for that number.
Published Researchers use tiny magnetic swirls to generate true random numbers
(via sciencedaily.com) Skyrmions, tiny magnetic anomalies that arise in two-dimensional materials, can be used to generate true random numbers useful in cryptography and probabilistic computing.
Published The power of chaos: A robust and low-cost cryptosystem for the post-quantum era
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists develop a chaos-based stream cipher that can withstand attacks from large-scale quantum computers.
Published A new approach to a $1 million mathematical enigma
(via sciencedaily.com) Numbers like pi, e and phi often turn up in unexpected places in science and mathematics. Pascal's triangle and the Fibonacci sequence also seem inexplicably widespread in nature. Then there's the Riemann zeta function, a deceptively straightforward function that has perplexed mathematicians since the 19th century. The most famous quandary, the Riemann hypothesis, is perhaps the greatest unsolved question in mathematics, with the Clay Mathematics Institute offering a $1 million prize for a correct proof.