Showing 20 articles starting at article 581
Categories: Mathematics: Modeling, Paleontology: Fossils
Published Glass-like shells of diatoms help turn light into energy in dim conditions


A new study has revealed how the glass-like shells of diatoms help these microscopic organisms perform photosynthesis in dim conditions. A better understanding of how these phytoplankton harvest and interact with light could lead to improved solar cells, sensing devices and optical components.
Published World's oldest meal helps unravel mystery of our earliest animal ancestors


The contents of the last meal consumed by the earliest animals known to inhabit Earth more than 550 million years ago has unearthed new clues about the physiology of our earliest animal ancestors, according to scientists.
Published Earth might be experiencing 7th mass extinction, not 6th


Earth is currently in the midst of a mass extinction, losing thousands of species each year. New research suggests environmental changes caused the first such event in history, which occurred millions of years earlier than scientists previously realized.
Published 1,700-year-old spider monkey remains discovered in Teotihuacán, Mexico



The complete skeletal remains of a spider monkey -- seen as an exotic curiosity in pre-Hispanic Mexico -- grants researchers new evidence regarding social-political ties between two ancient powerhouses: Teotihuacán and Maya Indigenous rulers. The remains of other animals were also discovered, as well as thousands of Maya-style mural fragments and over 14,000 ceramic sherds from a grand feast. These pieces are more than 1,700 years old.
Published Solid salamander: Prehistoric amphibian was as heavy as a pygmy hippo


Scientists have calculated the body mass of two ancient amphibians.
Published Rapid fluctuations in oxygen levels coincided with Earth's first mass extinction


Rapid changes in marine oxygen levels may have played a significant role in driving Earth's first mass extinction, according to a new study.
Published Ray-finned fish survived mass extinction event


Ray-finned fish, now the most diverse group of backboned animals, were not as hard hit by a mass extinction event 360 million years ago as scientists previously thought.
Published Tiniest ever ancient seawater pockets revealed


Ancient seawater pockets offer a new source of clues to climate change in vanished oceans and our own.
Published Earth can regulate its own temperature over millennia, new study finds


A new study confirms that the planet harbors a 'stabilizing feedback' mechanism that acts over hundreds of thousands of years to keep global temperatures within a steady, habitable range.
Published Footprints claimed as evidence of ice age humans in North America need better dating, new research shows


The preserved footprints found in New Mexico's Lake Otero Basin would upend scientific understanding of how, and when, humans first arrived in North America, if they are accurately dated. A new study brings the age claim into question.
Published Welsh 'weird wonder' fossils add piece to puzzle of arthropod evolution



International team of researchers describe new fossil species discovered in fossil deposit near Llandrindod Wells in mid-Wales. The fossil, Mierridduryn bonniae, shares many features with Cambrian 'weird wonder' Opabinia, but is 40 million years younger. Robust phylogenetic analyses suggest that Mierridduryn is either the third opabiniid ever discovered, or is a distinct group that is key for understanding the evolution of the arthropod head.
Published Scientists promote FAIR standards for managing artificial intelligence models


Computational scientists adopt new framework for making AI models more findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable.
Published How network pruning can skew deep learning models


Computer science researchers have demonstrated that a widely used technique called neural network pruning can adversely affect the performance of deep learning models, detailed what causes these performance problems, and demonstrated a technique for addressing the challenge.
Published Machine learning, from you


Many computer systems people interact with on a daily basis require knowledge about certain aspects of the world, or models, to work. These systems have to be trained, often needing to learn to recognize objects from video or image data. This data often contains superfluous content that reduces the accuracy of models. So researchers found a way to incorporate natural hand gestures into the teaching process. This way, users can more easily teach machines about objects, and the machines can also learn more effectively.
Published Mathematicians explain how some fireflies flash in sync


A new study by mathematicians shows that math borrowed from neuroscience can describe how swarms of these unique insects coordinate their light show, capturing key details about how they behave in the wild.
Published A faster experiment to find and study topological materials


Researchers have found an efficient way to identify 'topological' materials, whose surfaces can have different electrical or functional properties than their interiors. The approach should make it easier uncover materials that could be the basis of next-generation computer chips or quantum devices.
Published Rewards only promote cooperation if the other person also learns about them


Researchers show that reputation plays a key role in determining which rewarding policies people adopt. Using game theory, they explain why individuals learn to use rewards to specifically promote good behavior.
Published Unveiling the dimensionality of complex networks through hyperbolic geometry



Reducing redundant information to find simplifying patterns in data sets and complex networks is a scientific challenge in many knowledge fields. Moreover, detecting the dimensionality of the data is still a hard-to-solve problem. A new article presents a method to infer the dimensionality of complex networks through the application of hyperbolic geometrics, which capture the complexity of relational structures of the real world in many diverse domains.
Published Mathematical modeling suggests U.S. counties are still unprepared for COVID spikes



America was unprepared for the magnitude of the pandemic, which overwhelmed many counties and filled some hospitals to capacity. A new study suggests there may have been a mathematical method, of sorts, to the madness of those early COVID days.
Published Music class in sync with higher math scores -- but only at higher-income schools


Music and arts classes are often first on the chopping block when schools face tight budgets and pressure to achieve high scores on standardized tests. But it's precisely those classes that can increase student interest in school and even benefit their math achievement, according to a new study.