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Phys.org / Ear piercings marked one of the earliest Maya rites of passage, research shows

In a recent study, Ph.D. candidate Yasmine Flynn-Arajdal studied iconographic representations of children in the Classic (ca. 250–950 AD) and Post-classic (ca. 950–1539 AD) imagery, as well as in ethnohistoric and ethnographic ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Atomic Josephson contacts: How Bose-Einstein condensates replicate Shapiro steps

The microscopic processes taking place in superconductors are difficult to observe directly. Researchers at the RPTU University of Kaiserslautern-Landau have therefore implemented a quantum simulation of the Josephson effect: ...

Dec 12, 2025 in Physics
Tech Xplore / China's smaller manufacturers look to catch the automation wave

In a light-filled workshop in eastern China, a robotic arm moved a partially assembled autonomous vehicle as workers calibrated its cameras, typical of the incremental automation being adopted even across smaller factories ...

Dec 14, 2025 in Automotive
Phys.org / Ancient humans mastered fire-making 400,000 years ago, study shows

Scientists in Britain say ancient humans may have learned to make fire far earlier than previously believed, after uncovering evidence that deliberate fire-setting took place in what is now eastern England around 400,000 ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Other Sciences
Medical Xpress / From mind-controlling tech to clinical therapy: An optogenetics roadmap

Researchers at the University of Geneva, together with colleagues in Switzerland, France, the United States and Israel, describe how optogenetic control of brain cells and circuits is already steering both indirect neuromodulatory ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Neuroscience
Phys.org / What lies beneath Greenland could change what we know about rising seas

A new study led by researchers at the University of Ottawa provides a series of highly detailed 3D models of the Earth's temperature beneath Greenland and northeastern Canada, providing insights into the region's geological ...

Dec 8, 2025 in Earth
Medical Xpress / Abdominal obesity and muscle loss increase the risk of death by 83% after age 50, study finds

A study by researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in Brazil, in partnership with University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom, concluded that the combination of abdominal fat and muscle loss ...

Dec 12, 2025 in Overweight & Obesity
Medical Xpress / Tanning beds mutate skin cells far beyond the reach of ordinary sunlight, study shows

Tanning bed use is tied to almost a three-fold increase in melanoma risk, and for the first time, scientists have shown how these devices cause melanoma-linked DNA damage across nearly the entire skin surface, reports a new ...

Dec 12, 2025 in Oncology & Cancer
Tech Xplore / 'Periodic table' for AI methods aims to drive innovation

Artificial intelligence is increasingly used to integrate and analyze multiple types of data formats, such as text, images, audio and video. One challenge slowing advances in multimodal AI, however, is the process of choosing ...

Dec 12, 2025 in Computer Sciences
Phys.org / Searchable Bronze Age site database could help answer key questions about ancient Anatolia

To boost our understanding of a little-known civilization that thrived more than 3,000 years ago, scientists have built an easy-to-use digital catalog of 483 Bronze Age sites in western Anatolia.

Dec 10, 2025 in Other Sciences
Medical Xpress / 3D maps reveal hidden microenvironments shaping mouse brain connectivity

Recent technological and scientific advances have opened new possibilities for neuroscience research, which is in turn leading to interesting new discoveries. Over the past few years, many groups of neuroscientists worldwide ...

Dec 11, 2025 in Neuroscience
Tech Xplore / Tumbleweed aerodynamics inspire hybrid robots for harsh terrains

A new study published in Nature Communications details a hybrid robot that combines the wind-driven mobility of tumbleweeds with active quadcopter control, offering a new paradigm for energy-efficient terrestrial exploration.

Dec 10, 2025 in Robotics