New research shows that young orangutans learn essential nest-building skills by watching others and practicing over many years Primatologists from the University of Warwick, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, have discovered how young orangutans acquire one of their most vital survival skills: building secure treetop nests. Why Nests Matter Nest-building is critical to orangutans, who spend their lives high in the forest canopy. A well-built nest provides: Despite its importance, nest-building has often been overlooked…

Researchers uncover the biomechanics behind ripple bugs’ fan-like propellers and translate them into insect-scale robotics Nature-Inspired Innovation A team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Ajou University (South Korea) has uncovered how the unique fan-like propellers of Rhagovelia water striders enable them to maneuver rapidly across turbulent streams. These millimeter-sized insects, also known as “ripple bugs,” use specialized ribbon-shaped fans on their legs that passively open and close like a paintbrush, ten…

Populations in the Southern Caucasus have maintained remarkably consistent genetic ancestry for over 5,000 years, even through periods of significant cultural transformation. Recent research conducted by an international team from Germany, Georgia, Armenia, and Norway indicates that, although there were some genetic inputs from the Eurasian Steppe and Anatolia throughout the Bronze Age, the fundamental local gene pool remained stable across millennia. A Landmark Archaeogenetic Study Researchers at the Max Planck-Harvard Research Centre for the Archaeoscience of the Ancient Mediterranean…

Researchers introduce a new term to explain apes’ fondness for fermented fruit—and how it could illuminate human evolution. What Is ‘Scrumping’? A recent study conducted by academics at Dartmouth and the University of St Andrews introduces a name for a behaviour that has been long observed but never explicitly characterised in great apes: scrumping. The phrase denotes the act of collecting or appropriating fermenting fruits—usually those that have fallen from trees—by apes. “We never bothered to differentiate fruits in trees…

A recent study conducted by experts at the University of Waterloo suggests that female pilots may excel above their male colleagues in high-pressure flight scenarios. The results contest conventional beliefs in aviation and indicate that female pilots may possess distinct advantages that warrant more acknowledgement in pilot training and assessment frameworks. “These findings are exciting because they push us to rethink how we evaluate pilots,” Naila Ayala, the principal author of the study and a postdoctoral scholar at Waterloo’s Multisensory…

Psychological and philosophical research has consistently demonstrated that an individual’s subjective moods and emotions profoundly influence their perception of life’s significance. Philosopher Matthew Ratcliffe noted that an individual’s mood significantly influences perception and is crucial in shaping their understanding of life’s meaning. Empirical studies in psychology have examined the influence of mood on the perception of life’s purpose. Phenomenology has demonstrated that the embodied, first-person experience significantly shapes our perception of the world. In related disciplines, the notions of affordance,…

Recent research elucidates how our brains are inherently attracted to and recognise faces in many contexts. Experiencing the phenomena of face pareidolia occurs when one perceives faces or human-like expressions in ordinary items. A recent study conducted by the University of Surrey has examined how this phenomena captures our attention, perhaps offering insights for advertising in the promotion of future items. The research, published in i-Perception, examined the distinctions between attention directed by averted gazes—when an individual looks away from…

We often communicate emotions through our voice — shifts in tone, pitch, and rhythm can reveal what we’re feeling, even when we don’t say it outright. But what emotions are most commonly expressed through complaints, and do these emotional cues vary across cultures? A new study by researchers in Switzerland and Canada, published in Frontiers in Communication, explores how people vocally express complaints — and how these expressions differ between French and Québécois speakers. “Complaining is differentiated from neutral speech…

Possessing a smartphone before the age of 13 correlates with diminished mental health and well-being in early adulthood, as indicated by a global study including over 100,000 adolescents. A study published today in the peer-reviewed Journal of Human Development and Capabilities revealed that individuals aged 18 to 24 who acquired their first smartphone at age 12 or younger were more prone to report suicidal ideation, aggression, dissociation, inadequate emotional regulation, and diminished self-esteem. The research indicates that the effects of…

The linguistic abilities of contemporary artificial intelligence systems are remarkable. We can now participate in genuine dialogues with systems such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and others, exhibiting a fluency nearly akin to that of a human. Nevertheless, our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms within these networks that yield such extraordinary outcomes remains limited. A recent study published in the Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment (JSTAT) elucidates a component of this enigma. It indicates that when less data is utilised…

The belief that owning a pet improves mental well-being has long been popular. Many assume that adopting a dog or cat leads to greater happiness and reduced loneliness. But new research challenges this assumption, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, when social isolation was widespread and pet adoption rates soared. Exploring the Emotional Role of Pets During Lockdown While it’s often believed that pets bring health and emotional benefits, scientific studies have struggled to consistently confirm this so-called…

Creating AI-focused curriculum and teaching employees how to use AI are priorities of many countries Artificial intelligence is spreading into many aspects of life, from communications and advertising to grading tests. But with the growth of AI comes a shake-up in the workplace. New research from the University of Georgia is shedding light on how different countries are preparing for how AI will impact their workforces. According to previous research, almost half of today’s jobs could vanish over the next 20 years. But it’s not…

The idea seems futuristic: At ETH Zurich, various disciplines are working together to combine conventional materials with bacteria, algae and fungi. The common goal: to create living materials that acquire useful properties thanks to the metabolism of microorganisms – “such as the ability to bind CO2 from the air by means of photosynthesis,” says Mark Tibbitt, Professor of Macromolecular Engineering at ETH Zurich. An interdisciplinary research team led by Tibbitt has now turned this vision into reality: it has stably…

Bedtime procrastination in young adults is associated with negative emotions DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that bedtime procrastination in young adults is associated with specific personality traits, including depressive tendencies. Results show that bedtime procrastination was associated with higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness and extraversion. These results remained significant after statistically adjusting for chronotype. “Our study demonstrated that individuals who habitually procrastinate their bedtime were actually less likely to…

Some two-thirds of riders and drivers for food delivery and ride-hailing apps in the UK may work in fear of “unfair feedback” and experience anxiety over sudden changes to working hours, a new survey study led by the University of Cambridge suggests.* Three-quarters of riders and drivers in the study report anxiety over potential for income to drop, with over half (51%) saying they risk health and safety while working. Some 42% of delivery and driver gig workers say they…

Researchers found the illustrated cards used in Dixit helped evoke emotions in a way that could bridge the gaps between people with and without autism A board game through which players use images on cards to develop and tell their own stories could be particularly appreciated among people with autism as it offers a means to explain their thoughts and feelings, a new study has shown. Dixit, an award-winning game published by the French company Libellud, invites participants to select…