From the discovery of the Higgs boson to the landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars, 2012 was an eventful year in science. Nature’s end of year round-up reviews the highs and lows in research and science policy.
Cells linked to empathy and consciousness in primates may offer clues to human self-awareness
For the first time, government scientists are saying recent extreme weather events are likely connected to man-made climate change. It’s the conclusion of a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The report says last year’s record drought in Texas was made “roughly 20 times more likely” because of man made climate change, specifically…
From Massimo Pigliucci’s Rationally Speaking blog: Here is an interesting statistic: if we multiply the (approximate) number of computers currently present on planet Earth by the (approximate) number of transistors contained in those computers we get 10^18, which is three orders of magnitude larger than the number of synapses in a typical human brain. Which…
Sometimes, history really does seem to repeat itself. For the past 15 years, Peter Turchin, who studies population dynamics at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, has been taking the mathematical techniques that once allowed him to track predator–prey cycles in forest ecosystems, and applying them to human history. He has analyzed historical records on…
Superstorm Sandy was no freak, say experts, but rather a hint of a coming era when millions of Americans will struggle to survive killer weather. They’re telling us we shouldn’t be surprised that this 900-mile-wide monster marched up the East Coast paralyzing cities and claiming scores of lives. “It’s a foretaste of things to come,”…
A “punk-sized” dinosaur with porcupine-like bristles featured some flashy stabbing self-sharpening fangs – although it likely only had a taste for plants. The newly identified dinosaur, named Pegomastax africanus, or “thick jaw from Africa,” was a mere two feet long and weighed less than a modern housecat in the flesh. Its remains were chipped out…