A computer visualization depicts a “hypergraph” consisting of relationships between points constructed by repeatedly applying a simple rule for expanding, or “updating,” the network. Stephen Wolfram believes a massively complex hypergraph could represent all of physical space and its contents, a clue to finding the fundamental theory of physics.
COURTESY OF WOLFRAM RESEARCH
No, the coronavirus wasn’t made in a lab, a genetic analysis shows The coronavirus pandemic circling the globe is caused by a natural virus, not one made in a lab, a new study says. The virus’s genetic makeup reveals that SARS-CoV-2 isn’t a mishmash of known viruses, as might be expected if it were human-made. … Read more
[responsivevoice_button rate=”1″ pitch=”1.2″ volume=”0.8″ voice=”US English Female” buttontext=”Story in Audio”] The Ibuprofen Debate Reveals the Danger of Covid-19 Rumors Two weeks ago, national and world health authorities—and armchair experts and worried well-meaning people—were warning anyone concerned about Covid-19 to avoid ibuprofen. Now, facing contradictory evidence, they’ve backed off that claim. But the brief … Read more
[responsivevoice_button rate=”1″ pitch=”1.2″ volume=”0.8″ voice=”US English Female” buttontext=”Story in Audio”] How to Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer Properly scrubbing your hands is one of the best ways to stop the spread of germs and viruses, and to ensure you don’t get sick yourself. But if you don’t have access to soap and clean … Read more
© Provided by Space Artist’s illustration of a black hole. Paul M. Sutter is an astrophysicist at SUNY Stony Brook and the Flatiron Institute, host of Ask a Spaceman and Space Radio, and author of “Your Place in the Universe.” Sutter contributed this article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. We’re used to thinking … Read more
Just like humans and other animals, plants have hormones. Understanding the systems-level actions of transcriptional responses to hormones provides insight into how the genome is reprogrammed in response to environmental stimuli. In a new study, scientists from the Salk Institute reported that the hormone called jasmonic acid is particularly essential for a plant’s defense response … Read more
Image Credit: Sciencemag The Australian bearded dragon may hold secrets to human sleep Scientists seeking the origins of sleep may have uncovered important clues in the Australian bearded dragon. By tracing sleep-related neural signals to a specific region of the lizard’s brain—and linking that region to a mysterious part of the mammalian brain—a new study … Read more