Catherine Griffin : Science World Report

Sep 03, 2013 02:10 PM EDT

Language and Tool-Making Evolved at the Same Time in Human History

What do language and tools have in common? Quite a lot, apparently. Researchers have discovered that the same brain activity found for language production is also associated with making complex tools. It's very possible that both tool-making and language skills evolved at the same time.

Sep 03, 2013 01:33 PM EDT

Fear of Holes May be an Evolutionary Survival Response: Strange Phobia Unraveled

When you think of phobias, your mind may first go to the most common ones: heights, spiders and snakes. Rarely do people consider the fear of holes. Now, scientists have discovered that trypophobia may be an evolutionary survival response.

Sep 03, 2013 12:46 PM EDT

Eastern Red Cedar Trees Recovered After Clean Air Act

It turns out that the Clean Air Act may have had more benefits than expected. Scientists have discovered that this piece of legislation helped red cedars recover from decades of sulfur pollution and acid rain. The findings spell hope for the future and show just how effective certain policies can be...

Sep 03, 2013 11:53 AM EDT

Deep Sea Squid Lures in Prey with Swimming Tentacles (Video)

The deep sea is home to some strange and fantastic creatures. There's the anglerfish with its bright lure, the colossal squid with its teeth-like barbs and the frill shark with its prehistoric appearance. Now, scientists have uncovered a deep sea squid and its method of luring in prey.

Sep 03, 2013 11:23 AM EDT

Industrial Age Soot Melted Alps Glaciers Despite Cold Climate

Soot may have more of an effect on climate than we realized. It turns out that black carbon sent into the air by a rapidly industrializing Europe likely caused the abrupt retreat of mountain glaciers in the European Alps.

Sep 03, 2013 09:59 AM EDT

Generosity Drives Success in Evolution: How Cooperation Works

Generosity and cooperation may just have their roots in evolution. With new insights into the classical game theory match-up known as the "Prisoner's Dilemma," researchers have shown how these two traits succeeded in nature.

Sep 03, 2013 09:13 AM EDT

How New Species Emerge: Genetic Reproductive Barriers May Not be Key

Evolution helps drive the emergence of new species. Yet exactly how new animals and plants arise has baffled scientists for years. Now, researchers have taken a closer look at how new species emerge, revealing that it may not be reproductive barriers that are the driving force behind speciation.

Sep 03, 2013 08:17 AM EDT

Climate Change Drives Spread of Crop Pests: Serious Impacts for Food Security

Climate change may have some serious impacts for farmers. It turns out that as the climate shifts, more and more crop pests are spreading. In fact a new study has shown that these pests are moving at a rate of nearly two miles per year toward the North and South Poles. The findings could have major ...

Sep 03, 2013 07:47 AM EDT

Tiny Gardiner's Frogs Hear with their Mouths: How to Really Swallow Sound

Frogs may not always hear with their ears. A tiny frog from the Seychelles islands, for example, doesn't even have a middle ear with an eardrum, yet it can still communicate and hear other frogs. Now, scientists have unraveled the mystery of how this frog hears; it turns out that it hears with its m...

Sep 02, 2013 11:09 AM EDT

Scientists Unravel Evolution of the Early Universe with Ultracold Atoms

Our universe was first created during the Big Bang, spawning stars and galaxies that helped populate the universe. Now, physicists have reproduced this event, creating a pattern resembling the cosmic wave background radiation in a laboratory simulation.

Sep 02, 2013 09:43 AM EDT

Dementia in Older People May be Prevented by Statins

There may be a new method to prevent dementia in older people. Scientists have discovered that high doses of statins can help. A study of nearly 58,000 patients found that high potency statins had the strongest protective effects against the disease.

Sep 02, 2013 08:46 AM EDT

Whales Tan Like Humans: Sunshine Impacts Pigmentation

Humans aren't the only ones that get a tan. It turns out that whales can also catch a few rays from the sun. Scientists have discovered that whales increase the pigment in their skin in response to sunshine, much like humans do.