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As Online, Open Access, and Outreach Journal, we promote the democratization of scientific literature to foster dialogues and interest over the most recent scientific advances. Discover our mission.
Journal content
We publish short lay-summaries ("breaks") of scientific research. Our authors are scientists involved in the field of the summarized research. Our readers are academics and laypeople likewise. Learn more.
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Increases in vegetation influenced past temperatures
Better representation of Northern Hemisphere vegetation may resolve a scientific debate over how global temperatures changed during the past 12,000 years. Our new climate model experiments that include these vegetation changes exhibit a peak in global temperature around 6,000 years ago. This peak agrees well with previous studies using paleoclimate archives to reconstruct past temperatures.
RAINmakers: how receptors orchestrate specific cell functions
Feb 2, 2023 | 4 min read by Charlotte Kayser , Andreas BockCities threaten global biodiversity but could also help sustain it
Feb 1, 2023 | 3.5 min read by Rohan SimkinTwo hits in one – the neurobiology of schizophrenia
Jan 30, 2023 | 3 min read by Andrew PocklingtonDoes bacteria control our appetite?
Jan 30, 2023 | 4 min read by Ilana GabanyiMaking nature compute for us
Jan 27, 2023 | 4 min read by Martin M. SteinHighlights
Tiny molecular probes reveal invisible forces inside cells
Jan 10, 2022 in Maths, Physics & Chemistry | 4 min read by Margot RiggiThe seed’s hidden defense arsenal: using bacteria to defend against disease
Feb 10, 2022 in Plant Biology | 3 min read by Haruna Matsumoto , Tomislav Cernava , Mengcen WangBrain activity of conservatives and liberals diverge while watching the news
Jan 5, 2022 in Psychology | 4 min read by Yuan Chang LeongNo need to stress when the dissertation deadline approaches
Feb 18, 2022 in Psychology | 3.5 min read by Max KorbmacherSubjects
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How do immune cells enter tissues to protect the body?
Immune cells can move within our body, even between firmly attached cells. How do they overcome these impediments? Studying fruit fly embryos, we have discovered that immune cells take advantage of dividing cells. Because intercellular attachments disassemble during division, it creates a weak spot in the dense tissue, through which immune cells can migrate.
Jan 17, 2023 | 3.5 min readAn eye-opening molecular explosion
Have you ever wondered how plants make use of sunlight to do photosynthesis? What happens inside your eye such that your brain can perceive your smartphone screen or your coffee cup? It turns out this is eventually triggered by tiny rearrangements of individual atoms. Our aim is to develop an imaging method sensitive enough to watch such processes in single molecules on the atomic level.
Dec 19, 2022 | 4 min readChild masking prevents childcare closure during the COVID-19 pandemic
Masking, a common SARS-CoV-2 risk mitigation strategy, is controversial for children in educational settings such as childcare. A prospective survey of early childcare workers demonstrated that child masking was associated with a significant reduction in COVID-19 program closure, highlighting potential benefits of child masking in keeping childcare open, parents employed, and children learning.
Dec 26, 2022 | 4 min readThe needle-free detection of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies from urine
Recently, we developed a new way to identify SARS-CoV-2 antibodies without blood samples and needles. The assay detects these specific antibodies using urine instead of blood samples. Thus, people unable to perform blood puncture will be able to benefit from the possibility of checking for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody produced after a recent infection without any need for a needle.
Dec 22, 2022 | 3 min readMaking nature compute for us
Artificial intelligence is all the hype lately. Behind many of the mind-blowing breakthroughs of the past decade is a single workhorse: More compute. As engineers work hard to supply the necessary electronics, researchers are turning to less conventional ideas in hopes of finding the next big thing. We showed how to employ the complex computations nature does, free-of-charge, for neural networks.
Jan 27, 2023 | 4 min readDoes bacteria control our appetite?
The gut-brain pathway has been the center of many studies in the past few years, but the mechanisms driving this interaction are still poorly understood. In our work we reveal how parts of a bacterium’s cell wall are able to reach the brain and decrease the activity of certain neurons controlling appetite.
Jan 30, 2023 | 4 min read