Findings highlight diversity of sexual behaviours exhibited by primates
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Study from University of Oxford looks into evolutionary origins of kissing and its role in relations between species
From Galápagos albatrosses to polar bears, chimpanzees to orangutans, certain species appear to kiss. Now researchers suggest Neanderthals did it too – and might even have locked lips with modern humans.
It is not the first time scientists have suggested Neanderthals and early modern humans were intimately acquainted. Among previous studies, researchers have found humans and their thick-browed cousins shared the same mouth microbe for hundreds of thousands of years after the two species split, suggesting they swapped saliva.
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© Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP
© Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP
© Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP
It is book week here at Physics World and over the course of three days we are presenting conversations with the authors of three fascinating and fun books about physics. First up is my Physics World colleague Michael Banks, whose book Physics Around the Clock: Adventures in the Science of Everyday Living starts with your morning coffee and ends with a formula for making your evening television viewing more satisfying.
As well as the rich physics of coffee, we chat about strategies for finding the best parking spot and the efficient boarding of aeroplanes. If you have ever wondered why a runner’s ponytail swings from side-to-side when they reach a certain speed – we have the answer for you.
Other daily mysteries that we explore include how a hard steel razor blade can be dulled by cutting relatively soft hairs and why quasiparticles called “jamitons” are helping physicists understand the spontaneous appearance of traffic jams. And a warning for squeamish listeners, we do talk about the amazing virus-spreading capabilities of a flushing toilet.
This episode is supported by the APS Global Physics Summit, which takes place on 15–20 March, 2026, in Denver, Colorado, and online.
The post Better coffee, easier parking and more: the fascinating physics of daily life appeared first on Physics World.
Change in diet shown to have ‘targeted effect’ on a type of heart disease that otherwise typically has poor outcomes for patients
© Alamy/PA
Scientists hail ‘very exciting’ findings that explain why Alzheimer’s patients forget their loved ones, and say drugs are already available that could one day prevent this kind of memory loss
© AFP via Getty
This year’s flu season has begun more than a month earlier than usual, with a mutated strain spreading widely among younger people and expected to drive a wave of hospital admissions as it reaches the elderly. Science editor Ian Sample speaks to Madeleine Finlay about what we know so far and Prof Ed Hutchinson of the University of Glasgow explains how people can best protect themselves and each other
UK hospitals bracing for once-in-a-decade flu surge this winter
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© Photograph: Pyrosky/Getty Images
© Photograph: Pyrosky/Getty Images
© Photograph: Pyrosky/Getty Images
Dentists also saw improvements in patients’ cholesterol and fatty acid levels, both associated with heart health
If a looming root canal treatment is putting a dampener on the week, take heart: having the procedure can drive health benefits that are felt throughout the body, according to research.
Patients who were successfully treated for root canal infections saw their blood sugar levels fall significantly over two years, suggesting that ridding the body of the problematic bacteria could help protect against type 2 diabetes.
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© Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA
© Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA
© Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA
Un document interne de SpaceX vient de fuiter, et il n’est pas vraiment à l’avantage de la firme d’Elon Musk : selon donc ce document, l’objectif d’envoyer des astronautes de la NASA sur la Lune via la mission Artemis 3 serait désormais reporté au mois de septembre 2028… …
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L’article Artemis : SpaceX contraint la NASA à reporter la mission lunaire (encore) d’un an est apparu en premier sur KultureGeek.
Décathlon, la célèbre enseigne de sport française, se lance un nouveau défi : un de ses prototypes de combinaison spatiale baptisé EuroSuit, sera testé en 2026 à bord de la Station spatiale internationale (ISS) ! Cette initiative résulte d’un partenariat entre Décathlon, le CNES (l’agence spatiale française), Spartan …
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L’article Après les articles de sport, Décathlon va tester une combinaison spatiale ! est apparu en premier sur KultureGeek.
Although there are liberal chemtrail believers, aversion to uncertainty might explain why the theory has become so popular
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Sofie Benoot’s film opens out from the film-maker’s medical problem to a diverting reflection on humankind’s deep roots in ancient minerals
The elegant, humorous, susurrating Welsh voice of Siân Phillips sets the keynote for this whimsical essay documentary from Belgian film-maker Sofie Benoot about the nature of rock and stone, and the mysterious interrelation between our bodies and the landmass of Earth.
Benoot’s starting point is the kidney stone that has just been removed from her body, an intriguingly smooth and worn pebble; it’s a personal event she assigns to her offscreen alter ego, voiced by Phillips. This quasi-fictional narrator musingly notes that once upon a time she provided the voice for nature documentaries; quite true, Phillips has indeed narrated some nature documentaries, which appears to be the reason why Benoot cast her.
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© Photograph: True Story
© Photograph: True Story
© Photograph: True Story
Des travaux scientifiques récents renforcent l’idée que les capacités visuelles pourraient fournir des indices précieux sur l’évolution future des fonctions cognitives. Deux vastes études de population, l’une menée au Royaume-Uni et l’autre en Australie, montrent qu’un déclin de la vision s’accompagne d’une augmentation notable du risque de développer une démence plus de dix ans plus ... Lire plus
L'article La vision comme indicateur précoce du risque de démence est apparu en premier sur Fredzone.Des travaux scientifiques récents renforcent l’idée que les capacités visuelles pourraient fournir des indices précieux sur l’évolution future des fonctions cognitives. Deux vastes études de population, l’une menée au Royaume-Uni et l’autre en Australie, montrent qu’un déclin de la vision s’accompagne d’une augmentation notable du risque de développer une démence plus de dix ans plus ... Lire plus
L'article La vision comme indicateur précoce du risque de démence est apparu en premier sur Fredzone.
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