Complexity Science
By Jacob F Davis | Observing Complex and emergent phenomena in science, society, and art. A companion to "Complexity Economics" on Flipboard. A project of Economplex.org.
How Bugs and Other Critters are Saving Vineyards
Sustainable, organic and biodynamic farming practices are using insects and animals in innovative ways to shape their vineyards and care for the …
Scientists develop a novel algorithm inspired by bee colonies to help dismantling criminal social networks
Researchers from the University of Granada (UGR) have designed an algorithm, inspired by the intelligent and social behavior of bee colonies, which …
Scientists Have Found a New Way to Get Cancer Cells to Self-Destruct
Set proteins to "kill".<p>A newly discovered mechanism causes cancerous cells to kill themselves off, and researchers say it could be particularly …
BiologyScientists Find That Mosquito Flight Is Unlike Anything Else
We all know the bloodcurdling sound of a bloodsucking mosquito that has made its way into our general vicinity. It’s a distinct buzz that immediately …
An Exploration of the Human Brain: Charlie Rose
Tonight, we continue on our exploration of the human brain with the look at the relationship between childhood adversity and the developing brain. …
The BrainHarnessing electricity-generating bacteria to clean up drinking water
The bacteria <i>Shewanella oneidensis</i> is a heavy metal fan. Its taste for iron, lead and mercury make it useful for cleaning water of these contaminants, …
BiologyNASA releases first results from 'Year In Space' twin study
Scott and Mark Kelly were part of a bold experiment to see how the human body fared after a year in space Photo: NASA<p>The first results from NASA’s …
NASAScientists Create A New Kind Of Matter: Time Crystals
The crystals' patterns repeat not in space, but in time.<p>Crystals are structures in which a pattern of atoms or molecules repeats in space. Now, two teams of researchers have figured out that crystals' repeating patterns can also exist through time. These "time crystals," detailed in a new paper in …
PhysicsThe Strange Beauty Of Bioluminescent Fish
The new book Fire in the Sea brings one eccentric marine biologist's paintings out of obscurity.<p>David McKee, a retired biology professor from Texas A&M University, never got the chance to talk to Henry Compton about his art. Compton, an eccentric marine biologist and local fishing pier manager, …
The weird mating habits of daddy longlegs
COLUMBIA, Mo. — If you find a daddy longlegs in your house, don’t be scared. “Daddy longlegs are actually pretty docile animals when it comes to …
InsectsHow a robot wrote for Engadget
John McCarthy, the late computer scientist who first coined the term "artificial intelligence," famously said: "As soon as it works, no one calls it AI any more." What was once cutting-edge AI is now considered standard behavior for computers. As I write this, my computer is continuously performing …
Machine LearningThe Audacious Plan to Save This Man’s Life by Transplanting His Head
What would happen if it actually works?<p>Like a little white Lazarus with red eyes, the paralyzed mouse was walking again.<p>A few days earlier, the mouse had been sprawled on an operating table while two Chinese graduate students peered through a microscope and operated on its spine. With a tiny pair …
BiotechnologyIBM's Watson AI saved a woman from leukemia
IBM's Watson has done everything from winning at <i>Jeopardy</i> to cooking exotic meals, but it appears to have accomplished its greatest feat yet: saving a life. University of Tokyo doctors report that the artificial intelligence diagnosed a 60-year-old woman's rare form of leukemia that had been …
Artificial IntelligenceWhy do we wake up stiff in the mornings? Scientists discover the answer
Scientists have discovered why we wake up stiff in the morning - because our body's natural ibuprofen has not kicked in yet.<p>Researchers revealed the reason our limbs can feel rigid and achy when we rise is because the body's biological clock suppresses anti-inflammatory proteins during sleep.<p>When …
BiologyQueen J.K. Rowling had the best response to scientists questioning female orgasm
We all know that J.K. Rowling is an actual queen. The <i></i>51-year-old is not only responsible for one of the biggest book series and movie franchises of …
J. K. RowlingScientists shed light on an evolutionary mystery: The origins of the female orgasm
Female orgasm seems to be a happy afterthought of our evolutionary past when it helped stimulate ovulation, a new study of mammals shows.<p>The role of …
EvolutionDNA Double Helix Ladies' Fit and Flare Dress
How You Like 'Dem Base Pairs?<p>Flattering v-neck dress must be pulled over head<br>• Dress has pockets!<br>• Preshrunk and machine washable<p>A person's good looks …
ClothingIo's Entire Atmosphere Freezes And Collapses
On a semi-regular basis<p>Imagine what would happen if our atmosphere froze solid, contracting and collapsing on the ground. It would likely be enough of a catastrophe to end life on this planet. On Jupiter's moon Io, it's just your average Tuesday night.<p>In a paper published today in the <i>Journal of</i> …
Learning nature's lessons: How animals, insects and plants inspire scientists to solve everyday human problems
The way busy worker ants defend their nests is being studied by scientists – to help busy human workers defend their emails.<p>In our hectic world of …
NatureGut Busting: How Gaseous Substances in the Body Affect Psyche and Behavior
<i>Summary: A new study reports on the role gasotransmitters play in behavior and psychology.</i><p>Source: Lomonosov Moscow State University.<p><b>Professor</b> …
Scientists Just Announced the Discovery of a Second Gravitational Wave Signal
Scientists have detected a second gravitational wave signal, leaving no doubt that Albert Einstein's 100-year-old prediction was right.<p>Back in …
AstrophysicsA man famous in China for his superhuman memory beat an AI in a facial recognition contest
At a competition in China to see who is better at recognizing faces, man or machine, Wang Yuheng, representing the humans, emerged victorious.<p>Wang is famous in China for his photographic memory. He successfully identified a specific glass of water out of 520 seemingly identical ones in a Chinese …
Artificial IntelligenceWhy Do Humpback Whales Protect Other Species from Killer Whales?
It sounds like something out of a children’s animated film: the whale and the seal, at first put off by their differences, team up and become best …