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Cracking consciousness will never be easy but we are making strides

19 July 2023

A new way to understand where consciousness comes from and novel insights into subjective thought show that the hard problem of consciousness is worth persevering with


Demonstrators march to the U.S. Capitol during the March for Science in Washington, U.S., April 22, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein - RC125E31BBB0

Who is researching and shaping science is more crucial than ever

19 July 2023

It is hard to focus on getting academic work done when there is increasing hostility in the US to people of colour. This is why being awarded tenure matters, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein


Conspiracy theories are the new pandemic infecting public life

Conspiracy theories are the new pandemic infecting public life

19 July 2023

Millions of people, from all walks of life, have come to believe aspects of the QAnon conspiracy theory. Prevention is our only hope, says James Ball


Brain scans are putting a major theory of consciousness to the test

Brain scans are putting a major theory of consciousness to the test

18 July 2023

A proposed way to measure consciousness called integrated information theory has been tested using data from human brain scans, and seems to work


Bolivia's surging deforestation alarms environmentalists

17 July 2023

Bolivia accounts for 9 per cent of all primary forest lost across the globe, and conservationists fear deforestation will only increase due to the government’s desire to expand agricultural production


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Bizarre portal-like ‘ring wormholes’ could let you time travel

14 July 2023

A ring wormhole is one that you could simply step through, like a portal through space – but new, more detailed models have shown that they could be a portal through time as well


Pigs open doors to free companions in a possible show of empathy

14 July 2023

An experiment in which pigs showed an inclination to help other group members suggests they have an altruistic streak – but selfish motivations can’t be ruled out


Giving birth at an older age is linked to a longer life in women

14 July 2023

Every additional year before a woman gives birth to her last child is associated with an extra 22 days of life


Llamas can learn by watching others

Llamas solve problems faster after watching people do it

14 July 2023

Llamas are able to learn from other llamas and even more effectively from humans, possibly because thousands of years of domestication gave them the ability to read human social cues


Nerve pain from diabetes can be treated with faecal transplants

13 July 2023

Faecal transplants alleviated nerve pain in people with diabetes, suggesting gut bacteria may play a role in causing such pain


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