Attack of the (Not So Killer) Tomatoes

 Posted on May 7, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  456 words  |  Fernande Dalal

This Research in Action article was provided to LiveScience in partnership with the National Science Foundation. One of summer's most enjoyable treats is a big, juicy tomato. But consider this the next time you're in the garden: when you reach in to pluck that beefsteak off the vine yourself, you engage the plant's primary defense mechanism: A sharp, pungent aroma that is released whenever the hair cells on the tomato's leaves and stem are ruptured by any invader — whether it be human hand, a crawly insect or an oozy fungus. [Read More]

Do Kids Take Years Off Your Life? Giving Birth May Make Cells 'Older'

 Posted on May 7, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  534 words  |  Patria Henriques

Women who give birth may be biologically "older" than women who don't, a new study suggests. For the study, the researchers analyzed information from 1,556 U.S. women ages 20 to 44 who took part in a national survey from 1999 to 2002, which involved giving blood samples. The researchers looked at the genetic material inside the women's cells, specifically the length of their telomeres. These are caps on the ends of chromosomes that protect the chromosomes from damage. [Read More]

How Green Tea May Thwart Lung Cancer

 Posted on May 7, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  322 words  |  Patria Henriques

A new study shows for the first time how a compound in green tea might work to suppress lung cancer. A compound found in green tea, called EGCG, was already known to have anti-cancer properties. But researchers are still trying to figure out all the ways EGCG acts to suppress tumor growth. The new study found EGCG raises levels of a molecule called mi-R210 inside lung cancer cells. Cancer cells with higher levels of mi-R210 multiplied more slowly than lung cancer cells with lower levels, the study showed. [Read More]

Mathematician predicted violent upheaval in 2020 all the way back in 2012

 Posted on May 7, 2023  |  5 minutes  |  879 words  |  Trudie Dory

In 2012, University of Connecticut ecologist, evolutionary biologist and mathematician Peter Turchin made a bold prediction: The United States was on track for a chaotic, violent 2020. Well, here we are. The year so far has been full of "upheaval" events, from a pandemic that seems to be further polarizing Americans along party lines, to the police killing of George Floyd and other Black individuals, which have led to Black Lives Matter protests worldwide and riots in some cities. [Read More]

Monkey Moms Act Like Human Moms

 Posted on May 7, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  501 words  |  Trudie Dory

The intense, special exchanges that human mothers share with their newborn infants might have deep roots all the way back in monkeys. Rhesus macaques and their offspring interact in the first month of life in ways much like what humans often do, scientists now suggest. "What does a mother or father do when looking at their own baby?" asked researcher Pier Francesco Ferrari, a behavioral biologist and neuroscientist at the University of Parma in Italy. [Read More]

New Cockroach Species Replacing Oriental Roach in Southwest US

 Posted on May 7, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  467 words  |  Fernande Dalal

From the garages of Southern California to the apartments of Philadelphia, oriental cockroaches have reared their heads wherever there is moisture and rubbish or leftover food. But at least in the southwestern United States, and perhaps soon in a town near you, a new species of the cockroach is replacing them: Turkestan cockroaches. Compared with the more familiar German, American and oriental cockroaches, the Turkestan roach is a relative newcomer to the scene, arriving to the United States in the 1970s and 1980s from somewhere in central Asia, perhaps Afghanistan, said Michael Rust, an entomologist at the University of California, Riverside. [Read More]

Ornate Clothing from the Ming Dynasty Unearthed in China (Photos)

 Posted on May 7, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  495 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

On the coast of the East China Sea, near the modern Taizhou City, archaeologists have unearthed an unusual find: A husband-and-wife tomb dating to the Ming Dynasty that contains extraordinarily well-preserved clothing, decorated with elaborate designs. Gowns belonging to both the husband and wife covered in highly intricate patterns — including lotus flowers, banana leaves, coins and chime stones — were unearthed when the 500-year-old tomb was excavated, the researchers reported. [Read More]

Quantum Meets Macro: Strange Particle Behavior Found

 Posted on May 7, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  673 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

Scientists shined a little light, literally, on the perplexing processes that govern atoms, in a new experiment that showed the effect of bouncing one photon of light off an atom. Atoms and particles obey a set of rules called quantum mechanics that are quite different from the rules of ordinary objects. "The main difference between quantum mechanical behavior and classical behavior is that quantum systems can exist in several states, several realities at the same time," [Read More]

Saucony Ride 15 review

 Posted on May 7, 2023  |  9 minutes  |  1818 words  |  Trudie Dory

The Saucony Ride 15 is a box-ticker when it comes to what you want from a top-quality everyday running shoes. Let us explain … If you’re in the market for a new pair of regular running shoes, chances are you’re looking for comfort, cushioning, and a lightweight design to transform begrudging trudges into enjoyable jaunts. The Saucony Ride 15 has the attributes to achieve just this and (we think) look good doing it, too. [Read More]

Sexting Lies: The New Orgasm Faking?

 Posted on May 7, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  734 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Lying while sexting may be a nonphysical, "mobile" version of faking an orgasm, a new study suggests. Nearly half of the people in the study who had ever sent sexual texts had lied to their committed sexting partners about what they were really wearing or doing while sexting. Moreover, lying while sexting was more common among women, as 45 percent of them reported sending the false messages, compared with 24 percent of men. Most people who lied did so in order to fulfill the needs of a partner in some way; overall, about two-thirds of the people who provided relevant responses said this was the reason they lied during sexual text exchanges. [Read More]