How Sperm Length Affects Fertility

 Posted on February 23, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  586 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Most fertility research has focused on the size of sperm and the size of the swimmers' heads, but a new study suggests the variability in the length of sperm also may put a wrench in successful reproduction. Like a factory churning out products of inconsistent sizes, ejaculates with varying sperm lengths can be a problem, said James Mossman of Brown University in Rhode Island.  And his study suggests a link between this variability and sperm quantity. [Read More]

Novel coronavirus really is seasonal, study suggests

 Posted on February 23, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  641 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Warm temperatures and tropical climates may really help reduce the spread of COVID-9, a new study suggests. The study found that places with warm temperatures and long hours of sunlight — such as countries close to the equator and those experiencing summer — had a lower rate of COVID-19 cases, compared with countries farther away from the equator and those experiencing colder weather. The findings held even after the researchers took into account other factors that could affect both the spread of COVID-19 and the number of reported cases, such as a country's level of urbanization and the intensity of COVID-19 testing. [Read More]

The 7 Strangest Asteroids: Weird Space Rocks in Our Solar System

 Posted on February 23, 2023  |  6 minutes  |  1201 words  |  Patria Henriques

IntroEarly this Saturday (July 17) morning EDT, NASA's Dawn spacecraft will rendezvous with the asteroid Vesta. This will be our best look yet at an asteroid, and what the probe digs up could help scientists answer several questions about this and the hundreds of thousands of asteroids that populate the solar system. Most asteroids, including Vesta, reside in the doughnutlike ring of the main asteroid belt that peppers the space between Mars and Jupiter. [Read More]

Why You Should Smile at Strangers

 Posted on February 23, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  556 words  |  Trudie Dory

CHICAGO — Next time you're out walking about, you may want to give passers-by a smile, or at least a nod. Recent research reveals that these tiny gestures can make people feel more connected. People who have been acknowledged by a stranger feel more connected to others immediately after the experience than people who have been deliberately ignored, according to study reported here today (May 24) at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Motivation. [Read More]

Americans More Likely than Canadians to Believe in Bigfoot

 Posted on February 22, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  306 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Americans are more likely than Canadians to think that Bigfoot is real, while Scots more commonly believe in the Loch Ness monster than English people, a new survey finds. According to the new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll, nearly three-in-ten Americans (29 percent) and one-in-five Canadians (21 percent) think Bigfoot is "definitely" or "probably" real. This legendary humanoid creature, also known as the Abominable Snowman, Yeti or sasquatch, is said to roam remote forested areas. [Read More]

Ancient Atlantic Seawater Twice As Salty As Today's Oceans

 Posted on February 22, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  634 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

When scientists drilled deep into the center of a huge crater beneath the Chesapeake Bay, they discovered ancient seawater that had been locked up in sediments since the early Cretaceous Period. The water, which is also twice as salty as the water in today's oceans, is thought to be more than 100 million years old. Researchers examined the saltiness, or salinity, of water retrieved from drilled cores deep under Chesapeake Bay— a sprawling estuary bordered by Maryland and Virginia — and determined that the briny samples dated back to when the North Atlantic was transitioning from being a closed basin to the wide, open ocean we see today. [Read More]

Ancient Rome Was Infested with Human Parasites, Poop Shows

 Posted on February 22, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  609 words  |  Patria Henriques

The Roman Empire is famous for its advanced sanitation — public baths and toilets — but human poop from the region shows that it was rife with parasites.  In fact, the empire was infested with a greater number of human parasites, such as whipworm, roundworm and Entamoeba histolytica dysentery, than during prior time periods. "I was very surprised to find that compared with the Bronze Age and Iron Age, there was no drop in the kind of parasites that are spread by poor sanitation during the Roman period," [Read More]

Bite for Bite, Women Diners Copy Each Other

 Posted on February 22, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  676 words  |  Trudie Dory

Women who dine together tend to eat at the same pace, according to a new study. The researchers say they now want to find out whether the same applies to men. In the study, researchers brought together pairs of strangers for a meal and measured the length of time they took between bites. They found that the two women kept similar eating paces, perhaps in an attempt to ingratiate themselves with each other. [Read More]

Bizarre, Nessie-Like Creature Washes Ashore in Georgia, and Marine Experts Are Mystified

 Posted on February 22, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  694 words  |  Fernande Dalal

This story was updated March 21 at 11:50 a.m. EDT. A bizarre, possibly decapitated sea creature with a long tail that washed ashore in southeastern Georgia has mystified marine experts. Is it a dead frilled shark? Or a decayed whale or an oarfish? Or is it a hoax depicting the legendary Altamaha-ha, a Loch Ness monster-like beast said to live near Georgia's Altamaha River? [The 10 Weirdest Sea Monsters] "It's definitely interesting," [Read More]

Can't Exercise for 30 Minutes Today? Any Activity Is Better than None

 Posted on February 22, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  654 words  |  Patria Henriques

Health officials recommend that people get 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, but some researchers argue that this recommendation may set the bar too high for some people, and that guidelines should instead focus on getting people to be just a little bit more active. The World Health Organization says that people are sufficiently active if they get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day, five days a week, or more than 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity a day, three times a week (or an equivalent amount of exercise). [Read More]