Dare to Know

WISHFUL THINKING LEADS TO POOR DECISION MAKING

06 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Wishful thinking, or dismissing beliefs that make us uncomfortable, even if they’re true, is a common human weakness. Find out how a new study exami...

Ice Cap Melting Affects Global Timekeeping Systems

30 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ice cap melting is one of many adverse results of global warming and climate change. Find out how the flow of meltwater from Earth’s poles to its eq...

Milky Way’s Origins Revealed Using Gaia Observatory

23 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Milky Way’s origins have puzzled scientists since we first realized its one of countless galaxies in our universe. Find out how scientists have ...

Memory Depends on ‘Spacing Effect’ and Variation

15 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Memory has puzzled scholars since the dawn of civilization. Find out how new research shows that spacing out study periods, along with varying the con...

Bumblebee Hives Can Progress Through Shared Learning

08 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bumblebee hives can provide fascinating insights into animal behaviour in groups. Find out how a new study suggests that bees can learn complex, multi...

Odysseus Lunar Lander Completes Mission Despite Setbacks

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Odysseus is the name of the first American spacecraft to land on the moon in 52 years. Find out how its missions succeeded despite enduring and overco...

Robots With AI Also Need Physical Intelligence

24 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Robots with AI (artificial intelligence) are emerging as developers combine large language models (LLMS) with autonomous devices. Find out why they’...

Migratory Species Face Risk of Extinction

17 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Migratory species are the subject of a new report presented at the United Nations this week. Find out why populations of migratory animals are declini...

Black Holes and Galaxies Coexisted in the Early Universe

10 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Black holes and galaxies existed together during the first one percent of our universe’s existence. Find out why this upends conventional thinking o...

Brain Cells Organize Using Unexpectedly Simple Principles

03 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Brain cells have a remarkable capacity to organize themselves. Find out how a new study explains the strikingly simple networking processes behind the...

WHITE RHINO EXTINCTION AVOIDABLE THROUGH EMBRYO TRANSFER

28 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

White rhino extinction has reached the point where there are only two of the animals left on Earth. Find out how a team of veterinarians and conservat...

Artemis II Lunar Mission Postponed by NASA

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Artemis II is NASA's planned, crewed mission to return to the moon. Find out why NASA has rescheduled the space flight and the delay’s implicati...

Cultural Evolution May Be Blocking Ecological Solutions

19 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cultural evolution refers to the way humans create tools and social systems to adapt to and shape their environments. Find out how the tension between...

Photosynthesis Evolution Clarified by Studying Bacteria Fossils

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Photosynthesis evolution remains a mystery to biologists. Find out how a new study sheds light on our understanding of this critical organic process b...

Military Space Plane Launch Risks International Conflict

30 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A military space plane called the Boeing X-37B blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center this week. Find out more about its secretive mission, and why...

Prehistoric Herders More Sophisticated Than Scientists Realized

24 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Prehistoric herders in the high mountains kept small, diverse animal herds. Find how a new study reveals that their animal husbandry practices were fa...

COP 28 Results: Accomplishments, Failures and Controversy

17 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

COP 28 was a UN conference on climate change that wrapped up this week. Find out why many observers believe the results don’t go far enough and that...

Heaviest Chemical Elements Created by Ancient Stars

09 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The heaviest chemical elements in the universe come from neutron stars. Find out how a new study shows that this process creates heavier atoms than an...

Sense of Smell Predicted by Artificial Intelligence

02 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our sense of smell is often overlooked when we consider the tidal wave of artificial intelligence applications. Find out how a new machine-learning mo...

COP 28: Frustration, Scepticism, Faint Trace of Hope

25 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

COP 28 is the upcoming UN conference on climate change. Find out why the mood leading into this global gathering is a blend of frustration, scepticism...

Blobs in Earth's Interior From Ancient Planet

18 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Blobs in the Earth’s interior mantle have been puzzling geologists for decades. Find out how a new study solves the mystery by linking them to an an...

REMEMBRANCE DAY REFLECTIONS ON PAST AND FUTURE

12 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Remembrance Day in Canada commemorates the veterans who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars, Korea and Afghanistan. Find out the topic...

Carbon Budget Dwindling – Climate Goals at Risk

05 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The carbon budget estimates how much more C02 we can emit into the atmosphere and still keep global warming below 1.5˚ C. Find out why a new study fo...

Space Junk Particles Detected in Earth's Atmosphere

29 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Space junk is the debris left behind from spent rocket stages and defunct satellites. Find out why the discovery of space junk particles in the strato...

Gaza Crisis, Human Rights and International Law

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Gaza crisis has captured everyone’s attention over the past couple of weeks. Find out why the roots of the conflict, and its solutions, lie in a...

Survival of the Boring Doesn't Drive Evolution

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“Survival of the boring” describes a traditional view that evolution favours unremarkable, generalist species over innovation. Find out how a new ...

Orion Nebula Contains Pairs of Unexplained Objects

08 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Orion Nebula is one of the most studied areas of star formation in the galaxy. Find out how the new James Webb Space Telescope has revealed previo...

Indonesian Hunter Gatherers Sing Their Traditional Language

01 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Indonesian hunter gatherers known as the Punan Batu have their own, secretive language that they sing instead of speaking. Find out how this trait...

Earth Species Project Talks to Animals Using AI

23 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Earth Species Project is using artificial intelligence (AI) to understand how animals communicate. Find out how learning to “talk to the animals...

NASA APPOINTS DIRECTOR OF UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA RESEARCH

17 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

NASA appointed a new director of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) research this week. Find out what this new role entails and what NASA hopes to...

Music is Humanity's Universal Language, Study Shows

10 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“Music is the universal language,” we often hear, but how true is that maxim? Find out how a new study shows that people from diverse cultures can...

Carbon Offsets Aren't Working and Need Reforms

02 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Carbon offsets allow businesses and wealthy individuals to buy credits to compensate for failing to meet their carbon emission targets. Find out why t...

Lunar Missions: Stories of Triumph and Disaster

27 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lunar missions made the news twice this week, but for very different reasons. Find out why India is celebrating a technological triumph, while Russia ...

Climate Justice: Global Warming Threatens Human Rights

20 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Climate Justice is the name of a movement recognizing the climate crisis as a threat to social justice. Find out why human rights group Amnesty Intern...

HYDROTHERMAL VENTS REVEAL UNIQUE, UNEXPECTED MARINE ECOSYSTEM

12 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hydrothermal vents are underwater springs that form on the ocean floor. Find out how an international scientific expedition surprised even themselves ...

Giant Exoplanet Helps Explain Solar System Formation

05 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A giant exoplanet has been discovered orbiting a low-mass star. Find out why this finding challenges our understanding of planet formation and helps s...

Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Violates International Law

29 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to investigations of  genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression. Find out why the...

Galaxy Without Dark Matter Challenges Current Science

23 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A galaxy without dark matter has come to light in the constellation Perseus. Find out why this poses a puzzle for astronomers and challenges cosmology...

CREATIVE PEOPLE MORE ENGAGED DURING IDLE TIME

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Creative people enjoy their idle time, and it’s often when fresh ideas inspire them. Find out how a new study shows we need to find time to relax wi...

ANIMAL ORIGINS REVEALED BY RETHINKING FOSSIL RECORD

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Animal origins have puzzled biologists ever since Darwin documented the process of natural selection. Find out how a new study of how fossils form hel...

EUCLID SPACE TELESCOPE WILL EXPLORE DARK ENERGY

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Euclid Space Telescope’s mission is to explore the composition and evolution of dark energy. Find out how its observations of over a billion gal...

GENIUS: IS IT REAL? WHAT IS IT?

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Genius is an idea that humanity has accepted since the dawn of civilization. Find out why some scholars question the validity and value of the concept...

ANTHROPOCENE REPRESENTED BY MILTON ONTARIO’S CRAWFORD LAKE

16 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“Anthropocene epoch” is the term for a proposed geological era to represent the influence modern humanity has on our planet. Find out why a pictur...

Wildfire Season in Canada and Climate Change

10 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Wildfire season in Canada runs every year from May through October. Find out why climate change is making this year’s forest fires the most intense ...

Dying Brains May Experience Surge of Consciousness

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dying brains of some animals and humans show some remarkable brain wave activity. Find out why researchers want to find out  if these readings indica...

Dying Patients May Experience Surge of Consciousness

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dying brains of some animals and humans show some remarkable brain wave activity. Find out why researchers want to find out  if these readings indica...

Environmental DNA Poses Scientific and Ethical Dilemmas

21 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Environmental DNA (eDNA) comes from the traces of genetic material organisms shed as they go about their lives. Find out how our ability to analyze hu...

MARS EXPLORATION NEWS: A MONTH OF DISCOVERY

13 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mars exploration was in the headlines for several reasons during the month of April. Find out the latest exploits of NASA’s Ingenuity, Curiosity and...

Brain Scans Enable Scientists to Read Minds 

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Brain scans from a recent study enabled scientists to decode what people were thinking. Find out how the researchers used artificial intelligence to r...

Quasar Origins Explained by Studying Distant Galaxies

29 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Quasar origins have been a mystery to astrophysicists since they discovered these quasi-stellar radio sources sixty years ago. Find out how a team of ...

Dismal Progress Reports Cause Earth Day Frustrations

22 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dismal progress reports from Canada’s Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development and the UN Secretary-General tarnished Earth Day f...

Amnesty International – State of World’s Human Rights

15 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Amnesty International has just released its annual report on the state of the world’s human rights. Find out how it assesses human rights in 156 cou...

Tigers’ Personalities are Unique, Study Finds

09 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tiger personalities are as distinctive as those of humans, according to a new study. Find out how this clarifies the nature versus nurture debate and ...

Brightest Gamma-Ray Burst Ever Unveils Cosmic Mysteries

02 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gamma-ray bursts are explosions so powerful they outshine our entire galaxy. Find out how scientists detected the brightest gamma-ray burst ever obser...

UN Report Calls for Urgent Climate Action

25 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A UN Report released this week contained even more dismal news about the climate crisis. Find out why the UN chief responded by saying, “It’s time...

Blood and Mistletoe: A Review

18 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Blood and Mistletoe is a book about the Druids by Professor Ronald Hutton. Find out why the fact that we know next to nothing about the Druids is what...

Kiska, Canada’s Last Captive Orca Has Died

12 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kiska, Canada's last captive orca, died this week at Marineland after twelve years of isolation. Find out why animals rights groups want Marineland pr...

Massive Early Galaxies Discovery Could Be ‘Universe Breaker”

05 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Massive early galaxies emerged from a review of the James Webb Space Telescope’s first dataset. Find out why current science says they shouldn’t e...

European Archery 40,000 Years Older than Thought

26 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

European archery was thought to have orginated about 11,000 years ago. Find out why a new discovery places that date another 40,000 years into the pas...

Mother Tree Skeptics Call for More Study

19 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The mother tree hypothesis suggests that trees form networks to share resources and communicate using fungi growing in their roots. Find out why a new...

UFOs Becoming Legitimate Research Topic for Scientists

11 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

UFOs, or UAP as researchers now call them, are no longer viewed with complete derision by science. Find out why some in the scientific and intelligenc...

Agricultural Revolution Still Affects Humanity’s Modern Life

05 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Agricultural Revolution took place about 12,000 years ago and brought many benefits. Find out how the lifestyle changes humanity embraced then als...

Earth’s Inner Core Falling Behind Planet’s Rotation 

29 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Earth’s inner core appears to be slowing down relative the speed of our planet’s rotation on its axis. Find out how this affects our magnetic fiel...

DART Mission Follow-Up: A Smash Hit!

22 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The DART Mission involved sending a spacecraft to collide with an asteroid. Find out how it demonstrated the feasibility of NASA’s planetary defense...

Human Rights Watch Condemns “Litany of Human Rights Crises”

14 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Human Rights Watch has released its“annual review of human rights around the globe.” Find out why Human Rights Watch described the year as a “li...

Photosynthesis Signaling May Boost Crops, Cure Cancer

07 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Photosynthesis signaling within plant cells is fundamental to life. Find out how a new discovery explains what triggers the process, potentially boost...

Doomed Planet May Foretell Earth’s Ultimate Fate

30 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A doomed planet orbiting an aging star has been observed for the first time. Find out what this discovery can contribute to our search for life on oth...

Why Domestic Chores Matter Less to Men

23 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Domestic chores overwhelmingly fall to women in most households. Find out the psychology behind this disparity and why it doesn’t give men a free pa...

Biodiversity Conference Commits to Protect 30% of Natural World

20 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A UN biodiversity conference called COP15 has ended with a deal involving 196 countries. Find out why environmentalists are hailing it as a landmark a...

Artemis I On Its Way Back Home

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Artemis I is NASA’s ongoing, uncrewed test mission to the moon and back. Find out what the mission has accomplished so far, and about the plans...

Music Training Improves Brain Function and Mood

03 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Music training has been a recognized mental health treatment since the dawn of time. Find out how a new study shows that learning to play an instrumen...

Reforestation Plans Require More than Saying “Plant More Trees”

26 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Reforestation plans play a central role in global strategies to solve the climate crisis. Find out why simply getting millions of saplings into the gr...

Artemis I On Its Way to the Moon

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Artemis I is a 26-day, uncrewed mission to travel around the moon and return to Earth. Find out how the powerful SLS rocket finally got off the ground...

Screen Time Better for Teens than Disconnection

13 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Screen time worries many parents, who fear it interferes with social development. Find out why a new study shows that restricted Internet access is mo...

COP27 – What’s at Stake for the Climate and the Planet

05 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

COP27, the UN’s annual meeting on climate change, starts November 6. Find out what’s on the agenda and why success at this gathering is essential ...

Dark Energy Measured More Precisely than Ever

29 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dark energy is the term scientists use to describe the cause of the accelerated expansion of the universe. Find out how a new analysis provides its mo...

Israeli Occupation of Palestine Violates International Law – Commission of Inquiry

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Israeli Occupation of Palestine is the subject of a new report issued by the United Nations this week. Find out why it concludes that the occupati...

Urban Green Space Reduces Property and Violent Crime

16 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Urban green space improves quality of life for residents, but it can also create hot spots for criminal activity. Find out how a new study shows that ...

Ecosystem Stability Determined by Two Simple Factors

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ecosystem stability has three phases, a bit like ice, water and steam. Find out how a new study explains how ecologists could predict these phases by ...

DART Mission Demonstrates NASA’s Planetary Defense Strategy

01 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The DART mission successfully struck an asteroid 11 million kilometres away with a spacecraft. Find out why this achievement demonstrates how humanity...

Nature Walks Benefit Both Mind and Body

24 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Nature walks are among the best ways to stay in shape. Find out why a new study found that strolling in natural settings also has essential mental hea...

<strong>European Rivers Drying Up from Climate Change</strong>

16 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

European rivers are at their lowest levels in over 500 years. Find out why this is a problem for the global economy and for ecosystems throughout Euro...

Spiraling Stars Help Explain Early Universe

10 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Spiraling stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud are the subject of a recent study in ‘The Astrophysical Journal.’ Find out how their spiral motions ...

Beaver Fossil Sheds Light on Mammal Evolution

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A beaver fossil found in western Montana is the oldest such specimen ever discovered. Find out how this 30-million-year-old missing link is helping to...

UN Report Cites “Serious Human Rights Violations” in China

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A UN report holds China accountable for “serious human rights violations” in its Xinjiang province. Find out what the allegations entail and how C...

Lunar Meteorites May Help Explain Moon's Formation

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lunar meteorites are very rare rocks that scientists sometimes discover in Antarctica or deserts. Find out how a new study of the trace gases they con...

James Lovelock: Remembering the Gaia Hypothesis Founder

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

James Lovelock passed away recently at the age of 103. Find out how his Gaia hypothesis led a generation to a new understanding of the world and our p...

Dwarf Galaxies Contradict Dark Matter Paradigm

06 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dwarf galaxies contain less than ten percent of the stars in the Milky Way. Find out how their behaviour in a region called the Fomax Cluster challeng...

Healthy Environment a Human Right, UN Declares

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A healthy environment is a human right and vital to the enjoyment of other rights, according to a new UN General Assembly resolution. Find out why thi...

Monarch Butterfly Added to Engangered Species List

25 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Monarch Butterfly populations have been devastated over the last past few decades. Find out why the IUCN had added these iconic pollinators to the end...

James Webb Space Telescope Photos are Spectacular

25 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The James Webb Space Telescope revealed its first four images this week. Find out what these images depict and their signifcance in understanding the ...

Planets with Water Aren’t Always Earth-Like

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Planets with water are the main targets for scientists' search for life on other worlds. Find out how a new study shows that these planets can be very...

‘Older and Wiser’ – A review

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Older and Wiser is a book by Dag Sebastian Ahlander aimed at baby boomers who are planning their retirement. Find out how this lighthearted and entert...

Human-Wildlife Conflict Aggravated by Climate Crisis

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Human-wildlife conflict is becoming an increasing concern as human activity encroaches on natural habitats due to climate change. Find out how a new s...

Planetary Formation in the News

18 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Planetary formation made the news in three different ways this week. Find out how surprising results from studies of a meteorite, a debris field and t...

Consumer Choices Don’t Always Make Sense

18 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Consumer choices are supposed to be based on rational self-interest. Find out how a new study explains why we often make sub-optimal decisions that ba...

Safeguarding Biodiversity Means Conserving 44% of Earth’s Land

18 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Safeguarding biodiversity is crucial for the survival of Humanity and the entire ecosphere. Find out why new research calls for governments to increas...

Galaxies Without Dark Matter Might Form From Collisions

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Galaxies without dark matter are rare and were once thought impossible. Find out how a new hypothesis about their formation may explain how all galaxi...

Healthy Sleep Helps Us Process Our Emotions

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Healthy sleep always makes us feel better the next day. Find out how a recent discovery may lead to more effective treatments for mood disorders, PTSD...

Proposed Anthropocene Epoch Seeks Formal Approval

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A proposed Anthropocene epoch will be reviewed this month and possibly approved by the end of this year. Find out which sites are contending to be the...