Sand crabs, a key species in beach ecosystems, were found to have increased adult mortality and decreased reproductive success when exposed to plastic microfibers, according to a new study by Portland State University. The findings were recently published in the journal Limnology …Continue reading
Lasers can now accurately spot space junk
“The possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to one!” exclaimed C-3PO as Han Solo directed the Millennium Falcon into an asteroid field in the movie “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.” While Earth’s orbit is nowhere near as …Continue reading
Inside Lahore’s public e-sports culture
As you enter the premises, you’re greeted by flashing beams of neon lights fixed on the walls and a strangely congruous sound from constant pushing of buttons and movement of joysticks. The pink, green and blue lights are just bright enough to …Continue reading
A single dose of HPV vaccine may give women similar protection as multiple doses
A new study has revealed that one dose of the HPV vaccine may prevent infection from the potential cancer-causing virus. The research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) was published in the journal JAMA Network Open on …Continue reading
The prospects for economic inclusion in Pakistan
Having seen a decade of regional instability, Pakistan is now predicted to join the league of countries that will contribute significantly to global growth over the next two decades. According to PWC’s The World in 2050, Pakistan should become a Top-20 economy …Continue reading
Scientists develop new technique to handle soft materials at microscopic scale
Handling very soft, delicate items without damaging them is hard enough with human hands, let alone doing it at the microscopic scale with laboratory instruments. Three new studies show how scientists have honed a technique for handling tiny, soft particles using precisely …Continue reading
Animated books help children learn better
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) have found that digital storybooks that animate upon a child’s vocalization offer beneficial learning opportunities, especially for children with less developed attention regulation. “Digital platforms have exploded in popularity, and a huge proportion of the top-selling …Continue reading
Researchers discover a role for jumping genes during times of stress
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material that is present in humans and every other living organism. Only some percent of human DNA codes for proteins, and approximately half of the rest of the genome is made up of what used …Continue reading
Pakistan’s Water Insecurity: The Human Cost
As the recent monsoon rains pelted Karachi, its residents found themselves wading in knee-deep water in their homes and plunged into darkness after the city’s main electricity supplier—K-Electric—proved unable to cope. Outside in the streets, the uncollected carcasses of animals that had …Continue reading
Researchers produce first laser ultrasound images of humans
For most people, getting an ultrasound is a relatively easy procedure: As a technician gently presses a probe against a patient’s skin, sound waves generated by the probe travel through the skin, bouncing off muscle, fat, and other soft tissues before reflecting …Continue reading