Retina adapts to seek the unexpected, ignore the commonplace
Researchers at Harvard University have found evidence that the retina actively seeks novel features in the visual environment, dynamically adjusting its processing in order to seek the unusual while ignoring the commonplace. The scientists report in this week's issue of the journal Nature on their finding that this principle of novelty-detection operates in many visual environments. "Appar...Asexual worm quickly adapts to soil contamination
Soil contaminants lead to rapid genetic adaptations in the nematode Acrobeloides nanus. The worms from contaminated soil live longer and lay more eggs under polluted conditions than the worms from unpolluted soil. Dutch-sponsored researcher Agnieszka Doroszuk demonstrated this in her study into the long-term effects of environmental pollution on soil organisms. Environmental pollution is...Modine adapts military research to idling engines
When truck drivers traveling cross-country pull over to rest, many leave their engines idling to regulate the temperature of their sleeping cabs. With over 500,000 heavy-...Research Suggests Mens Sexual Behavior Adapts to Perceived Threats
A review of the latest research in sexual adaptation shows that evidence is building for what researchers call sperm competition. According to a review appearing in Current Directions in Psychological Science, physical and behavioral sexual characteristics exhibited by human males indicate that males have evolved to deliver their sperm more effectively to females with multiple partners....