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Submission + - The 'Homogenocene': How humans are making the world's wildlife dangerously samey (phys.org)

Submitted by alternative_right on Thursday January 29, 2026 @01:34PM

alternative_right writes: The age of humans is increasingly an age of sameness. Across the planet, distinctive plants and animals are disappearing, replaced by species that are lucky enough to thrive alongside humans and travel with us easily. Some scientists have a word for this reshuffling of life: the Homogenocene.

Submission + - Scientists found a way to cool quantum computers using noise (sciencedaily.com)

Submitted by alternative_right on Thursday January 29, 2026 @11:21AM

alternative_right writes: Quantum computers need extreme cold to work, but the very systems that keep them cold also create noise that can destroy fragile quantum information. Scientists in Sweden have now flipped that problem on its head by building a tiny quantum refrigerator that actually uses noise to drive cooling instead of fighting it. By carefully steering heat at unimaginably small scales, the device can act as a refrigerator, heat engine, or energy amplifier inside quantum circuits.

Submission + - Ancient Martian beach discovered, providing new clues to planet's habitability (phys.org)

Submitted by alternative_right on Tuesday January 27, 2026 @03:12PM

alternative_right writes: New findings from NASA's Perseverance rover have revealed evidence of wave-formed beaches and rocks altered by subsurface water in a Martian crater that once held a vast lake—considerably expanding the timeline for potential habitability at this ancient site. In an international study led by Imperial College London, researchers uncovered that the so-called "Margin unit" in Mars's Jezero crater preserves evidence of extensive underground interactions between rock and water, as well as the first definitive traces of an ancient shoreline.

Submission + - How political leanings affect views on academic freedom: New research (phys.org)

Submitted by alternative_right on Tuesday January 27, 2026 @12:28PM

alternative_right writes: Instead of asking whether people support "academic freedom" in general, we asked how much they agreed or disagreed with specific scenarios. These included whether universities should protect research that causes offense, and whether academics should be free to publish controversial findings. We also asked whether universities should collaborate with multinational corporations or political regimes accused of human rights abuses.

This approach matters. In surveys, people often express strong support for free inquiry in the abstract. But once academic freedom is tied to real-world trade-offs, such as offense, harm, reputation or political controversy, agreement tends to fracture.

Across both countries, political ideology emerged as one of the strongest predictors of attitudes toward academic freedom.

Right-leaning respondents were consistently more supportive of academic freedom. They were more likely to oppose restrictions on offensive research and more likely to agree that academics should be protected even when their work provokes controversy. This pattern appeared not only in the UK, where universities are deeply entangled in culture-war debates, but also in Japan, where such disputes are less visible in public life.

Left-leaning respondents, by contrast, were more likely to emphasize accountability. They tended to support limits on research perceived as offensive or harmful, reflecting greater concern for social sensitivity and the potential impact of academic work on marginalized groups.

Submission + - The EU has a powerful new weapon to attack press freedom (rmx.news)

Submitted by alternative_right on Tuesday January 27, 2026 @12:15PM

alternative_right writes: In an extraordinary case that could decide the future of press rights in Europe, Berlin-based German-Turkish journalist Hüseyin Doru is currently under European Union sanctions for his reporting, which left him completely unable to access his bank account for months. Under orders from the EU, his assets were frozen, and these sanctions were dispensed with no trial or appeal. Currently, Doru says he is not even allowed to leave Germany.

As Berliner Zeitung reports, Doru completely exhausted all financial means, telling the paper that his bank has completely blocked access to his previously approved minimum subsistence allowance of €506. He stated that he can no longer support his family or even buy food for his two newborn children.

“Not only I, but also my wife and my three children are effectively being sanctioned,” Doru, a left-wing journalist, said in the interview.

Submission + - Microbes in Space Mutated And Developed a Remarkable Ability (sciencealert.com)

Submitted by alternative_right on Monday January 26, 2026 @04:33PM

alternative_right writes: "Space fundamentally changes how phages and bacteria interact: infection is slowed, and both organisms evolve along a different trajectory than they do on Earth," the researchers explain.

In the weightlessness of space, bacteria acquired mutations in genes involved in the microbe's stress response and nutrient management. Their surface proteins also changed. After a slow start, the phages mutated in response, so they could continue binding to their victims.

The team found that certain space-specific phage mutations were especially effective at killing Earth-bound bacteria responsible for urinary tract infections (UTIs). More than 90 percent of the bacteria responsible for UTIs are antibiotic-resistant, making phage treatments a promising alternative.

Submission + - FBI Accessed Encrypted PCs Using Microsoft Recovery Keys (reclaimthenet.org)

Submitted by alternative_right on Sunday January 25, 2026 @04:45PM

alternative_right writes: Federal investigators obtained access to encrypted computers for the first time through Microsoft’s own recovery keys, a move that has intensified long-standing concerns about how much control the company retains over user data.

The development emerged from United States v. Tenorio, a fraud case in Guam tied to alleged misuse of pandemic unemployment funds. Investigators believed three laptops contained evidence of the scheme. When they discovered the machines were protected with BitLocker, the encryption system built into Windows, they turned to Microsoft.

Microsoft confirmed that it complied with the FBI’s warrant, saying it provides recovery keys only when required by law. “While key recovery offers convenience, it also carries a risk of unwanted access, so Microsoft believes customers are in the best position to decide how to manage their keys,” a spokesperson said.

Submission + - New moms' farts may help with postpartum depression, Harvard study says (nypost.com)

Submitted by alternative_right on Saturday January 24, 2026 @05:59PM

alternative_right writes: Scientists found that gut bacteria produces gases that create hormones associated with pregnancy and mood regulation — including natural versions of drugs now used to treat postpartum depression, according to a study published in top-tier scientific journal, Cell.

The research adds to the growing list of ways that gut microbiota may influence human biology and health.

The study also provides new evidence that doctors could one day treat or prevent certain kinds of mental health conditions by manipulating gut microbes given the understanding of the so-called gut-brain link — the two-way communication system between the digestive system and brain.

Submission + - Human penis size influences female attraction and male assessment of rivals (phys.org)

Submitted by alternative_right on Friday January 23, 2026 @04:46PM

alternative_right writes: Previous studies have found that penis size can influence reproductive success by affecting the likelihood of pregnancy. However, a larger penis could also increase a male's attractiveness to females or reduce the likelihood of fights with other males, for example, by signaling higher testosterone levels and therefore greater fighting ability.

Females rated male figures that were taller, had a higher shoulder-to-hip ratio (indicating a more V-shaped body) and a larger penis as being more attractive. However, beyond a certain point, further increases in penis size, height and shoulder breadth had diminishing benefits.

Males also rated taller figures that had a more V-shaped body and a larger penis as being more intimidating as sexual rivals and fighting opponents. But, in contrast to female participants, they consistently ranked males with more exaggerated traits as more of a sexual threat, suggesting that males tend to overestimate the importance of these characteristics for attracting females.

Comment Surely not "enshittification" (Score -1, Troll) 88

by alternative_right on Thursday January 22, 2026 @01:15PM (#65942298) Attached to: Schools, Airports, High-Rise Towers: Architects Urged To Get 'Bamboo-Ready'

Make everything out of the cheapest stuff you can find, and then charge full price to fix it when it starts falling apart like everything in China.

Submission + - World's Most Common Pain Relief Drug May Induce Risky Behavior, Study Suggests (sciencealert.com)

Submitted by alternative_right on Thursday January 22, 2026 @12:44PM

alternative_right writes: Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol and sold widely under the brand names Tylenol and Panadol, may also increase risk-taking, according to research from 2020 that measured changes in people's behavior when under the influence of the medication.

"Acetaminophen seems to make people feel less negative emotion when they consider risky activities – they just don't feel as scared," explained neuroscientist Baldwin Way from The Ohio State University when the findings were published.

The findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that acetaminophen's effects on pain reduction also extend to various psychological processes, lowering people's receptivity to hurt feelings, experiencing reduced empathy, and even blunting cognitive functions.

Submission + - Not All Sitting Is Equal. One Type Was Just Linked to Better Brain Health. (sciencealert.com)

Submitted by alternative_right on Thursday January 22, 2026 @11:19AM

alternative_right writes: A systematic review of 85 studies has now found good reason to differentiate between 'active' sitting, like playing cards or reading, and 'passive' sitting, like watching TV.

The former may actually boost brain health.

That's probably because active sitting engages the brain, whereas passive sitting lets a person take a back seat both physically and cognitively.

Submission + - Why some people get bad colds and others don't (sciencedaily.com)

Submitted by alternative_right on Thursday January 22, 2026 @11:03AM

alternative_right writes: Scientists found that nasal cells act as a first line of defense against the common cold, working together to block rhinovirus soon after infection. A fast antiviral response can stop the virus before symptoms appear. If that response is weakened or delayed, the virus spreads and causes inflammation and breathing problems. The study highlights why the body’s reaction matters more than the virus alone.

Submission + - FBI's Washington Post Investigation Shows How Your Printer Can Snitch on You (theintercept.com)

Submitted by alternative_right on Wednesday January 21, 2026 @05:41PM

alternative_right writes: Federal prosecutors on January 9 charged Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones, an IT specialist for an unnamed government contractor, with “the offense of unlawful retention of national defense information,” according to an FBI affidavit. The case attracted national attention after federal agents investigating Perez-Lugones searched the home of a Washington Post reporter. But overlooked so far in the media coverage is the fact that a surprising surveillance tool pointed investigators toward Perez-Lugones: an office printer with a photographic memory.

News of the investigation broke when the Washington Post reported that investigators seized the work laptop, personal laptop, phone, and smartwatch of journalist Hannah Natanson, who has covered the Trump administration’s impact on the federal government and recently wrote about developing more than 1,000 government sources. A Justice Department official told the Post that Perez-Lugones had been messaging Natanson to discuss classified information. The affidavit does not allege that Perez-Lugones disseminated national defense information, only that he unlawfully retained it. The Justice Department and the Washington Post did not respond to request for comment.

The affidavit provides insight into how Perez-Lugones allegedly attempted to exfiltrate information from a Secure Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, and the unexpected way his employer took notice.

According to the FBI, Perez-Lugones printed a classified intelligence report, albeit in a roundabout fashion. It’s standard for workplace printers to log certain information, such as the names of files they print and the users who printed them. In an apparent attempt to avoid detection, Perez-Lugones, according to the affidavit, took screenshots of classified materials, cropped the screenshots, and pasted them into a Microsoft Word document.

Submission + - Aurora Watch in Effect as Severe Solar Storm Slams Into Earth (sciencealert.com)

Submitted by alternative_right on Tuesday January 20, 2026 @11:26PM

alternative_right writes: Thanks to a giant eruption on the Sun and a large opening in its atmosphere, we're currently experiencing G4 conditions – a severe geomagnetic storm strong enough to disrupt power grids as energy from space weather disturbances drives electric currents through Earth's magnetic field and the ground.

Experts say the storm could even reach G5 levels, the extreme category responsible for the spectacular auroral activity seen in May 2024.

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