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A review of experimental research reveals how VR is best used and why it's struggled to become a megahit with consumers.

A review of experimental research reveals how VR is best used and why it's struggled to become a megahit with consumers.

Large language models (LLMs) -- the advanced AI behind tools like ChatGPT -- are increasingly integrated into daily life, assisting with tasks such as writing emails, answering questions, and even supporting healthcare decisions. But can these models collaborate with others in the same way humans do? Can they understand social situations, make compromises, or establish trust? A new study reveals that while today's AI is smart, it still has much to learn about social intelligence.

Scientists have developed a unified theory for mathematical parameters known as gauge freedoms. Their new formulas will allow researchers to interpret research results much faster and with greater confidence. The development could prove fundamental for future efforts in agriculture, drug discovery, and beyond.

Physicists have unveiled a breakthrough in quantum sensing by demonstrating a 2D material as a versatile platform for next-generation nanoscale vectorial magnetometry.

Physicists have unveiled a breakthrough in quantum sensing by demonstrating a 2D material as a versatile platform for next-generation nanoscale vectorial magnetometry.

A team identified herpes virus saimiri, which infects the T cells of squirrel monkeys, as a source of proteins that activate pathways in T cells that are needed to promote T cell survival.

In a major leap forward for genetic and biomedical research, scientists have developed a powerful new artificial intelligence tool that can predict the 3D shape of chromosomes inside individual cells -- helping researchers gain a new view of how our genes work.

A series of experiments support spectral data recently collected by the James Webb Space Telescope that found evidence that the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa is constantly changing. Europa's surface ice is crystallizing at different rates in different places, which could point to a complex mix of external processes and geologic activity affecting the surface.

Scientists have observed anyons -- quasiparticles that differ from the familiar fermions and bosons -- in a one-dimensional quantum system for the first time. The results may contribute to a better understanding of quantum matter and its potential applications.

Scientists have observed anyons -- quasiparticles that differ from the familiar fermions and bosons -- in a one-dimensional quantum system for the first time. The results may contribute to a better understanding of quantum matter and its potential applications.

A team of international astronomers have discovered a new cosmic object emitting both radio waves and x-rays.

A new study in Nature describes both the mechanism and the material conditions necessary for superfluorescence at high temperature.

A new study in Nature describes both the mechanism and the material conditions necessary for superfluorescence at high temperature.

Engineers have developed a multifunctional, reconfigurable component for an optical computing system that could be a game changer in electronics.

Engineers have developed a multifunctional, reconfigurable component for an optical computing system that could be a game changer in electronics.

Researchers have released new insights on a pilot program involving all-electric buses in Ithaca, NY, USA -- with implications for cities, schools and other groups that are considering the electrification of their fleets, as well as operators, policymakers and manufacturers.

Ultraviolet astronomical observations have always been hindered by one simple fact - the Earth's atmosphere blocks most UV photons, especially in the UV-C and UV-B range of 100-315nm wavelengths. So, astronomers must have a collector above the atmosphere if they want to know what is happening in those wavelengths. A consortium from Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) hopes to provide additional insight into that realm with their PhotSat mission, a CubeSat that will observe the whole sky in UV and visible light once every few days.

I saw a picture of this thing on my Facebook page, and automatically assumed that it–or at least its color–was fake.  But here’s a real photo of the Conehead Mantis (Empusa pennata) from Wikipedia.  An excerpt from the article:

Empusa pennata, or the conehead mantis, is a species of praying mantis in genus Empusa native to the Mediterranean Region. It can be found in Portugal, Spain, southern France, Italy and on the mediterranean coasts of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Turkey and Egypt.[1] Because of its cryptic nature, or also possibly because of its fragmented, low-density populations, it is rarely encountered in the wild.

They’re incredibly cryptic, as well as patient, as the video below shows:

Frank Vassen from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

. . . and the head of the male (both sexes have cones):

Raúl Baena Casado from Sevilla, España, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

A short video which shows the main features. Ah, the marvels of natural selection, which, it seems, can do almost anything.

Manifestation is easy to dismiss as unscientific nonsense. Certain techniques used in the practice, though, do work — just not in the magical way some people think, as neuroscientist Sabina Brennan elucidates