Rethinking polygamy—research upends conventional thinking about the advantages of monogamous marriage
In July 2025, Uganda’s courts swiftly dismissed a petition challenging the legality of polygamy, citing the protection of religious and cultural freedom. For most social scientists and policymakers who have long declared polygamy a “harmful cultural practice,” the decision was a frustrating but predictable setback in efforts to build healthier and more equal societies. ⌘ Read more
Seismic anisotropy offers insight into viscous BLOBs at base of Earth’s mantle
In some parts of Earth’s interior, seismic waves travel at different speeds depending on the direction in which they are moving through the layers of rock in Earth’s interior. This property is known as seismic anisotropy, and it can offer important information about how the silicate rock of the mantle—particularly at the mantle’s lowermost depths—deforms. In contrast, areas through which seismic waves travel at the … ⌘ Read more
Offline interactions predict voting patterns better than online networks, finds study
According to a new study, offline social networks, revealed by co-location data, predict U.S. voting patterns more accurately than online social connections or residential sorting. Michele Tizzoni and colleagues analyzed large-scale data on co-location patterns from Meta’s Data for Good program, which collates anonymized data collected from people who enabled location services on the Facebook smartphone a … ⌘ Read more
Study finds Airbnb safety reviews can turn off some but the increased transparency can mitigate that
A new peer-reviewed study in the journal Marketing Science sheds light on how online safety-related reviews from Airbnb guests influence booking decisions and how the platform itself balances consumer welfare against its own financial incentives. ⌘ Read more
Gunboat diplomacy: How classic naval coercion has evolved into hybrid warfare on the water
Over the summer, the United States deployed warships to the Caribbean—ostensibly to menace drug traffickers but also as a none-too-subtle warning to Venezuela. Earlier in the year, a U.S. Navy destroyer bobbed along waters close to Iran for similar reasons. And in the Taiwan Straits and Pacific, China and the U.S. frequently show off their respective maritime military might. ⌘ Read more
Why is Halloween starting so much earlier each year? A business professor explains
Halloween is a fun, scary time for children and adults alike—but why does the holiday seem to start so much earlier every year? Decades ago, when I was young, Halloween was a much smaller affair, and people didn’t start preparing until mid-October. Today, in my neighborhood near where I grew up in Massachusetts, Halloween decorations start appearing in the middle of summer. ⌘ Read more
A seed bank in England marks 25 years of preserving the world’s plant diversity
Deep underground beneath the Sussex countryside in southern England, millions of seeds are kept frozen in a vault built to withstand fire, flooding, and any other disaster. ⌘ Read more
How a human ‘jumping gene’ targets structured DNA to reshape the genome
Long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) is the only active, self-copying genetic element in the human genome—comprising about 17% of the genome. It is commonly called a “jumping gene” or “retrotransposon” because it can “retrotranspose” (move) from one genomic location to another. ⌘ Read more
Distant galaxy A1689-zD1 found to have unusually low dust-to-gas ratio
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA), an international team of astronomers has carried out comprehensive multiwavelength observations of a distant massive galaxy known as A1689-zD1. ⌘ Read more
Hybrid metasurface modulates light at low voltages for energy-efficient optics
Metasurfaces are two-dimensional (2D), nanoengineered surfaces that interact strongly with electromagnetic waves and can control light with remarkable precision. These ultra-thin layers can be used to develop a wide range of advanced technologies, including optical photonic, sensing and communication systems. ⌘ Read more
Invisible poison: Airborne mercury from gold mining is contaminating African food crops, study warns
In a recent study published in the journal Biogeosciences, scientists have confirmed that mercury pollution from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is contaminating food crops not through the soil, as previously believed, but directly from the air. Driven by the surging price of gold, which has increased by more than tenfold since 2000, the rapid expansion of unregulated mining in thes … ⌘ Read more
Mathieu Pasquet: slixmpp v1.12
This version is out mostly to provide a stable version with compatibility with the newly released Python 3.14, there are nonetheless a few new things on top.
Thanks to all contributors for this release!
Fixes- Bug in MUC self-ping ( XEP-0410) that would create a traceback in some uses
- Bug in SIMS ( XEP-0447) where all media would be marked as inline
- Python 3.14 breakage
- Prono … ⌘ Read more
Marriage is hard, but it’s even harder when you immigrate together
Canadian immigration policy has long emphasized family reunification. In fact, most of Canada’s 200,000 yearly newcomers migrate as a couple or a family unit. ⌘ Read more
Uber will offer gig work like AI data labeling to drivers while not on the road
Comments ⌘ Read more
Does individual climate action distract from the big picture? New research has answers
New research suggests that trying to change people’s climate habits won’t hurt support for big picture solutions. ⌘ Read more
Study highlights supply and demand gaps in after-school programs
After-school programs are in high demand among families, but mismatches in cost, location and program type can prevent students from accessing the opportunities they need most, according to a new USC study. ⌘ Read more
IO Wait Times, Utilization, and System Reliability ⌘ Read more
How a genetic split helped plants conquer polluted soils
Phytochelatin synthases (PCSs) produce phytochelatins—tiny, cysteine-rich peptides that bind and neutralize toxic metal ions such as cadmium and arsenic. These molecules act as the plant’s natural detox system, sequestering harmful elements into vacuoles to prevent cellular damage. ⌘ Read more
Researchers’ autonomous system makes it easier to transport cargo on the moon
Autonomy algorithms developed by researchers at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) could one day make cargo transport on the moon safer and more efficient for astronauts. ⌘ Read more
Chinese Nobel Prize-winning physicist Chen Ning Yang dies at 103
Chinese Nobel Prize-winning physicist Chen Ning Yang, one of the most influential scientists in modern physics, died in Beijing on Saturday. He was 103. ⌘ Read more
Hello World ⌘ Read more
Epigenetic changes help cells adapt to low oxygen levels, study reveals
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered how cells can adjust their gene activity to survive when oxygen runs low. The study, published in Nature Cell Biology, reveals that cells use a previously unknown mechanism to control which proteins are produced—and how quickly. ⌘ Read more
Southern Ocean’s low-salinity Antarctic waters continue absorbing CO₂ despite climate model predictions
Climate models suggest that climate change could reduce the Southern Ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2). However, observational data actually shows that this ability has seen no significant decline in recent decades. ⌘ Read more
Follow-up observations by Webb confirm GRB 250702B is most energetic cosmic explosion ever recorded
Considering the immense size of the universe, it’s no surprise that space still holds plenty of secrets for us. Recently, astronomers believe they stumbled upon a kind of cosmic blast never seen before, and it’s challenging what we thought we knew about how stars die. ⌘ Read more
Lexical differential highlighting instead of syntax highlighting
Recently there is a lot of discussion around syntax highlighting ( 1, 2, 3), which reminds me of this old post I read a while ago.
Exploring the power of plants to make drugs out of sunlight
Plants are consummate chemists, using the sun’s energy and carbon dioxide from the air, to conjure a dazzling array of complex natural products in ways that cannot be replicated synthetically in the lab. ⌘ Read more