There are various hypotheses for the origin of the Moon but a chemistry analysis says it has disproved the leading one - that a low-energy impact left the proto-Earth and Moon shrouded in a silicate atmosphere. Instead, they say, a much more violent impact vaporized the impactor and most of the proto-Earth, expanding to form an enormous superfluid disk out of which the Moon eventually crystallized.

From a very young age, we're warned against shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater. The possibility of inciting mass panic presents an obvious moral problem. But for researchers, the situation also presents an interesting mathematical problem: How do large crowds of people behave in emergency situations? While many have turned to classical physics and calculus for the answer, a recent study shows that a branch of mathematics called fractional calculus may offer a more realistic picture of crowd dynamics.

Researchers conducted risk calculation on the influence of the temporary suspension of cervical cancer vaccination based on vaccination rates for female Japanese born between 1993 and 2008. They clarified that the risk of HPV infection varies considerably depending on the birth year. The findings suggest that infection risk may be reduced if vaccination encouragement is resumed and target groups are extended to include those females that were at target vaccination age during the suspension period.

Researchers have clarified important mechanisms involved in the formation of neural circuits in the brain, and discovered that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive substance also found in cannabis, causes disruption of neural circuits within the cortex. 

Experts often advise even openly gay and lesbian candidates to downplay their sexual orientation or risk losing votes, but David Niven, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati, claimed at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association in Philadelphia that not only does a gay or lesbian candidate's sexual orientation no longer pose a political disadvantage, but that it may actually help them win office.  

A new study indicates that playing video games for a limited amount of time each week may provide benefits to children, but too much can be detrimental. The findings are published in the Annals of Neurology.

There's much debate over the potential benefits and risks of video gaming in children and teens. To provide some clarity, Jesus Pujol, MD, of the Hospital del Mar in Spain, and his colleagues investigated the relationship between weekly video game use and certain cognitive abilities and conduct-related problems.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham have shed light onto the cognitive benefits of bilingualism, pointing to an enhanced ability to maintain attention and focus.

The results of the study, published in Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, suggest it is this improved attentional control that provides the 'bilingual advantage', rather than a better-than-average inhibitory control.

A new Cochrane Review analysis provided an independent, rigorous assessment of the best available evidence to date about electronic cigarettes for quitting smoking and found that electr

Honeybees are hardwired to efficiently search the landscape enabling them to continue working for the greater good of their hives even when they are sick, according to new research co-authored by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).

Radar technology has been used to show for the first time that bees remain nimble and able to search and respond to their environment even when they have infections or viruses.

Honeybees tirelessly commute between rewarding flower patches and their hive, often hundreds or even thousands of metres apart. Their remarkable navigational skills rely on distinct landmarks, such as trees or houses, which they very efficiently find and memorise on orientation flights.

BOSTON (September 12, 2016)--A new analysis of 100 million Medicare records from U.S. adults aged 65 and older reveals rising healthcare costs for infections associated with opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens--disease-causing bacteria, such as Legionella--which can live inside drinking water distribution systems, including household and hospital water pipes.