Particularly important information also results from the archaeobotanical remains and the radiocarbon study. Continue reading “The Theopetra Cave in Thessaly: a 130,000 year old prehistory (Part 2)”
Unusual climate during Roman times plunged Eurasia into hunger and disease
A recent study indicates that volcanic eruptions in the mid 500s resulted in an unusually gloomy and cold period. A joint research project of the Chronology Laboratory of the Finnish Museum of Natural History and Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) suggests that the years 536 and 541-544 CE were very difficult for many people. Continue reading “Unusual climate during Roman times plunged Eurasia into hunger and disease”
Inherited IQ can increase in early childhood
When it comes to intelligence, environment and education matter — more than we think. Continue reading “Inherited IQ can increase in early childhood”
Isolated Greek villages reveal genetic secrets that protect against heart disease
A genetic variant that protects the heart against cardiovascular disease has been discovered by researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their collaborators. Reported today (26th May 2017) in Nature Communications, the cardioprotective variant was found in an isolated Greek population, who are known to live long and healthy lives despite having a diet rich in animal fat. Continue reading “Isolated Greek villages reveal genetic secrets that protect against heart disease”
Spoken language reveals how people develop and mature
When people think of “personality,” they are likely to think of traits such as warmth or extraversion. For example, a person with high extraversion tends to exhibit an enthusiastic, gregarious, socially dominant, reward-seeking style of social performance across a wide range of situations and contexts as compared to a person with low extraversion. Continue reading “Spoken language reveals how people develop and mature”
Turning desert sand into farmland: Chinese scientists propose a revolutionary solution to desertification
Desertification, when fertile land dries into desert, is a global problem. According to Dr Steffen Bauer, an ecological expert at the Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik, as much as 40 per cent of the world is ‘dryland’. And that puts much of it in danger of desertification. Surprisingly, though fragile, these areas hold roughly 44 per cent of the world’s farms. They’re also called home by about 2 billion people, warn the editors of Governing Global Desertification. Continue reading “Turning desert sand into farmland: Chinese scientists propose a revolutionary solution to desertification”