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Religiosity as a predictor of a child's kindness

April 22, 2025 • 03:00 PM

A recent study on the influence of religion on altruistic behavior among children was conducted by Dr. Jean Decety, at the Department of Psychology from University of Chicago along with an international team of scientists.

To test the correlation between religion and acts of kindness among kids, the scientists selected 1,170 children aged from five to twelve. This large population of children belonged to six countries- Canada, China, Jordan, Turkey, USA and South Africa, creating a diverse mix.

...

Cooperation catalyzes the evolution of cleaner cars

April 22, 2025 • 03:00 PM

Cars generate lots of pollution, as the Volkswagen Diesel scandal lately reminded us. From the same two countries where the incident emerged---the US and Germany---come some recent advances that bring us closer to a long-awaited clean alternative: hydrogen cars. Capitalizing on the combined efforts of many scientists from several different fields, in fact, huge strides are being made in the development of nano-structured materials, particularly useful as catalysts. Catalysts are a general...

A second wind for exoplanets habitability

April 22, 2025 • 03:00 PM

Earth is the only planet we know that has life, so it's easy to think that any other habitable planet must look like it. Indeed, the study of exoplanets (planets outside of our solar system) often concentrates on looking for Earth's "twins". But the universe is a weird and varied place: could some different world be habitable too?  According to a study from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, the answer is yes! If there's any chance that a planet has liquid water on its surface, it's...

How basic research helped expose VW's dirty secret!

April 22, 2025 • 03:00 PM

German auto giant Volkswagen's (VW) recent fall from grace is a result of the same greed that brought down Toyota nearly six years ago - the quest for becoming the most powerful automaker in the world.  But what makes the VW scandal even more nefarious? Deliberate lies by VW, misleading the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States and its consumers to believe that discrepancies found in the air pollutant (nitrous oxide) emission levels were simply technical glitches.  Where...

Flowing water found on Mars

April 22, 2025 • 03:00 PM

In a press conference on September 28th, NASA scientists announced that they have solid evidence of liquid water on the surface of present-day Mars. For the first time, liquid water has been found on the surface of a planet other than Earth!

The evidence comes from long, dark streaks---first seen on images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter---that stretch down some mountains and crater walls on the planet. Because they grow bigger and darker during Martian summer, then recede in winter, these...

Converting classrooms into "smart" rooms

April 22, 2025 • 03:00 PM

Imagine a classroom setting in a university, where students have their heads bent down - not taking notes as you imagine but looking into smartphones. Doesn't that seem like an outrageous notion?

Smartphones have invaded our society and are prevalent in our everyday lives, especially among the younger generation. Therefore, it's not surprising that they are universally found in many college settings.

But that begs the immediate question - Are smartphones beneficial to the educational process or...

New approach tries to clear the air over fossil fuels

April 22, 2025 • 03:00 PM

With an ever-increasing energy demand, the use of fossil fuels is steadily on the rise.

But so are air pollution and the concerns over its consequences on our health.

Air pollution, in fact, increases the risks of asthma and heart attacks, as well as the overall mortality rate.

However, according to a group of scientists led by engineers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, fossil-fuel-based power plants could minimize their health impact in an affordable way.

All it takes is some smart...

Pluto's icy breath, young look and big heart: what we learnt from New Horizons so far

April 22, 2025 • 03:00 PM

On July 14th, NASA's New Horizons probe completed its nine-year-long journey flying close to Pluto.

"This mission has been a big success," says Professor Andreas Burkert, an astrophysicist of the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, not affiliated with the project, "one has to congratulate the team for their excellent job."

Because the probe was traveling at almost twenty kilometers per second, it was too fast to orbit around the dwarf planet, and it had to take pictures and perform...

The yin and yang of social interaction

April 22, 2025 • 03:00 PM

At some point in our lives, all of us have found ourselves in a crowded bus stop or grocery store or a music concert.

But have you considered the possibility that the unknown person next to you in these crowded situations may be connected to your friend of a friend of a friend?

Much as it may sound completely random or just plain impossible, scientific studies in the past have shown that each of us could potentially connect to everybody else in the world within six links.

Many of us may be...

Can we influence the evolution of an idea...

April 22, 2025 • 03:00 PM

Read part 1 of this series at:
http://www.themunicheye.com/news/The-yin-and-yang-of-social-interaction-3211

Can you imagine an exclusive social circle with a qualification-based filter in the interest of blossoming and evolving ideas?

If so, how would such a group function?

It would be akin to birds of a feather flocking together and as a result would preclude contact with people from different social settings.

Naturally, exchange of ideas between such distinct separated groups would become...

Eyes wide open

April 22, 2025 • 03:00 PM

Eye contact is the most basic interaction with another person. When people look into each other's eyes, they spontaneously indicate that their attention is focused on the other person. If the look is returned then a channel for interaction is opened. Eye contact has been described as the 'window into the soul' and is a powerful social signal.

Past research has identified specific brain patterns associated with locking eyes with someone or looking at someone who isn't returning your gaze. The...

Even cheap wine can taste great

April 22, 2025 • 03:00 PM

"It's cheap wine so it will not taste great." Does this imply that the wine is really tasteless?

Or is one so prejudiced about the wine such that even if it actually tastes great, one's brain is oblivious to that?

New research published in the Journal of Marketing Research shows that a consumer's preconceived notion about a product may create a placebo effect such that it results in producing actual biological changes in the brain.

Scientists, Hilke Plassmann and Bernd Weber promote this as a...

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Civilization: Wie wir heute leben

The exhibition 'Civilization' explores the multifaceted aspects of our incredibly complex coexistence, ranging from humanity's significant achievements to our collective failures. It examines cultures from all continents, highlighting how we produce and consume, work and play, travel and live, think...

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Two Schools Join Climate Alliance: A Commitment to Sustainability
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Fire Alarm Triggers Emergency Response on Mallorca Flight
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