Science

A molecule keeps anxiety down The link between emotions and experiences determines many aspects of our daily life. It allows us to recognize pretty objects or harmful situations. These links are created when nerve cells construct new connections to one another or reinforce existing connections. Scientists at the Max Planck Institutes for Neurobiology and Psychiatry and at the Großhadern Clinic (Ludwig Maximilian University) have now discovered a molecule with a crucial influence on the strength of these connections. New climate record shows century-long droughts in eastern north america A stalagmite in a West Virginia cave has yielded the most detailed geological record to date on climate cycles in eastern North America over the past 7,000 years. The new study confirms that during periods when Earth received less solar radiation, the Atlantic Ocean cooled, icebergs increased and precipitation fell, creating a series of century-long droughts. That tastes... sweet? Sour? No, it's definitely calcium! Chemists in Philadelphia are reporting a discovery that could expand the palate of human tastes - sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory - to include a new taste sensation that they term "calcium." 'Virtual archaeologist' reconnects fragments of an ancient civilization For several decades, archaeologists in Greece have been painstakingly attempting to reconstruct wall paintings that hold valuable clues to the ancient culture of Thera, an island civilization that was buried under volcanic ash more than 3,500 years ago.