Nature

A walk in nature really is good for your mental health, including your ability to focus attention, according to researchers at the University of Utah.A recent study, published in Scientific Reports, found that a 40-minute walk in nature helped people recover from a demanding mental task, and restored the ability to focus.Psychologists have theorized that humans have evolved to benefit from the sights, sounds and smells of the natural environment. The idea, known as biophilia, suggests that we have a connection to nature…

It’s official: 2024 is the year of Peach Fuzz. That’s according to the team of forecasters at the Pantone Color Institute, which has elected this gentle, orangey-pink hue as Color of the Year. The hue “echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection” and is “radiant with warmth and modern elegance,” the institute’s executive director, Leatrice Eiseman, said in a statement.It’s a color reminiscent of sunrise or a nice summer’s day, says Lauren Labrecque, a marketing researcher specializing in color at the…

The first and perhaps most obvious point to make about Robert Connolly’s sequel to his popular and finely made mystery-thriller The Dry is that it’s not dry at all – it’s very, very wet. The director, again adapting a bestselling novel by Jane Harper, opens with shots of lush wilderness – the film is largely based in the Victorian mountain ranges – and rain-covered leaves.The first time we see Eric Bana, back again as federal police agent Aaron Falk, he’s doing laps in a swimming pool. His fellow agent, Carmen Cooper…

The beautiful thing about fractals, the self-repeating patterns found throughout nature, is their enchanting repetition which runs infinitely deep.Zoom in on the branching found in objects like fern fronds and snowflakes and you'll see they repeat in miniature – sometimes all the way down to atomic and quantum matter.Mesmerizing as they are, such geometric patterns can have their limits. According to a new study that has found forest canopies don't replicate the fractal patterns of individual trees.Given how common…

The James Webb Space Telescope continues to astound astronomers with new images of the universe not possible with other instruments. A recently released gallery shows stunning details of 19 nearby spiral galaxies that are similar to our own Milky Way.In an ongoing project called PHANGS (Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby Galaxies), recent galaxy images taken by Webb will be combined with images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope's MUSE (Multi-Unit…

Britain likes to think of itself as a nation of animal lovers – though from the beast of Bodmin to XL bullies, we seem just as attached to lurid accounts of their unpredictable menace. Naturalist Chantal Lyons has a diagnosis for what she calls our “national zoophobia”. It’s “a symptom of our isolation”: as a society, we simply don’t have enough contact with wild nature not to be terrified of it. In September, a government-led report on biodiversity observed: “Nature is still seriously declining across the UK, a country…

There’s a lot you can do with your Pals in Palworld that you probably wouldn’t think of by looking at it. Aside from catching and battling them, you will also be putting them to work at your base, collecting resources like Paldium and Coal to give you a constant supply of materials to craft with. Unlike other monster-catching titles, Pals don’t evolve in Palworld, but instead can be bred to pass on their traits. While you could throw any two Pals in the farm to breed, so long as they are male and female, the result…

A new paper highlights the significance of Occam’s Razor, arguing that its principle of simplicity is what sets science apart from pseudoscience and superstition. The study argues that a better understanding and emphasis on Occam’s Razor could improve public perception and education in science.Occam’s Razor, a principle suggesting that the simplest explanation that aligns with the facts should be chosen when confronted with multiple hypotheses, is more than just a scientific tool. According to a distinguished molecular…

Credit: Current Psychology (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-05495-z The deterioration of global ecosystems and environmental problems, such as global climate warming, extreme weather events, and severe pollution threaten the human environment. Implementing pro-environmental behaviors is one of the effective ways to solve environmental problems. How to promote behavioral change and implement more pro-environmental behaviors…

Measles is back with a vengeance. In the UK, where only 85% of school-age children have received two doses of the MMR vaccine, as many as 300 people have contracted the disease since October. And cases are creeping up across the US too.Catching measles outbreaks early is tricky, though. Like many other respiratory viruses, it starts off with a cough, runny nose, fever, and achy body. The telltale rash doesn’t appear for two to four more days. By then, a person is already infectious. Very infectious, in fact. Measles is…