Some avocados are female in the morning and male in the afternoon, while others are on the opposite schedule. How avocados do this has been unclear — until now, thanks to a UC Davis study.

Scientists created an AI system to automate behavioral studies of capuchins monkeys in the wild. The novel method provides a roadmap for the first scalable, systematic way to evaluate and monitor the cognitive abilities of wild primates.

A remarkably preserved fossil from Mongolia’s Gobi Desert is reshaping scientists’ understanding of mammal evolution during the age of dinosaurs. The new species reveals that a group of extinct mammals known as zhelestids were not close relatives of modern placental mammals as many researchers thought for decades.

Themes in children's science biographies that emphasize the many obstacles that female scientists transcended or scientists' extraordinary innate talent or interest in science may inadvertently alienate some children who cannot picture themselves in these ways. The study authors suggest use of alternate themes that may be motivational for children.

The VLASH technique, developed by MIT researchers, helps robots think ahead while moving, eliminating lags that occur between different chunks of action. This smooths and streamlines robot motion, accelerating performance on tasks like pick-and-place, sorting, and stacking. 

Biosensors have revolutionized home healthcare over the last two decades. Devices like wearable heart rate and blood glucose monitors are giving people with chronic health conditions the information and assurance they need to maintain an active lifestyle. But even the best sensors are limited by their ability to sustain skin contact through the rigors of physical activity. Researchers from Drexel University and Penn State University took on the challenge of improving the hydrogel material used in biosensors. And, in recently published research, they reported a new formula for making the gelatinous substrate that is versatile, durable and adhesive enough to make a stronger connection.

An international team of researchers from the U.S. and Kenya analyzed a trove of fossilized footprints that were left behind by a troop of eight hominins, first discovered nearly 50 years ago in northern Kenya. The team analyzed the anatomy and movement patterns of the fossil footprints and determined they were made by Paranthropus boisei; the conclusion was surprising because the tracks were similar sizes to those left by Homo erectus, which was long thought to be significantly larger than P. boisei. The new track site also reveals that adult male Paranthropus sometimes traveled in groups around the margins of Lake Turkana.