Algorithm tells robots where nearby humans are headed

In 2018, researchers at MIT and the auto manufacturer BMW were testing ways in which humans and robots might work in close proximity to assemble car parts. In a replica of a factory floor setting, the team rigged up a robot on rails, designed to deliver parts between work stations. Meanwhile, human workers crossed its path every so often to work at nearby stations.

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Modern milkman: Company offers delivery and pickup of no-waste household supplies and groceries

It's the stuff everyone tries to get rid of but that never really goes away:

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Climate change had significant impact on Amazon communities before arrival of Europeans

Climate change had a significant impact on people living in the Amazon rainforest before the arrival of Europeans and the loss of many indigenous groups, a new study shows.

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Schizophrenia: Adolescence is the game-changer

Schizophrenia causes hallucinations and memory or cognition problems inter alia. This psychiatric illness affects 0.5 percent of the general population, and it may be related to genetic abnormalities of chromosome 22, known as 22q11 deletion syndrome. However, not everyone who has the syndrome necessarily develops psychotic symptoms. So, what triggers the illness? Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have provided an initial answer after observing and analysing several years of patients with deletion syndrome. The scientists found that the size of the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memory and emotions, was smaller than normal but followed the same developmental curve as in healthy subjects. Yet, when the first psychotic symptoms appear—generally in adolescence—the hippocampus atrophies dramatically. The results, which you can read all about in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, open up new avenues for understanding the causes of schizophrenia.

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The Trebek effect: The benefits of well wishes

Long-time "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek announced in March that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Within days, he offered thanks to "the hundreds of thousands of people who have sent emails, texts, tweets, and cards wishing me well regarded my health." Then last month, Trebek reported that his cancer was in "near remission," saying that his doctors "hadn't seen this kind of positive results in their memory."

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Parasites affect host responses to environmental change

Ignoring the role of parasites may lead to a misinterpretation of organism responses to environmental change, according to an Innovative Viewpoints article by ecologists from the University of Georgia. Their paper, "To improve ecological understanding, collect infection data," presents case studies in which host-parasite relationship and infection data affected the interpretation of ecological outcomes. The study is published in Ecosphere.

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Researchers' discovery could lead to improved therapies for duchenne muscular dystrophy

A new multi-institution study spearheaded by researchers at Florida State University and the University of California, Los Angeles suggests a tiny protein could play a major role in combating heart failure related to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the most common lethal genetic disorder among children.

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Dogs trained to offer support to troubled US veterans

Michael Kidd, now 84 years old, fought in the Korean War. His young German shepherd Millie helps calm him down when things start to swirl, usually at night.

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