SCI-THINK

Astrology is a much debunked myth that believes our birth dates and the subsequent aligning of planets and stars determine things such as our personality types and affects everything in our lives from romance to money. Millions of people around the world believe astrology to be a science or based on scientific principles. It is, in fact, not so. A new study has shown that people who firmly believe in astrology are less intelligent and more narcissistic than those who don't. In the study, two groups of people were given a questionnaire about their belief in astrology. They were then divided into two groups. Those that believed and those who didn't. Each group was given a standard IQ test and a test for narcissistic personality characteristics. The group that firmly believed in astrology were found to be lower in intelligence scores and higher in narcissistic tendencies. The reason might be found in psychology. Generally, people who hold firm deeply held beliefs that ar...

  Africas covid situation went from bad to worse as cases exploded from about 106 at the beginning of this month to over 1,000 per day. Scientists say they have discovered a new variant of the virus and it could potentially be even more aggressive than the recent delta variant. "Unfortunately we have detected a new variant which is a reason for concern in South Africa," virologist Tulio de Oliveira told a hastily-called news conference. The variant, which goes by the scientific lineage number B.1.1.529, "has a very high number of mutations," he said, expressing hope that the World Health Organization will give it a Greek name on Friday. This new variant is thought to go over 10 different mutations compared to the three or four seen with the delta variant. The WHO made a statement that they are monitoring the situation and will have to make a determination on the status of this variant in a few days time. Since this new strain has been detected in at least...

  If you live in Utah in the United States you're probably familiar with the worlds largest organism. If you live elsewhere, you might not be aware of it. It's not in the ocean and it's not an animal. In fact, by looking at it, you might be surprised. It's named Pando. At first glance you might think it's just a forest of quaking aspen trees but you'd be incorrect. While it may give that appearance, Pando is actually about 47,000 acres of just one organism. The seemingly separate trees are actually clones and, underneath, they are connected by a singular root system making it all one living thing. By mass, it's the largest organism in the world. Now it's under fire from a variety of forces. Most notably, deer are eating bigger and bigger chunks of Pando. Natural predators of deer have been declining for decades making it a haven for deer. They will eat the shoots and stems of new clones thus inhibiting the growth of this massive organism. Also ...

  Bees are man's best friend if you think about it. Without them we would go hungry and have far less flowers to look at. Not only that, but a world without honey is a world I wouldn't want to live in. Just like with all living things, the bees are evolving. A species in Costa Rica has grown an extra tooth and uses it to eat meat! The so called "vulture bees" have been found to eat the flesh of carrion (dead animal flesh) and not get sick. Scientists believe the reason is to lower competition for nectar and still being able to survive. They've also found gut microbes in this species of bees that is similar to the gut microbes found in vultures and other carrion eating animals. These microbes ensure the animals do not get sick or die due to toxins from the dead flesh. This species produces honey that is every bit as good as their vegetarian counterparts. The meat they ingest is stored in a special chamber in their gut for up to two weeks, separate from wh...

  It's been said that you should never date a woman who watches true crime and detective shows because she knows how to get away with murder! This is an old joke but how many of us watch these types of programs and think " You know what? I believe I could get away with this crime"? Well, I hate to ruin your fantasy but scientists say that watching these kinds of shows do not make for a better criminal. In this study, psychologists looked at data from the FBI and the BKA (the German counterpart). They looked specifically at detection rates before the television series CSI and after. They then interviewed 28 prisoners in various correctional facilities and asked them if watching CSI (a very popular television series dealing with forensic science) made them feel they could more easily get away with a crime.  Psychologists then put together an elaborate experiment to see if test subjects who watched CSI were more efficient at escaping detection than those who did n...