Arts And Science Research
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New method reveals how differences in the genetic “instruction booklet” between humans and Neanderthals influenced traits
When it comes to our differences from Neanderthals, most of what we know comes from comparing fossils. But fossils can only tell us about bones and not whole living organisms. That’s changing thanks to a new paper from a team of genomics researchers at Vanderbilt, who… Read MoreOct 7, 2019
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High standards of female songbirds could be driving their mates to evolve
Picky females force male songbirds to become better singers. Read MoreSep 4, 2019
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Rare study of Earth-sized planet uses technique pioneered by Vanderbilt professor
A groundbreaking study, using data from NASA and a technique pioneered by a Vanderbilt professor, is giving humankind a glimpse at a distant exoplanet with a size similar to Earth and a surface which may resemble Mercury or Earth’s Moon. Located nearly 49 light-years from Earth, the planet known… Read MoreAug 19, 2019
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Behavioral science models can help identify the greenest dietary changes
Spreading the gospel of veggie-only diets may not be the most effective way to help reduce overall, food-related greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new model based on behavioral science. In new commentary published Aug. 9 in Nature Sustainability, Jonathan Gilligan, associate professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, examines… Read MoreAug 9, 2019
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The momentum myth: Staggering primaries didn’t affect outcome of 2016 nominating contests
During the 2016 primary season, voters didn't shift their preferences based on who was winning, according to an analysis of more than 325,000 tracking poll results. Read MoreJul 29, 2019
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When legislatures can and can’t check executive powers
The largest analysis of gubernatorial executive orders to date reveals important nuances that explain how and when legislatures can constrain executive power. Read MoreJul 29, 2019
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Decline of U.S. auto industry linked to midcentury shift in production models
A massive shift in production models by American automakers to limit the impact of labor unions may have unintentionally stifled innovation and led to the present decline of the U.S. auto industry, according to new research by Joshua Murray. Read MoreJul 18, 2019
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Computer model illuminates critical moment in Drosophila development
A computer model of forces exerted by cells during development of a fertilized egg into a fruit fly larvae holds promise to help scientists understand the morphogenesis of organisms that are much more complicated. Shane Hutson, professor of physics and biological sciences and chair of the Department of… Read MoreJun 19, 2019
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Ediacaran dinner party featured plenty to eat, adequate sanitation, computer model shows
“They are behaving like animals, and that’s a link between them and what we recognize as animals," says paleontologist Simon A.F. Darroch. Read MoreJun 19, 2019
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Human rights treaties benefit the world’s most oppressed
International human rights treaties really do work, and they work most effectively against the most repressive governments, argues political scientist Emily Hencken Ritter in a new book. Read MoreJun 17, 2019
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Tennessee stands at a political crossroads: Vanderbilt Poll
Despite opportunities for broad consensus, Tennessee’s long history of pragmatic politics could be affected by rising polarization along party lines, according to the most recent statewide Vanderbilt University Poll. Read MoreJun 6, 2019
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Study: Continuity, not change, marked President Trump’s first year
An empirical analysis of executive actions taken during President Trump's first year shows that while he focused more on immigration and deregulation than previous presidents, his use of unilateralism was largely in line with his predecessors. Read MoreMay 29, 2019
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Life in evolution’s fast lane
A group of budding yeasts in the genus Hanseniaspora, which is closely related to the baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has lost large numbers of genes related to cell cycle and DNA repair processes. Read MoreMay 21, 2019
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Dolphin ancestor’s hearing was more like hoofed mammals than today’s sea creatures
The team, one of the first in the world to examine the ability’s origins, used a small CT scanner to look inside a 30-million-year-old ear bone fossil from a specimen resembling Olympicetus avitus. Read MoreMay 15, 2019
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The hunt is on for closest Earth-like planets
The catalog identifies 1,823 stars for which TESS is sensitive enough to spot Earth-like planets just a bit larger than Earth that receive radiation from their star equivalent to what Earth receives from our sun. Read MoreMar 26, 2019
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Stalagmite holds key to predicting droughts, floods for India
Stalagmite records from monsoon regions such as India are vital to understanding past variability in the global climate system and the underlying reasons for this variability. Read MoreMar 25, 2019
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The Search for Earth-Like Planets
Researchers have developed a model that estimates the effect that a star's diet has on its chemical composition. This model will add substantially to astronomers’ understanding of the process of planet formation as well as assist in the ongoing search for Earth-like exoplanets. Read MoreSep 26, 2014
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Research Roundup, Summer 2014
Private Property and Government Inaction | Probiotic Could Prevent Obesity | Freedom from Power Cords | Pickiness Doesn’t Always Pay Read MoreSep 26, 2014