There are only a handful of representatives from the first wave of great civilisations, and we’ve already met the two most renowned of these; the first chapters of Egypt and Mesopotamia.  Fur…

Matilda’s Lab ©2023

A new scientific study published in the American Journal of Public Health finds that food industry ties are common among researchers who criticize how ultra-processed foods are classified.

Species pictured is actually the Large-Tooth Beardy (Lotella Rhacina) which looks very similar. Matilda’s Lab ©2023

Matilda’s Lab ©2023

New RMIT University research suggests environmental awareness alone may not stop people buying ultra-fast fashion, with price and convenience trumping sustainability concerns for shoppers.

Listen to Chris MacAlister - Venus (She's So Hot!)

New study identifies a new physiological principle in human physiology: “Social Physiology” - human bodies regulate glucose, temperature, and stress more efficiently in close social proxim...

This week I start pushing for the next level. We have the hidden benefit of social dining, your new (2nd) brain, operatic lemurs, vomiting plesiosaurs and why old people tell so many stories.

Researchers show how western chimpanzees in Senegal give stick tools and baobab fruit to each another. This transfer was typically between relatives, especially by mothers to their immature offspring....

Matilda’s Lab ©2023

Matilda’s Lab ©2023

Lions and hyenas compete for food and will kill each other if they get the chance, but studying their power struggle is difficult — they roam over wide landscapes where it’s hard for scien...

Whereas adults rely on streamlined internal mind maps to carry out their daily routines, young children’s brains appear to be wired for distraction. According to a review paper published recentl...

The very first lesson from Matilda's Lab, all about farts and diffusion. The original lesson has been adapted into a fully illustrated 8-page zine. Al...

The jury is still out on whether an arificial intelligence will threaten humanity on its own authority. What we do know, is that there are plenty of other threats that AI poses to us, even without …

A clinical trial for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) shows that laughter therapy can reduce breathing difficulties and is as effective as more traditional breathing exercise...

Companies under fire from stakeholders deploy a systematic playbook -- anticipate, disrupt, escalate -- to thwart dissent, according to new research from The University of Texas at Austin. While past ...

YouTube video by Matilda's Lab

Species pictured is actually Thricops semicinereus as no picture of vaderi could be found. Matilda’s Lab ©2023

Smoking is not social and leads to increased loneliness, according to a large Europe-wide study presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

This week, it’s back to school. We have a shrinking planet, distracted children, why laughter is a medicine (of sorts), what makes dull animals important and the truth about hyenas.

A new review study led by Joke Bradt, PhD, a professor in Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions, examined biological, psychological and social mechanisms that may explain...

A study by Queen Mary University of London finds that young chimpanzees develop dialect, providing a new way of understanding ontogenetic evolution.    

An international consortium of researchers found that more than 1,200 different genetic variants are associated with the Big Five personality traits — and surprisingly, these personality genetic...

What types of communication are most effective in motivating people to take action on climate change? To find out, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) reviewed a vast body of research from Sw...

Early school starts and weekend lie ins could be contributing to anxiety in teenagers, a new study has found.

The United States Constitution protects the free exercise of religion, meaning that religious exemptions can sometimes be granted if a law infringes upon someone’s sincerely held religious belie...

Envy plays a greater role when resources are allocated through majority voting than when we make decisions individually. This is shown by new research from Linköping University, Sweden. According to…

This song that introduces the idea of what Matilda’s Lab is. It was the first song that I recorded for the science song project and I knew that it had to have 2 things. One: A leading melody …

Matilda's Lab Theme digital download (mp3 file) Can also be purchased with the original artwork and a PDF sheet containing the the song lyrics and cho...

The war in Iran has strangled one of the world’s most important oil producing regions and trade routes, and gas prices have soared. UC Santa Barbara’s Paasha Mahdavi, associate professor of political…

Matilda’s Lab ©2023

Genetics may be the instruction manual for how a living thing is made, but those instructions are flexible. It doesn’t simply build a finished product, it contains plenty of “what-if&#8…

It’s holiday time (again). We find out how democracy feeds envy, fungal fashion, how modern life is affecting our sleep, how music communicates with our brains, and what is the point of zoos?

Listen to Hydrogen by Chris MacAlister.

Human beings have a tendency to infer personality or character traits from other people’s facial features, and a study finds that LLMS share these biases.

A new Reichman University study has found that moderate self-disclosure in a dating profile strikes the optimal balance for attracting potential partners interested in a meaningful relationship:…

This history series traces our ancestors’ development of knowledge and technology. With a mission statement like that, does a calendar really count as a significant development? Biology has m…

Astronomers have discovered a “black hole star,” an extremely bright red spot in the early universe that appears to be a new type of astrophysical object. It resembles an enormous star, but its…

The child who plays alone during recess may be perfectly content doing so, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

Across political ideologies, people in the U.S. overwhelmingly gravitate toward technologies presented as natural and reject those that seem unnatural. The findings offer insight on why some proposed…

Research has long shown that exercise benefits both physical and mental health. Now a new study from researchers at BYU suggests that it may also strengthen marriages, especially when couples exercise...

This week, it's fun week! We have a tip of getting a date, then how to stay together afterwards. There is a black-hole sun, why some kids are happy to play alone and the trap of sounding 'natural'.

Researchers at the University of Bath and The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) believe they may have solved a long-standing evolutionary puzzle: why do humans remain stubbornly…