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Researchers solve riddle of the rock pools – Study shows rock gobies use rapid colour change camouflage to hide from predators

By Guest PostOctober 25, 2014Nature3d papillae, alzheimer forschung, Britain, camouflaging material, chromatophores, falmouth, from playboy, hirnaktivitaet, james pikul, north africa, researchers, rob shepherd, roger hanlon, southern europe, university of exeter

Research from the University of Exeter has revealed that the rock goby (Gobius paganellus), an unassuming little fish commonly found in rock pools around Britain, southern Europe, and North Africa, is a master of camouflage and can rapidly change colour to conceal itself against its background.

Whether hiding from predators or from families hunting in rock pools, the rock goby can change both its colour and brightness to match its background in just one minute. (more…)

Statistical analysis unveils the hidden patterns in Eurovision voting

By Guest PostMay 2, 2014Media, Sciencechristoph grosse steffen, conflicting, discrimination, imperial college London, ireland, kirsten bibbins domingo, kosmischer strahlung, mark defrancesco, peptide nanotubes, realist, revolutionist, Scandinavia, screening guidelines, southern europe, soviet bloc, statistical analysis, turkey, turkish, ucl, uk, us notenbank, zentrum der milchstrasse

Voting for the Eurovision Song Contest has been scrutinised by statistics experts at UCL and Imperial College London, who have found that musical talent is unlikely to be the only element that wins scores – but that the contest is not ‘stitched up’ at the UK’s expense.

The analysis of voting patterns over the past two decades suggests that widespread support for certain countries’ acts is, however, not driven by prejudice, as the media periodically suggests, but by positive loyalties based on culture, geography, history and migration. But these effects are relatively small – and the team found no evidence to support Sir Terry Wogan’s criticism that the contest is marred by blatant bias and discrimination. (more…)

Germany’s economic resurgence due to decentralised wage bargaining rather than Hartz reforms: new research

By Guest PostFebruary 4, 2014Economy, Politicsalexandra spitz oener, autonomy, bernd fitzenberger, cezary piwowarski, christian dustmann, decentralization, Europe, france, german economy, german system, government policy, hartz reforms, humboldt university, industrial relations, italy, labour market, resurgent economy, sick man, southern europe, ucl, university of freiburg, uta schoenberg, wage rate

The astonishing transformation of the German economy from the ‘sick man of Europe’ to a lean and highly competitive economy is predominantly due to the decentralisation of wage bargaining rather than government labour market reforms, according to new research led by UCL.

The resurgence of the German economy has often been attributed to government policy, notably the so-called ‘Hartz reforms’ implemented in 2003. But research, forthcoming in the Journal of Economic Perspectives, suggests that it is instead down to the inherent flexibility of the German system of industrial relations – most specifically, the autonomy of labour market institutions to set wage rates – that has led to a dramatic increase in the competitiveness of the German economy. (more…)

Tag Archives: southern europe

Researchers solve riddle of the rock pools – Study shows rock gobies use rapid colour change camouflage to hide from predators

Statistical analysis unveils the hidden patterns in Eurovision voting

Germany’s economic resurgence due to decentralised wage bargaining rather than Hartz reforms: new research