The Earliest Known Evidence of the Maa Calendar

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Melony is keen to test her theories further, but there's a bit of a problem. All this research has been halted because we can't collect data without people wearing masks and, of course, completely change tas ye experience. There's tons of different experiments it would love to run tot i haven't theen will to do as we can't run in person studies right now. And charmone's also made a film about the work, where you can see some people trying to be creative on video call. In the video you can see me make a little bit of a fool of myself as I think up ideas for how to use a frisby.

00:56 How video calls can reduce creativity

As a result of the pandemic, workers around the world have become accustomed to meeting colleagues online. To find out if this switch from face-to-face meetings came at a cost to creativity, a team compared the number of ideas generated by workers collaborating either online, or in-person. They showed that people meeting virtually produced fewer creative ideas than those working face-to-face, and suggest that when it comes to idea generation maybe it’s time to turn the camera off.

Research article: Brucks & Levav

News and Views: Virtual collaboration hinders idea generation

Video: Why video calls are bad for brainstorming

08:08 Research Highlights

Fragments from an ancient pyramid suggest earliest known use of a Maya calendar, and how sweet snacks could damage rare iguanas’ metabolism.

Research Highlight: Deer symbol hints at early adoption of Maya calendar

Research Highlight: Tourists’ sweet treats threaten rare iguanas’ health

10:34 Fish skin reveals a new type of cell division

Researchers looking at the skin cells of zebrafish have discovered a new type of cell division, which doesn’t require DNA replication. DNA is usually essential for healthy cells, but the researchers think this puzzling finding may be a temporary measure to help the fish produce skin more rapidly during growth spurts.

Research article: Chan et al.

News and Views: Stretched skin cells divide without DNA replication

Video: A new kind of cell division

16:59 Briefing Chat

We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, how laser-equipped submarines could help analyse gelatinous animals’ anatomy, and a push for a flagship mission to Uranus.

The New Yorker: Shedding Light on Untouchable Sea Creatures

Nature: Next stop, Uranus? Icy planet tops priority list for next big NASA mission

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