The UK film and screen industry is failing to tackle sexual harassment, with some victims punished or victimized if they do speak out, according to a new report looking at the experiences of staff in a range of roles across the television and film industry. ⌘ Read more
The UK film and screen industry is failing to tackle sexual harassment, with some victims punished or victimized if they do speak out, according to a new report looking at the experiences of staff in a range of roles across the television and film industry. ⌘ Read more
When it comes to saber-rattling, few countries employ it as much as Russia does. During their ongoing invasion and occupation of Ukraine, the country's leadership has repeatedly threatened to use atomic weapons. But the threats don't stop there. ⌘ Read more
Investigating systems consisting of self-propelled particles—so-called active particles—is a rapidly growing area of research. In theoretical models for active particles, it is often assumed that the particles' swimming speed is always the same. This is not so, however, for particles produced in many experiments, for example for those propelled by ultrasound for medical applications. In these cases, the ... ⌘ Read more
The decline of one of the rarest whales in the world appears to be slowing, but scientists warn the giant mammals still face existential threats from warming oceans, ship collisions and entanglement in fishing gear. ⌘ Read more
It was a sight that stopped traffic. A brown bear seemingly asleep, its head on its paws, on a winding forest road in central Romania, some paper napkins by its side. ⌘ Read more
Greg Schneider scans rows upon rows of liquid-filled glass jars containing coiled snake specimens, just a portion of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology's reptile and amphibian collection believed to be the largest held by any research institution in the U.S. thanks to a recent donation. ⌘ Read more
Want to get a slight edge during a coin toss? Check out which side is facing upwards before the coin is flipped –- then call that same side. ⌘ Read more
The dual pressures of climate change and plastic pollution are frequently conflated in the media, in peer-reviewed research and other environmental reporting. ⌘ Read more
An extreme drought in parts of the Amazon has led to a dramatic drop in river water levels, exposing dozens of usually submerged rock formations with carvings of human forms that may date back some 2,000 years. ⌘ Read more
A crucial meeting on climate "loss and damages" ahead of COP28 ended in failure Saturday, with countries from the global north and south unable to reach an agreement, according to sources involved in the talks. ⌘ Read more
Deadly Storm Babet unleashed extensive flooding and damaged towns in Denmark and Norway into Saturday, while continuing to sweep across the UK. ⌘ Read more
An international team of interdisciplinary researchers has successfully created a method for better 3D modeling of complex cancers. The University of Waterloo-based team combined cutting-edge bioprinting techniques with synthetic structures or microfluidic chips. The method will help lab researchers more accurately understand heterogeneous tumors: tumors with more than one kind of cancer cell, often d ... ⌘ Read more
This week, we reported on the totality of the universe. We reported on some other subjects, as well, but since they're obviously encompassed by that first thing, enough said. ⌘ Read more
India successfully carried out Saturday the first of a series of key test flights after overcoming a technical glitch ahead of its planned mission to take astronauts into space by 2025, the space agency said. ⌘ Read more
Hurricane Norma on Friday once again strengthened to a Category 3 storm as it approaches a tourist hotspot on Mexico's Pacific coast. ⌘ Read more
The diverse characteristics of the human body's various cells are reflected in their gene expression patterns. The regulation of such gene expression is based on transcription factors that bind to specific sequences in the genome. ⌘ Read more
Similar to the process of photosynthesis in plants, the conversion and storage of solar energy into chemical energy hold significant promise for addressing critical energy and environmental challenges, including the depletion of fossil fuels and threat of global warming. One promising avenue in this pursuit involves harnessing light energy to convert CO2 into value-added chemicals. ⌘ Read more
Thai officials on Friday promised action to address a spike in air pollution that came before the normal peak of seasonal haze, but environmental activists accused authorities of hot air. ⌘ Read more
An international team has spotted a remote blast of cosmic radio waves lasting less than a millisecond. This 'fast radio burst' (FRB) is the most distant ever detected. Its source was pinned down by the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) in a galaxy so far away that its light took 8 billion years to reach us. The FRB is also one of the most energetic ever observed; in a tiny fraction of a second it released the ... ⌘ Read more
For tens of thousands of years, evolution shaped tomatoes through natural mutations. Then, humans came along. ⌘ Read more
Every 13 or 17 years, billions of cicadas emerge from the ground to reproduce in eastern North American deciduous forests. One of the largest emergence events of these insects happened in 2021 when the Brood X cicadas emerged. Researchers who studied that once-in-a-generation event are now unveiling the impact this occurrence had on forest ecosystems, specifically on birds, caterpillars and trees. ⌘ Read more
Bird populations are in rapid decline across North America. While climate change is just one of the many factors influencing North American birds, its effects are significant and can interact with other stressors, such as habitat loss. A team of University of California, Davis, researchers found that the effects of extreme temperatures on avian reproduction can vary depending on the type of environment that birds call home. ⌘ Read more
Understanding supply networks could have a significant impact on improving supply security, promoting and objective monitoring of the green transition, strengthening human rights compliance, and reducing tax evasion. International alliances are needed for such an understanding, as emphasized by a research team led by the Complexity Science Hub in a recent commentary in Science. ⌘ Read more
Two recent scientific studies led by Dr. Paul Wilcox from the Department of Geology at the University of Innsbruck provide new insights into Earth's climate dynamics, with a particular focus on the El Niño phenomenon. The results show how El Niño responds to natural factors over extended periods, while highlighting the increasing role of human activities in shaping this climatic phenomenon in the modern era. ⌘ Read more
Linguistics experts are turning to cutting-edge technologies to revitalize threatened Native American languages—and rejuvenate generations of Indigenous tradition—through new approaches such as children's books and smartphone apps. ⌘ Read more
Grouping English learners together in classrooms, a longstanding practice in schools, has no impact—positive or negative—on reading development for elementary school students, shows a new study by a team of literacy education researchers. ⌘ Read more
There is a need for changing the way of accounting greenhouse gases from agriculture. The current inventory of nitrous oxide from plant residues relies solely on the amount of nitrogen in the residues, while crucial factors such as the degradability of plant residues are not included. According to the researchers, this leads to misleading inventories, which also misrepresents possi ... ⌘ Read more
The devastating tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011 set off a series of events which have long fascinated scientists like me. It was so powerful that it caused 5 million tons of debris to wash into the Pacific—1.5 million tons remained afloat and started drifting with the currents. ⌘ Read more
A widely tunable and high resolution mid-infrared radiation source operating in the 3–5 µm region has been applied to numerous frontier applications, including remote sensing, molecular spectroscopy, and atmosphere environmental monitoring. ⌘ Read more
Need a plastic fork at a Hong Kong restaurant? Come April 22, Earth Day, customers will have to start reaching for more eco-friendly cutlery, according to a bill passed Wednesday by the city's legislature. ⌘ Read more
The stats don't lie—the overwhelming majority of start-up companies fail. So, what makes the seemingly lucky few not only survive, but thrive? ⌘ Read more
Identifying different types of body fluids can help forensic experts reconstruct a crime scene, but it's difficult to do so. In a study published in Electrophoresis, researchers developed a method using two different types of RNA—called microRNA (miRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA)—to determine five common body fluids. ⌘ Read more
Agricultural management has typically focused on increasing yields, but there is an increasing need for sustainable food production that limits negative impacts on the environment. A new study published in Grassland Research provides insights into the potential benefits of diversifying agricultural practices, revealing how different mixtures of plant species can improve production, quality, and ... ⌘ Read more
Research conducted by marine biologists from the University of Sydney has found juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish can withstand tremendous heat waves well above levels that kill coral. These starfish then develop into carnivorous predators that devour reefs just as they begin to regrow. ⌘ Read more
A new study provides compelling evidence that animal care and management practices at zoos and aquariums have significantly improved over time. The study, led by Species360 and University of Southern Denmark Research Scientist Dr. Morgane Tidière in collaboration with 41 co-authors from academic, governmental, and zoological institutions around the world, is the first to examine life expectancy and lifespan equality ... ⌘ Read more
A small tornado recently passed through the town of Littlehampton on England's south coast. Strong winds smashed windows, moved cars and left one person injured. ⌘ Read more
Indigenous knowledge and traditional practices have played a critical role in development all over the world. For centuries, various disciplines ranging from medicine to biodiversity conservation have drawn on these resources. ⌘ Read more
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are being challenged to make substantial reforms so that they become fit for purpose in the 21st century. ⌘ Read more
A team of organic chemists at the Max-Planck Institute for Solid-State Research, working with colleagues from the University of Tübingen and the University of Copenhagen, reports a way to take pictures of the sequences and locations of glycans (also known as polysaccharides) bound to several biomolecules at the single-molecule level. Their study is published in Science. ⌘ Read more
The EU will seek a global phase-out of fossil fuels and for their use to reach a peak in this decade, according to the member states' common position adopted unanimously late Monday. ⌘ Read more
Research shows that over 4,800 years in the Northern Rockies during wet periods and dry periods, subalpine forests consistently recovered from wildfires, growing back vegetation and leaving evidence of their resilience in lake sediment cores. ⌘ Read more
Nanozymes are synthetic materials that mimic the properties of natural enzymes for applications in biomedicine and chemical engineering. Historically, they are generally considered too toxic and expensive for use in agriculture and food science. Now, researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a nanozyme that is organic, non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and cost effective. ⌘ Read more
A new kind of polymer membrane created by researchers at Georgia Tech could reshape how refineries process crude oil, dramatically reducing the energy and water required while extracting even more useful materials. ⌘ Read more
Many parts of the Brazilian Amazon are neglected in ecological research, for several reasons, according to an article published in the journal Current Biology. ⌘ Read more
Using the MeerKAT radio telescope, an international team of astronomers has observed a Galactic globular cluster known as NGC 6522. As a result, they have discovered two new isolated pulsars in this cluster. The finding is reported in a paper published October 5 on the pre-print server arXiv. ⌘ Read more
When COVID hit Belize, its economy nosedived: closed borders meant fisheries and farmers had no export markets, and tourism centered on the tiny Central American nation's warm waters and wonders of biodiversity came to a halt. ⌘ Read more
The famously talented winemakers of Mirdita, high in the mountains of northern Albania, have never been so worried. ⌘ Read more
Changes in the climate and land use are combining to dramatically shrink the numbers of insects pollinating key tropical crops. As those problems interwine and intensify, it likely will hit coffee lovers right in the mug, according to a new study. ⌘ Read more
September 2023 was the warmest ever recorded according to the EU Climate Service, with Earth's average surface air temperature peaking at 16.38°C. The average global temperature was also at least 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial levels on about a third of days in 2023, according to another recent report. ⌘ Read more
This week, researchers proved empirically that life isn't fair. Also, you'll notice that, in a superhuman display of restraint, I managed to write a paragraph about the simulated universe hypothesis without once referencing "The Matrix." (Except for this reference.) ⌘ Read more
It's a world like no other: a metal-rich asteroid that could be the remnants of a small planet, or perhaps an entirely new type of celestial body unknown to science. ⌘ Read more
The toll of heat-associated deaths in Arizona's most populous county—still being tallied after the area's hottest summer ever recorded—has soared over 360, alarming public health officials who say the final count will surely set a new record. ⌘ Read more
A sustainable route to green hydrogen production is becoming possible through the use of efficient electrocatalysts in research by Texas A&M University chemical engineering professor Dr. Abdoulaye Djire. ⌘ Read more
A fully automated process, including a brand-new artificial intelligence (AI) tool, has successfully detected, identified and classified its first supernova. ⌘ Read more
The EU failed Friday to agree extending the use of glyphosate—a weedkiller the WHO fears could be carcinogenic—because of division among the bloc's 27 member countries, a European Commission spokesman said. ⌘ Read more
Top scientists have launched a yearly report series to plug knowledge gaps ahead of crunch climate talks, with their global warming "countdown clock" vying for the attention of world leaders and ordinary citizens alike. ⌘ Read more
A leading doctors group on Thursday formally withdrew its approval of a 2009 paper on "excited delirium," a document that critics say has been used to justify excessive force by police. ⌘ Read more
The Texas ocelot (Leopardus pardalis albescens) is endangered due to historic hunting, habitat loss, inbreeding, and traffic collisions. Today, only between 50 and 80 ocelots remain in the U.S., exclusively in Willacy and Cameron counties in southern Texas. These two populations are isolated from the larger one in northwestern Mexico by highways and urban development. ⌘ Read more
Even on a good day the environment can be wildly unpredictable, from unexpected gusts of wind to food scarcity, and as humans continue to edge out the natural world, the stress on wild populations is increasing. ⌘ Read more
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) recently disclosed a prototype radio telescope antennae for its next generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) to a group of press, scientists, engineers, and government and business leaders from the United States and Germany at the end of a workshop held at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in Leipzig. ⌘ Read more
In a new Science Advances study, scientists from the University of Science and Technology of China have developed a dynamic network structure using laser-controlled conducting filaments for neuromorphic computing. ⌘ Read more
Using ESA's XMM-Newton satellite and the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR), a team of European astronomers has explored a galaxy cluster known as PSZ2G113.91-37.01 (or G113 for short). Results of the observational campaign, presented in a paper published October 5 on the pre-print server arXiv, shed more light on the properties and nature of this cluster. ⌘ Read more
Earth's atmosphere contains fine particles suspended in the air, known as aerosols, occurring from natural sources, such as dust from deserts, volcanic ash, smoke from forest fires, sea salt from ocean spray and organic compounds from vegetation. While these occur at background levels, aerosol release is being exacerbated by anthropogenic activities. ⌘ Read more
The world must move faster on a plastic pollution treaty that is currently not expected to be finalized before the end of next year, Fiji's deputy prime minister told an international summit on Thursday. ⌘ Read more
A team of scientists has presented a five-step approach to through which governments can plan a transition away from high levels of industrial meat production and consumption that is fair and just for affected stakeholders. ⌘ Read more
Researchers at Griffith University have discovered that the majority of critical habitat and movement pathways for southern greater gliders in Queensland lie outside of protected areas. ⌘ Read more
Have you ever imaged high-resolution 3D structures at the micro/nanoscale that react dynamically to their surroundings? The 4D printing technology is changing the game by using smart materials that exhibit remarkable shape deformation in response to external stimuli, showing the enormous potential for use in biomedicine, flexible electronics, soft robotics, and aerospace. ⌘ Read more
Lurking inside the crops of banana-producing-areas in east and central Africa is a disease called Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW)—and new modeling by researchers from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT has shown that if left uncontrolled, this bacterial disease could cause a 55% reduction in banana production in newly affected regions within 10 years. ⌘ Read more
Fossil raw materials still dominate the chemical industry. But laboratories around the world are researching ways in which large-scale processes can avoid crude oil, natural gas and coal in the future. So-called platform chemicals are gaining in importance; they are produced entirely from renewable raw materials. But their use in industrial processes requires special catalysts. ⌘ Read more
People aged 65 and older will outnumber under-15s in Europe by 2024, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, warning of new social, economic and health challenges. ⌘ Read more
With brushes and trowels, Indigenous Colombians are unearthing traces in the jungle of a tragic period in history, when their ancestors were violently supplanted by colonists from Spain. ⌘ Read more
Hurricane Lidia was downgraded to a tropical storm early Wednesday as it weakened after making landfall on Mexico's Pacific coast, where it left at least one dead and caused flooding and blocked roads, officials said. ⌘ Read more
A flock of swans that grew from a gift nearly 70 years ago from Queen Elizabeth II has been rounded up in Florida to ensure they are all healthy. ⌘ Read more
Predators must eat to survive—and to survive, prey must avoid being eaten. One theory, the Wolf-Mangel model, suggests predators could use false attacks to tire prey out or force them to take bigger risks, but this has been hard to show in practice. Now, scientists observing peregrine falcons have found evidence that they deliberately exhaust their prey to improve later hunting success. ⌘ Read more
Hurricanes, floods, heat waves and other disasters are striking the United States with increased severity and frequency, and since 2000 the Federal Disaster Mitigation Act has required states and local jurisdictions to have plans in place to reduce damages from such events. A new study from the University of Kansas has found little improvement over time to these plans, in spite of regularly required updates. ⌘ Read more
During the grape juice extraction and winemaking process, a significant amount of residue, which accounts for 20%–25% of the fresh grape weight, is generated. ⌘ Read more
Using NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), Indian astronomers have observed an eclipsing X-ray binary system known as 4U 1538-522. Results of the observational campaign, published September 26 in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society journal, deliver important insights into the properties and behavior of this pulsar. ⌘ Read more
A new paper in the Annals of Botany reveals that researchers have found unaltered agave plant species cultivated by several early cultures including the Hohokam people, a large Native American group in the Southwest that existed between 300 and 1500 CE. ⌘ Read more
In recent years, the United States has seen a surge of white supremacist mass shootings against racial minorities. While not always the case, mass shooters tend to be young white men. ⌘ Read more
Listening to some politicos on the campaign trail, it's easy to assume that most Americans are against protecting the environment and that government should simply let the market regulate itself. For decades the Gallup poll has posed a question about the false trade-off between economic growth and environmental protection. ⌘ Read more
Using micro-engineered soil models, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have investigated the effect of tiny polystyrene particles on bacteria and fungi. While these nanoplastics reduced both bacterial and fungal growth, the fungus actually managed to "clean up" their surroundings, thereby easing the effect of the plastics. Their work has been published in Science of The Total Environment. ⌘ Read more
Predicting the future can be a matter of life or death. Just think, every time you cross the street, you predict whether this is possible without being run over. Experiments show that even single-celled organisms such as bacteria can predict the future. The better bacteria can predict changes in their environment, the greater their chances of survival. ⌘ Read more
A team of civil engineers and meteorologists at the Indian Institute of Technology, working with colleagues from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the University of Hyderabad, has found, via modeling, that a plan to interlink rivers in India to capture rain runoff could inadvertently have a negative impact on the amount and location of monsoon rainfall. ⌘ Read more
Utrecht University geologist Suzanna van de Lagemaat has reconstructed a massive and previously unknown tectonic plate that was once one-quarter the size of the Pacific Ocean. Her colleagues in Utrecht had predicted its existence over 10 years ago based on fragments of old tectonic plates found deep in the Earth's mantle. Van de Lagemaat reconstructed lost plates through field research and detailed inves ... ⌘ Read more
Sourcing some materials closer to home may be a good practice not only in the produce aisle but also the synthetic biology lab. ⌘ Read more
Rutgers researchers have developed an analytical tool for spotting and omitting stray DNA and RNA that contaminate genetic analyses of single-celled organisms. ⌘ Read more
In an animal shelter near Athens, veterinarian Kleopatra Gkika gently smears soothing cream on the leg of a tortoise, one of hundreds singed in Greece's devastating summer wildfires. ⌘ Read more
An international team of scientists have discovered a huge spike in radiocarbon levels 14,300 years ago by analyzing ancient tree-rings found in the French Alps. ⌘ Read more
Scientists using natural tracers off Queensland's coast have discovered the source of previously unquantified nitrogen and phosphorous that are having a profound environmental impact on the Great Barrier Reef. ⌘ Read more
It's getting crowded up there. An increase in military, commercial and scientific launches, coupled with a lower cost for rideshare cubesat launches, means lots more space junk to deal with in coming years. And we're not just talking about low Earth orbit; the moon and cis-lunar (near lunar space) is about to become busy as well. ⌘ Read more
The air was dry and warm and the skies over Dushanbe were gray without a hint of sun during another recent toxic sand storm that enveloped the capital of Tajikistan. ⌘ Read more
Two-photon polymerization is a potential method for nanofabrication to integrate nanomaterials based on femtosecond laser-based methods. Challenges in the field of 3D nanoprinting include slow layer-by-layer printing and limited material options as a result of laser-matter interactions. ⌘ Read more
Shifting weather patterns caused by climate change are limiting when controlled burns can be carried out to prevent wildfires in the western United States, a new study warns. ⌘ Read more
Earth's ocean is incredibly vast. Some parts of it are so remote that the nearest human habitation is the International Space Station. ⌘ Read more
A special UN working group this week tabled its first-ever report on the experiences of people of African descent in Australia to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. ⌘ Read more
The year 2023 has been one of extremes, from heat waves that baked millions across the globe and made the summer the world's hottest on record to the fires that forced tens of thousands to evacuate across Western Canada. From the feel of surprising warmth in the mid-winter sun to the crinkle and cracking of leaves dried by drought, you can witness climate change with all of your senses. ⌘ Read more
A team of biologists affiliated with multiple institutions in Switzerland and Tanzania has found that early cichlid diversification in Lake Victoria led to their success in deep parts of the lake. In their study, reported in the journal Nature, the group studied four sediment cores obtained from the lake. Martin Genner, with the University of Bristol, has published a News & Views piece in the sa ... ⌘ Read more
Federal customs agents pooh-poohed the plans of an Iowa woman who wanted to make jewelry from giraffe feces she picked up on a trip to Kenya and brought back to the U.S. in her luggage. ⌘ Read more
Each October, the Nobel Prizes celebrate a handful of groundbreaking scientific achievements. And while many of the awarded discoveries revolutionize the field of science, some originate in unconventional places. For George de Hevesy, the 1943 Nobel Laureate in chemistry who discovered radioactive tracers, that place was a boarding house cafeteria in Manchester, U.K., in 1911. ⌘ Read more
A small team of astrophysicists and mathematicians from the University of Southampton, the University of Cambridge and Institut de Ci'encies del Cosmos Universitat de Barcelona has proposed that certain pairings of black holes held apart by cosmic expansion could be mistaken for a single equal-mass black hole. ⌘ Read more