A new NASA-led study has found that how rain falls in a given year is nearly as important to the world's vegetation as how much. Reporting Dec. 11 in Nature, the researchers showed that even in years with similar rainfall totals, plants fared differently when that water came in fewer, bigger bursts. ⌘ Read more
A new NASA-led study has found that how rain falls in a given year is nearly as important to the world's vegetation as how much. Reporting Dec. 11 in Nature, the researchers showed that even in years with similar rainfall totals, plants fared differently when that water came in fewer, bigger bursts. ⌘ Read more
Sustainable practices in business are more than just an ethical responsibility; they make sound financial sense. Researchers from Kyushu University, in a study published on December 10, 2024, in Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, reveal that companies with better environmental performance and transparent disclosures can lower costs and boost profits. ⌘ Read more
Three distinct topological degrees of freedom are used to define all topological spin textures based on out-of-plane and in-plane spin configurations: the topological charge, representing the number of times the magnetization vector m wraps around the unit sphere; the vorticity, which quantifies the angular integration of the magnetic moment along the circumferential direction of a domain wall; and the helicity, ... ⌘ Read more
The next United Nations climate conference, COP30, will be held in Belem, the capital of an Amazon region where widespread deforestation mainly driven by cattle farming has turned the surrounding rainforest from a vital carbon sink into a significant carbon source. ⌘ Read more
Virginia Tech researchers successfully tagged a young shortfin mako shark in the Mediterranean during the summer of 2023, the first time that this has been done in the region. These sharks are critically endangered not only in the Mediterranean but also globally. The research team tagged the mako shark during a research expedition for the white shark in the region. ⌘ Read more
It might not be a pleasant image, but recycling all the human and livestock feces and urine on the planet would contribute substantially to meeting the nutrient supply for all crops worldwide, thereby reducing the need to mine fertilizers such as phosphorus and dramatically reducing the dependency on fossil fuels, according to a global analysis of nutrient recycling published in Nature Sustainability. ⌘ Read more
A study by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers sheds new light on how Toxoplasma gondii parasites make the proteins they need to enter a dormant stage that allows them to escape drug treatment. The research is published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. ⌘ Read more
Three leading climate scientists have combined insights from 10 global climate models and, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), conclude that regional warming thresholds are likely to be reached faster than previously estimated. ⌘ Read more
In Busan, South Korea, talks on a global treaty on plastic pollution, which were held from November 25 to December 1, ended in failure. Negotiations are due to resume at a later date. ⌘ Read more
Bucking conventionality, boys in Norway are making early gains in reading English as a second language and even outperforming girls at age 10 and 13—a new a study of more than one million students suggests. ⌘ Read more
Hurricane Helene highlighted the increasing intensity of extreme weather events and the catastrophic flooding they can bring. A study finds that many Americans residing in lower-quality public housing face a high risk of experiencing flood-related damage as their homes are disproportionately located in areas of high flood risk. ⌘ Read more
The Anthropic Principle—stating that the universe we live in is fine-tuned to host life—was first proposed by Brandon Carter in 1973. Since then, it has sparked significant debate. ⌘ Read more
Our planet's future hangs in the balance due to the unabated greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. Treating these emissions as something that can be owned and exchanged in a market has been touted as a solution since the early 1990s, when UN negotiations to agree a limit to global heating began. At the latest round of talks in Azerbaijan, countries finally agreed rules for a global carbon credit market. ⌘ Read more
Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels continue to rise and 2024 is likely to be the world's hottest year on record. ⌘ Read more
Dog owners have quite a bit of control over their pets' diets, and many have strong opinions on what kinds of diets are best for their canine friends. ⌘ Read more
A new vortex electric field with the potential to enhance future electronic, magnetic and optical devices has been observed by researchers from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and local partners. ⌘ Read more
The scale of online child sexual abuse is immense: estimates suggest there are more than 300 million child victims of online sexual abuse globally. ⌘ Read more
An increase in the number of earthquakes under a volcano near Alaska's largest city this year has geologists paying attention. ⌘ Read more
Parenting can be tough, even for the young and energetic, but one elderly albatross is about to go through it all again—at the ripe old (and apparently record-setting) age of 74. ⌘ Read more
In fields ranging from immunology and ecology to economics and thermodynamics, multi-scale complex systems are ubiquitous. They are also notoriously difficult to model. Conventional approaches take either a bottom-up or top-down approach. But in disturbed systems, such as a post-fire forest ecosystem or a society in a pandemic, these unidirectional models can't capture the interactions between the small-scale behaviors and the system-level p ... ⌘ Read more
Major findings on the inner workings of a brittle star's ability to reversibly control the pliability of its tissues will help researchers solve the puzzle of mutable collagenous tissue (MCT) and potentially inspire new "smart" biomaterials for human health applications. ⌘ Read more
The South Pole-Aitken basin is the moon's oldest and largest visible crater—a massive geological wound 4 billion years old that preserves secrets about the moon's early history, much like a lunar time capsule. ⌘ Read more
The most expensive dinosaur fossil ever discovered will be on view in New York starting this weekend, American Museum of Natural History officials announced Wednesday. ⌘ Read more
The powerful earthquake that struck in Northern California on Thursday prompted a brief tsunami warning affecting about 5 million people along a stretch of the West Coast—from Northern California to Oregon—before being canceled. Here are some things to know about tsunamis: ⌘ Read more
Hailstones are formed during thunderstorms, when raindrops are propelled into very cold parts of a cloud, where they freeze. Once the particles are heavy enough, gravity pulls them back towards Earth. As they plummet, they grow into hailstones, which can cause injury to people and significant damage to homes and cars. ⌘ Read more
A research group has found the key to solving one of the main problems in the fight against the Asian hornet: the limited time the baits can be used. This work, published in the Microchemical Journal, established that when stored under cold conditions and in the presence of CO2, the efficacy of biocide-spiked protein baits does not diminish, thus guaranteeing an effective use of this control method, and providing ... ⌘ Read more
Radiation is a primary concern for long-duration human spaceflight, such as the planned trips to Mars, which are the stated goal of organizations such as NASA and SpaceX. Shielding is the standard way to protect astronauts from radiation during those flights. However, shielding is heavy and, therefore, expensive when it is launched off the Earth. ⌘ Read more
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) collaborated with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to characterize the chemical makeup of 81 common household items. Researchers also evaluated the potential risk to users. ⌘ Read more
Nativity—characterized by place of birth, duration of residence in the host country, citizenship and immigration status—greatly influences the health of foreign-born individuals in the United States. Despite this, many national health surveys omit questions about these dimensions of nativity, particularly immigration status. This omission limits the ability to assess health ... ⌘ Read more
Redlining—a mid-20th-century federal government practice of denying home loans in African American and other minority neighborhoods—has long been associated with poor health outcomes, including disparate overall mortality rates among racial and ethnic groups. ⌘ Read more
In new research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Oliver Sng, UC Irvine assistant professor of psychological science, presents findings that could transform how we understand the origins of stereotypes and social bias. ⌘ Read more
New findings, published in Royal Society Open Science, have revealed that changes in ocean density have a significant impact on the rate at which marine plankton incorporate carbon into their shells. This has profound implications for carbon cycling and the ocean's ability to absorb atmospheric CO2 in response to climate change. ⌘ Read more
How can artificial intelligence (AI) help astronauts on long-term space missions? This is what a recent study presented at the 2024 International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy, hopes to address. ⌘ Read more
Through advanced autonomy testbed programs, NASA is setting the groundwork for one of its top priorities—the search for signs of life and potentially habitable bodies in our solar system and beyond. The prime destinations for such exploration are bodies containing liquid water, such as Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus. ⌘ Read more
Fusion energy is being researched and developed as a new source of electric power that will contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society. At the National Institute for Fusion Science, research on magnetically confined plasma is being conducted using the Large Helical Device (LHD). The major difference between plasma and other gases is its low density. ⌘ Read more
More than 30,000 people have been forced to flee their homes due to severe flooding in southern Thailand, where the death toll climbed to 29, officials said Wednesday. ⌘ Read more
Employing people with disabilities (PWD) in hotels not only enhances social responsibility but also significantly boosts customer intentions to recommend and revisit hotels, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. This pivotal study challenges long-standing misconceptions about hiring PWD in the hospitality industry and demonstrates that inclusivity can also benefit business outcomes. ⌘ Read more
Multinational enterprises (MNEs) are not just falling short of global sustainability targets but are actively contributing to the very problems they claim to address, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. This study argues that there is an urgent need for MNEs to reassess their innovation strategies to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ⌘ Read more
Identifying optimal catalyst materials for specific reactions is crucial to advance energy storage technologies and sustainable chemical processes. To screen catalysts, scientists must understand systems' adsorption energy, something that machine learning (ML) models, particularly graph neural networks (GNNs), have been successful at predicting. ⌘ Read more
Now that the COP16 biodiversity and COP29 climate change summits have come to an end, one thing that is glaringly clear—as photos of world leaders notoriously show—is just how much these crucial conferences continue to be dominated by men. ⌘ Read more
What is the shelf life of a freshly baked donut? Two days, tops. But when it comes to an entirely different kind of donut—one that Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom described early in the pandemic when he measured the exodus of people from city centers to city suburbs—there appears to be no expiration date. ⌘ Read more
Japan has recorded its warmest autumn since records began 126 years ago, the weather agency said, delaying the country's popular displays of seasonal foliage into December. ⌘ Read more
Just how far can grains of pollen travel and how much unintended damage can these miniscule particles inflict? For growers in the hemp industry, this has become a million-dollar question. ⌘ Read more
While some young people today feel they're not ready to reach the "traditional" markers of maturity, a new book reveals adulthood has always been out of many people's reach. ⌘ Read more
It is concerning that 8% of UK workers are "increasingly precarious"—likely to be stuck in low-paid, insecure or otherwise uncertain work—say researchers from UCL in a new report on the UK labor market. ⌘ Read more
The more time you spend on social media, the likelier you are to have come across a viral post that seems too strange to be true. Brief scientific literacy interventions, especially those that focus on critical thinking skills, may help to undermine conspiracy beliefs and behaviors before the conspiracy theories have a chance to take root, according to a team led by Penn State researchers. ⌘ Read more
In recent years, quantum physicists and engineers have been trying to develop quantum computer processors that perform better than classical computers on some tasks. Yet conclusive demonstrations proving that quantum systems perform better than their classical counterparts (i.e., realizations of a quantum advantage) remain scarce, due to various experimental challenges. ⌘ Read more
It is the world's rarest whale, with only seven of its kind ever spotted. Almost nothing is known about the enigmatic species. But on Monday a small group of scientists and cultural experts in New Zealand clustered around a near-perfectly preserved spade-toothed whale hoping to decode decades of mystery. ⌘ Read more
The death toll from Cyclone Fengal's fierce push through Sri Lanka and southern India reached 20 on Monday as downpours and flooding followed the storm's wake after its winds calmed. ⌘ Read more
Astronomers have known for a century that the universe is expanding. We can now trace this expansion over much of its almost 14 billion year history, with important constraints going back to just one second after the Big Bang! The expansion rate today is known as the Hubble constant (H0). ⌘ Read more
A Philippine Eagle chick hatched via artificial insemination has died, an avian conservation foundation has announced, in a fresh setback for one of the world's largest and most critically endangered raptors. ⌘ Read more
Blazing flames light the sky as Indian farmer Ali Sher burns his fields to clear them for new crops, a common but illegal practice that is fueling deadly pollution killing millions. ⌘ Read more
Delegates seeking the world's first deal to curb plastic pollution began openly advocating for an extension of talks on Sunday, accusing a handful of nations of obstructing an ambitious agreement. ⌘ Read more
A Georgia mother was recently arrested for reckless endangerment after her 10-year-old son was seen walking outside alone. The warrant for her arrest claimed she "willingly and knowingly" endangered her son's safety. ⌘ Read more
China National Silk Museum and the Sichuan Research Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology have confirmed the use of silk in sacrificial rituals by a Bronze Age civilization in the Yangtze River Basin. The findings provide direct archaeological evidence that silk was used as a material during rituals at the Sanxingdui site in Sichuan, China. ⌘ Read more
Teachers' jobs involve more than just teaching the required curriculum. A significant part of their role includes providing emotional support to their students ⌘ Read more
Biochemists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered a new subclass of trifunctional enzymes in gram-positive bacteria, which play a critical role in the biosynthesis of an antimicrobial lanthipeptide. ⌘ Read more
A study published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa by archaeologists Dr. Joshua Kumbani and Prof. Margarita Díaz-Andreu explores the intriguing relationship between Zimbabwean rock art and musical instruments. ⌘ Read more
Killer whales can feed on marine mammals, turtles, and fish. In the Gulf of California, a pod might have picked up new skills that help them hunt whale sharks—the world's largest fish, growing up to 18 meters long. ⌘ Read more
It's no secret: when we savor a delicious piece of fish or a platter of seafood, we're not just consuming valuable omega-3s and vitamin D. Alongside these benefits come less appetizing elements—countless micro- and nano-plastics. ⌘ Read more
A bitterly-fought climate finance deal reached at COP29 risks weakening emissions-cutting plans from developing countries, observers say, further raising the stakes for new national commitments due early next year. ⌘ Read more
A team of bioarchaeologists from the Austrian Archaeological Institute at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Université de Bordeaux, and Aix-Marseille Université has found evidence of an aristocratic family in France embalming their loved ones after death for nearly two centuries. In their paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, the group describes the find as the first of its kind. ⌘ Read more
The increased use of a chemical compound to replace TNT in explosive devices has a damaging and long lasting effect on plants, new research has shown. ⌘ Read more
An international team of scientists has published a study highlighting the potential role of iron sulfides in the formation of life in early Earth's terrestrial hot springs. According to the researchers, the sulfides may have catalyzed the reduction of gaseous carbon dioxide into prebiotic organic molecules via nonenzymatic pathways. ⌘ Read more
A research team led by EPFL scientists has developed a system that provides key insight into the relationship between sea spray aerosols, sea state and atmospheric conditions. The system was mounted on an icebreaker and carried across vast regions of the Arctic to collect and analyze valuable data. ⌘ Read more
Capping global warming at 1.5°C is a tall order. Achieving that goal will not only require a massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, but also a substantial reallocation of land to support that effort and sustain the biosphere, including humans. More land will be needed to accommodate a growing demand for bioenergy and nature-based carbon sequestration while ensuring sufficient acreage for food production and eco ... ⌘ Read more
Thailand is sending almost 1,000 highly endangered lemurs and tortoises back to their home in Madagascar, in what both countries called their biggest ever operation against wildlife trafficking. ⌘ Read more
Ramps, also known as wild leeks, and their unique garlic-onion flavor profile, are a popular foraged seasonal food but that demand could drive overharvesting of the native forest plant. ⌘ Read more
Radiative heat transfer is one of the most critical energy transfer mechanisms in nature. However, traditional blackbody radiation, due to its inherent characteristics, such as its non-directional, incoherent, broad-spectrum, and unpolarized nature, results in energy exchange between the radiating body and all surrounding objects, significantly limiting heat transfer efficiency and therma ... ⌘ Read more
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the largest carbon pool in terrestrial ecosystems, playing a vital role in climate regulation and ecosystem sustainability. SOC accumulation involves two fundamental processes: SOC formation and stability. ⌘ Read more
Researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have recently developed a neotype lysosomal trap for clearing viruses and variants. This lysosomal "TRAP" (lysoTRAP) shows efficient viruses and variants infection inhibition potential in cell, mouse, hamster, and human lung organoid models. ⌘ Read more
Humans get a real buzz from the virtual world of gaming and augmented reality, but now scientists have trialed the use of these new-age technologies on small animals, to test the reactions of tiny hoverflies and even crabs. ⌘ Read more
The engine for a flagship new small Japanese rocket burst into flames Tuesday during a combustion test, but there was no injury or damage to the outside, officials said. ⌘ Read more
In the 21st century, the Earth's oceans are growing warmer and more acidic. This change is happening slowly over the long-term, but it can also cause short-term, local spikes. ⌘ Read more
Floral fragrances are nature's allure, enticing pollinators and helping plants adapt to environmental challenges. These scents, primarily generated in petals, consist of complex compounds such as terpenoids and benzenoids/phenylpropanoids, which hold immense ornamental and commercial value. ⌘ Read more
A final round of talks on a treaty to curb plastic pollution opened on Monday, with deep differences between nations emerging almost immediately. ⌘ Read more
Remotely operated camera traps, sound recorders and drones are increasingly being used in conservation science to monitor wildlife and natural habitats, and to keep watch on protected natural areas. But Cambridge researchers studying a forest in northern India have found that the technologies are being deliberately misused by local governments and male villagers to keep watch on women without their consent. ⌘ Read more
Women entrepreneurs are essential for the Canadian economy, a fact recognized by the government's Women Entrepreneurship Strategy. This strategy was launched in 2018 and has seen nearly $7 billion be put toward supporting women-owned businesses in Canada. ⌘ Read more
The deal reached at UN climate talks in Azerbaijan ramps up the money that wealthy historic emitters will provide to help poorer nations transition to cleaner energy and adapt to global warming. ⌘ Read more
A recent study in Physical Review Letters explores quantum effects on black hole thermodynamics and geometry, focusing on extending two classical inequalities into the quantum regime. ⌘ Read more
Fierce bargaining at UN climate talks in Azerbaijan dragged into Saturday after a $250 billion a year offer from rich nations was flatly refused by developing countries hardest hit by Earth's rapid warming. ⌘ Read more
An archaeologist from the University of New Hampshire and her team have collected data which indicates the presence of a large-scale pre-Columbian fish-trapping facility. Discovered in the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary (CTWS), the largest inland wetland in Belize, the team dated the construction of these fisheries to the Late Archaic period (cal. 2000-1900 BCE), pre-dating Amazonian examples by a thousand years or ... ⌘ Read more
Insecticides have been used for centuries to counteract widespread pest damage to valuable food crops. Eventually, over time, beetles, moths, flies and other insects develop genetic mutations that render the insecticide chemicals ineffective. ⌘ Read more
Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, have existed for billions of years, adapting to a diverse range of environments. Their remarkable ability to photosynthesize and make their own food, as well as their adaptability across a variety of habitats, make them a subject of focus for the research fraternity. ⌘ Read more
In the winter of 2022–2023, nearly a dozen whales died off the coast of New Jersey, near the sites of several proposed wind farms. Their deaths prompted concern that related survey work being conducted in the area somehow contributed to their deaths. ⌘ Read more
The Irish philosopher George Berkely, best known for his theory of immaterialism, once famously mused, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" What about AI-generated trees? They probably wouldn't make a sound, but they will be critical nonetheless for applications such as adaptation of urban flora to climate change. ⌘ Read more
Fossils might give a good image of what dinosaurs looked like, but they can also teach scientists what they sounded like. The Parasaurolophus is a duck-billed dinosaur with a unique crest that lived 70 million to 80 million years ago. It stood around 16 feet tall and is estimated to have weighed 6,000 to 8,000 pounds. ⌘ Read more
The only emperor penguin known to have swum from Antarctica to Australia was released at sea 20 days after he waddled ashore on a popular tourist beach, officials said Friday. ⌘ Read more
Researchers at Rice University have found a new way to improve a key element of thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems, which convert heat into electricity via light. Using an unconventional approach inspired by quantum physics, Rice engineer Gururaj Naik and his team have designed a thermal emitter that can deliver high efficiencies within practical design parameters. ⌘ Read more
Urbanization, the process by which cities and towns expand in size and population, is rapidly advancing globally, and the percentage of people living in urban environments has increased from 33% in 1960 to 57% in 2023. ⌘ Read more
Lithium ore and mining waste from a historic lithium mine located west of Charlotte, North Carolina, are unlikely to contaminate surrounding waters with common pollutants such as arsenic and lead, according to a new study. ⌘ Read more
A team of researchers from Linnaeus University and Linköping University, extensively evaluated DNA barcoding and metabarcoding methods. A comprehensive study has demonstrated that DNA-based methods are remarkably reliable for identifying insect species and estimating biodiversity. Barcoding approaches offer robust and resource-efficient alternatives to traditional taxonomic identification, which is promising news for biodiversi ... ⌘ Read more
Located a staggering 160,000 light-years from us, the star WOH G64 was imaged thanks to the impressive sharpness offered by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope Interferometer (ESO's VLTI). The new observations reveal a star puffing out gas and dust in the last stages before it becomes a supernova. ⌘ Read more
A volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland has erupted for the seventh time since December. ⌘ Read more
Archaeologists analyzed trees engraved by the Indigenous Sámi of Arctic Europe, revealing the significance of these rare remnants of Sámi culture and the importance of preserving them from ongoing deforestation. ⌘ Read more
Human-caused climate change is driving an increase in extreme weather. Heat waves, droughts, and extreme precipitation are occurring more frequently, growing more intense, and directly affecting ecosystem function. For instance, the 2003 European heat wave—the continent's hottest summer in centuries—caused a substantial die-off of Sphagnum moss in alpine bogs, and the bogs took at ... ⌘ Read more
New findings, published in the journal Ecology, describe a newly documented behavior of Ethiopian wolves (Canis simensis). ⌘ Read more
Four closely related civets, a small nocturnal animal found in Africa and Asia, have made the same geographical area in the rainforests of Borneo home. Typically, closely related animal species have difficulty coexisting because they are competing for the same or similar resources. ⌘ Read more
Chemists have developed a novel way to capture and convert carbon dioxide into methane, suggesting that future gas emissions could be converted into an alternative fuel using electricity from renewable sources. ⌘ Read more
Archaeologists from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) are revolutionizing the excavation and documentation of ancient sites with cutting-edge 3D immersive technologies. ⌘ Read more