Many old books contain toxic chemicals—here’s how to spot them
In our modern society, we rarely consider books to be dangerous items. However, certain books contain elements so hazardous that they require scrutiny before being placed on the shelves of public libraries, bookstores or even private homes. ⌘ Read more

New research reveals terahertz waves’ impact on dynamics of nanoconfined water molecules
In a new discovery, researchers have revealed novel insights into the behavior of water molecules confined within nanostructures. Their study, published in Science Advances on April 24, delves into how terahertz (THz) waves influence the dynamics of water molecules confined in two-dimensional (2D) spaces within nanoresonators. ⌘ Read more

Behavioral therapy against aging: Researchers study the effect of therapies on older dogs
It is well known that getting plenty of exercise and mental training are important for a long and healthy life. But which is more effective? Do the tasks develop abilities that go beyond them? ⌘ Read more

Too many vehicles, slow reactions and reckless merging: New math model explains how traffic and bacteria move
What do the flow of cars on a highway and the movement of bacteria towards a food source have in common? In both cases, annoying traffic jams can form. Especially for cars, we might want to understand how to avoid them, but perhaps we’ve never thought of turning to statistical physics. ⌘ Read more

Maps developed with artificial intelligence confirm low levels of phosphorus in Amazonian soil
As the impacts of climate change increasingly affect the daily lives of residents in several countries, including Brazil, the resilience of forests, especially tropical ones such as the Amazon, has become a frequent topic of research. In addition to studying various factors that influence the way vegetation reacts to global warming, scientists are seeking to improve vegetation models—tools … ⌘ Read more

Satellite maps boost mangrove conservation in China
Mangroves are vital ecosystems along coastlines, providing essential services such as coastal protection, biodiversity enhancement, and carbon sequestration. Despite their critical importance, effective management of these areas is often hampered by the challenges of acquiring accurate, species-specific data. ⌘ Read more

More than 2 million gazelle still roam the Mongolian steppe
A study published in Oryx sheds light on the status of Mongolian gazelle populations across Mongolia, Russia, and China, revealing both successes and challenges in the conservation efforts of this iconic species ⌘ Read more

Australians are having fewer babies and the local-born population is about to shrink: Why it’s not that scary
Australians are having fewer babies, so many fewer that without international migration the population would be on track to decline in just over a decade. ⌘ Read more

African farmers look to the past and the future to address climate change
From ancient fertilizer methods in Zimbabwe to new greenhouse technology in Somalia, farmers across the heavily agriculture-reliant African continent are looking to the past and future to respond to climate change. ⌘ Read more

Here’s why we should put a gravitational wave observatory on the moon
Scientists detected the first long-predicted gravitational wave in 2015, and since then, researchers have been hungering for better detectors. But the Earth is warm and seismically noisy, and that will always limit the effectiveness of Earth-based detectors. ⌘ Read more

DNA study of Avar cemetery remains reveals network of large pedigrees and social practices
An international team of archaeologists and archaeogenetics specialists, working with the Hungarian National Museum, has discovered a network of Avar pedigrees and community social practices after conducting a DNA study of the remains of people who once lived in what is now a part of Hungary. ⌘ Read more

US labor market can affect ‘people who are not even here’
That the job market in Phoenix can affect a child’s education in Mexico may strain credulity, but it’s nevertheless true, according to a recent paper co-authored by Brian Cadena, a University of Colorado Boulder associate professor of economics. ⌘ Read more

Global study shows a third more insects come out after dark
A groundbreaking study, led by Dr. Mark Wong of The University of Western Australia, has provided the first global picture of insect activity patterns across the fundamental day–night cycle. ⌘ Read more

Astronauts arrive at Kennedy Space Center as first crew for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft
It’s not just another ride for a pair of veteran NASA astronauts who arrived to the Space Coast ahead of their flight onboard Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner. ⌘ Read more

CRISPR is promising to tackle antimicrobial resistance, but bacteria can fight back
In his presentation “How to use CRISPR-Cas to combat AMR” at the ESCMID Global Congress, Assistant Prof. Ibrahim Bitar, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital in Plzen, Charles University in Prague, Plzen, Czech Republic, will give an overview of the molecular biology of CRISPR technology in explaining how it can used to tackle antimicrobial resistance. ⌘ Read more

Herds of endangered hippos trapped in mud in drought-hit Botswana
Herds of endangered hippos stuck in the mud of dried-up ponds are in danger of dying in drought-struck Botswana, conservation authorities told AFP Friday. ⌘ Read more

Canadian government plans to amend legislation to allow detained migrants to be held in federal prisons
The Canadian government recently proposed earmarking $325 million in the 2024 federal budget to upgrade federal immigration detention centers to hold more people. The budget also proposes to amend the law to allow federal prisons to be used to detain “high-risk” immigrants. ⌘ Read more

Nature conservation works, and we’re getting better at it, says new study
To work in nature conservation is to battle a headwind of bad news. When the overwhelming picture indicates the natural world is in decline, is there any room for optimism? Well, our new global study has some good news: we provide the strongest evidence to date that nature conservation efforts are not only effective, but that when they do work, they often really work. ⌘ Read more

Philippine settlement submerged by dam reappears due to drought
A centuries-old settlement submerged by the construction of a dam in the northern Philippines in the 1970s has reappeared as water levels drop due to a drought affecting swathes of the country. ⌘ Read more

Long-term research shows herring arrive earlier in the Wadden Sea due to climate change
Due to the changing climate, young herring arrive in the Wadden Sea earlier and earlier in spring. That is shown in a new publication by NIOZ ecologists Mark Rademaker, Myron Peck, and Anieke van Leeuwen in Global Change Biology. ⌘ Read more

Did climate chaos cultivate or constrain 2023’s greenery?
In the ongoing quest to track the progression of climate change, scientists frequently examine the state of our planet’s vegetation—forests, grasslands, agricultural lands, and beyond. ⌘ Read more

Impact investing in Paris suburban ‘banlieue’ neighborhoods: Untapped social and economic potential
From July to August, Paris will host the 2024 Olympic games. However, once the athletes and spectators have packed up and left, the Games will leave behind a lasting social impact on the run-down neighborhoods on the outskirts of the French capital. ⌘ Read more

Solar geoengineering to cool the planet: Is it worth the risks?
When I first wrote about geoengineering in 2012 , it was considered far-fetched at best, and crazy by most. But 12 years later, while there is still controversy and considerable resistance to deploying it, respectable scientists and institutions are pushing for more research into geoengineering—the deliberate and large-scale intervention in our climate system to moderate global warming. ⌘ Read more

US announces sweeping cuts to power sector carbon emissions
President Joe Biden’s government on Thursday finalized sweeping plans to curb planet-warming emissions from the nation’s fossil fuel plants as part of the United States’ efforts to confront the climate crisis. ⌘ Read more

The guardian angels of the source of the Seine
The river Seine, the centerpiece of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony in July, starts with a few drops of water in a mossy grotto deep in the woods of central France. ⌘ Read more

Heatstroke kills 30 in Thailand this year as kingdom bakes
Thailand issued fresh warnings about scorching hot weather on Thursday as the government said heatstroke has already killed at least 30 people this year. ⌘ Read more

Ultrasensitive photonic crystal detects single particles down to 50 nanometers
Using an ultrasensitive photonic crystal, TU/e researchers were able to detect single particles down to 50 nanometers in diameter. The new research has just been published in the journal Optica. ⌘ Read more

Giant virus discovered in wastewater treatment plant infects deadly parasite
The single-celled organism Naegleria fowleri ranks among the deadliest human parasites. Researchers around Matthias Horn and Patrick Arthofer from the Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science at the University of Vienna, in an international collaboration, have discovered viruses that infect this harmful microbe. ⌘ Read more

Lunar landforms indicate geologically recent seismic activity on the moon
The moon’s steadfast illumination of our night sky has been a source of wonder and inspiration for millennia. Since the first satellite images of its surface were taken in the 1960s, our understanding of Earth’s companion through time has developed immeasurably. A complex interplay of cosmic interactions and planetary systems, the moon’s surface displays a plethora of landforms evidencing its history. ⌘ Read more

Future hurricanes could compromise New England forests’ ability to store and sequester carbon
Nature-based climate solutions can help mitigate climate change, especially in forested regions capable of storing and sequestering vast amounts of carbon. New research published in Global Change Biology indicates that a single hurricane in New England, one of the most heavily forested regions in the United States, can down 4.6–9.4% of the total above-ground forest carbon, an amount much greater … ⌘ Read more

Study compares Salmonella rates in backyard, commercial poultry farm samples
In a comparison of differently sized poultry farms, researchers at North Carolina State University found that rates of Salmonella in fecal and environmental samples were more prevalent on larger commercial farms than on smaller backyard farms. ⌘ Read more

Researchers develop forest extent map for Mexico
To properly protect forests and evaluate the state of natural resources, conservation practices and environmental policies, it is important to have accurate information on an area’s forest extent. ⌘ Read more

Researchers create artificial cells that act like living cells
In a new study published in Nature Chemistry, UNC-Chapel Hill researcher Ronit Freeman and her colleagues describe the steps they took to manipulate DNA and proteins—essential building blocks of life—to create cells that look and act like cells from the body. This accomplishment, a first in the field, has implications for efforts in regenerative medicine, drug delivery systems, and diagnostic tools. ⌘ Read more

NASA to overhaul mission returning samples from Mars—here’s why it must and will go ahead
NASA recently announced that it is seeking new ways to complete the return to Earth of rock cores drilled by the Perseverance Rover in the Jezero Crater on Mars. This has led to some anxiety among space scientists, who view the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission as a cornerstone of plans to explore the solar system. ⌘ Read more

Manipulating the geometry of the ‘electron universe’ in magnets
Researchers at Tohoku University and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency have developed fundamental experiments and theories to manipulate the geometry of the “electron universe,” which describes the structure of electronic quantum states in a manner mathematically similar to the actual universe, within a magnetic material under ambient conditions. ⌘ Read more

Supercomputer simulation reveals new mechanism for membrane fusion
An intricate simulation performed by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers using one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers sheds new light on how proteins called SNAREs cause biological membranes to fuse. ⌘ Read more

To accelerate biosphere science, researchers say reconnect three scientific cultures
Researchers who study Earth’s biosphere tend to operate from one of three scientific cultures, each with distinct ways of conducting science, and which have been operating mostly independently from one another, find the authors of a Perspective published in PNAS on April 19, 2024. SFI Professors Christopher Kempes and Geoffrey West, together with External Professor Brian Enquist (University of Arizona) … ⌘ Read more

Tunable quantum anomalous Hall effects in van der Waals heterostructures
The quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) has unique advantages in topotronic applications, but realizing the QAHE with tunable magnetic and topological properties for building functional devices is still a key scientific challenge. Through first-principles calculations, researchers have predicted a candidate material that meets these requirements. ⌘ Read more

Mitochondrial DNA copy number contributes to growth diversity in allopolyploid fish
Understanding the relationship between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and animal growth could provide valuable information for selective breeding in aquaculture. However, the complex interactions between genetics and environmental factors often hinders progress in this field. To that end, a recent study published in Reproduction and Breeding investigated the cross-sectional diameter of skeletal muscle fibers … ⌘ Read more

Research suggests historically redlined areas see more modern-day gun violence
In the 1930s, the United States government introduced redlining, a discriminatory practice that categorized neighborhoods based on people’s race or ethnicity and denied financial services to residents in certain areas—redlining disproportionately affected marginalized communities. While redlining was officially outlawed in 1968, new research from Boston Children’s Hospital suggests a relationship between historic red … ⌘ Read more

Novel graphene oxide spray coating advances antiviral protection of face masks
In the relentless battle against airborne viruses, researchers have developed a new spray coating to improve the antiviral efficacy of personal protective equipment, notably face masks. The study is published in the journal ACS Applied Nano Materials. ⌘ Read more

Researchers uncover details of how bacteria build protective barriers, may inform new antibiotics
Yale researchers have uncovered new details on how bacteria like E. coli build their protective barriers, which will inform new antibiotic development. ⌘ Read more

Astronomers offer new model for formation of recently discovered ‘free-floating’ planets
The recent discovery of a potential new class of distant and mysterious “free-floating” planets has intrigued astronomers since stunning new images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope were shared late last year. ⌘ Read more

In Ecuadoran Amazon, butterflies provide a gauge of climate change
Biologists on a trail in the Ecuadoran Amazon hold their breath as they distribute a foul-smelling delicacy to lure butterflies, critical pollinators increasingly threatened by climate change. ⌘ Read more

Everest mountaineer’s letters digitized for the first time
Letters written by the famous mountaineer George Mallory have been made available to a global audience for the first time, in the centenary year of his fatal attempt to scale Everest. ⌘ Read more

Scientists find common genes defending coffee plants against devastating disease
Arabica coffee is the most economically important coffee globally and accounts for 60% of coffee products worldwide. But the plants it hails from are vulnerable to a disease that, in the 1800s, devastated Sri Lanka’s coffee empire. ⌘ Read more

Q&A: B.C.’s 2024 wildfire season has started—here’s what to know
Last year’s wildfire season marked B.C.’s most destructive on record: 2.8 million hectares burned, more than double any previous year. UBC researchers Dr. Lori Daniels and Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais actively work on projects enhancing wildfire resilience, collaborating with community, government, private-sector and academic partners, and First Nations. ⌘ Read more

Malians struggle to cope after deadly heat wave
In Mali’s capital Bamako, Aboubacar Pamateck runs a scarf under a trickle of water and wraps it around his head to cope with the West African nation’s soaring heat. ⌘ Read more

This ancient snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a ton
A ancient giant snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a ton, researchers reported Thursday. ⌘ Read more

Astronomers discover largest black hole in Milky Way: Study
Astronomers identified the largest stellar black hole yet discovered in the Milky Way, with a mass 33 times that of the Sun, according to a study published on Tuesday. ⌘ Read more