SpaceX announces new private mission on 1st human polar orbit spaceflight
SpaceX has lined up more business for its human spaceflight program with a private launch from Florida that will take its passengers on a polar orbit for the first time. ⌘ Read more

A new robotic platform to reproduce and study complex ciliary behavior
Cilia are sensory structures extending from the surface of some cells. These hair-like structures are known to contribute to the sensorimotor capabilities of various living organisms, including humans. ⌘ Read more

Earth hit by ‘severe’ solar storm
The Earth was hit Monday by an intense solar storm that could bring the northern lights to night skies further south than normal, a US agency announced. ⌘ Read more

New model framework aims to predict postfire debris flow behavior before a fire occurs
New research from a team at Los Alamos National Laboratory is improving landslide prediction capabilities, making simulations faster and more accurate, which in turn will improve safety for communities that are at risk of their infrastructure being washed away. ⌘ Read more

Bacteria’s hidden hand in tick survival
A new study led by Prof. Yuval Gottlieb from the Koret School of Veterinary Medicine at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has unveiled important information about the relationship between the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and its Coxiella-like symbiotic bacteria. ⌘ Read more

Pre-Mongolian elite grave found in an abandoned fortress
In 2022, an international team forming the Joint Mongolian-Israeli-American Archaeological Project excavated an abandoned frontier fortress. They made an unexpected discovery: an elite grave buried in the walls of an abandoned fortress dating to the post-Kitan and pre-Mongol periods. The results of their research were recently published in Archaeological Research in Asia. ⌘ Read more

Waste into gold: Oyster shells repurposed as magic ‘Seawool’
Growing up on Taiwan’s west coast where mollusk farming is popular, Eddie Wang saw discarded oyster shells transformed from waste to function—a memory that inspired him to create a unique and environmentally friendly fabric called “Seawool”. ⌘ Read more

Residents flee as Greece wildfires rage despite ‘superhuman’ efforts
Greece ordered fresh evacuations near Athens on Monday as wildfires spread despite “superhuman” efforts to contain the flames, firefighters said. ⌘ Read more

Greece wildfires force hundreds to evacuate
Greece on Sunday was battling a spate of wildfires which have forced the evacuation of hundreds of people, as experts warn of more extreme weather conditions to come next week. ⌘ Read more

‘Wake-up call to humanity’: Research shows the Great Barrier Reef is the hottest it’s been in 400 years
The Great Barrier Reef is vast and spectacular. But repeated mass coral bleachings, driven by high ocean temperatures, are threatening the survival of coral colonies which are the backbone of the reef. ⌘ Read more

Mars and Jupiter get chummy in the night sky. The planets won’t get this close again until 2033
Mars and Jupiter are cozying up in the night sky for their closest rendezvous this decade. ⌘ Read more

Social media: Disinformation expert offers three safety tips in a time of fake news and dodgy influencers
Social networks have revolutionized the way we communicate, stay informed and share moments of our daily lives. We use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok to keep in touch with our friends and family, share our experiences, keep informed, and express our opinions. ⌘ Read more

White men who have been mistreated at work are more likely to notice and report harassment
White men who have personally experienced mistreatment at work, such as bullying, are more likely to realize that their organization does not always operate fairly. And that makes them more likely to recognize and report race and gender bias against their co-workers, I found in a recent study. ⌘ Read more

Saturday Citations: A rare misstep for Boeing; mouse jocks and calorie restriction; human brains in sync
This week’s headlines include the extended sleepover for astronauts in the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, insight into our imitative behaviors, and the Olympic form of mice. ⌘ Read more

Flood of ‘junk’: How AI is changing scientific publishing
An infographic of a rat with a preposterously large penis. Another showing human legs with way too many bones. An introduction that starts: “Certainly, here is a possible introduction for your topic”. ⌘ Read more

Meet the two Boeing mission astronauts stuck aboard the ISS
Two astronauts stranded in space may sound like the start to a big-screen science thriller, but the Boeing Starliner mission is no work of Hollywood fiction. ⌘ Read more

In drought-hit Sicily, rainwater is dumped in the sea
Sicilian lemon producer Rosario Cognata is furious: his fruit is withering due to the drought, while just a few kilometers away rainwater is being dumped into the sea. ⌘ Read more

A new mechanism for shaping animal tissues
A key question that remains in biology and biophysics is how three-dimensional tissue shapes emerge during animal development. Research teams from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden, Germany, the Excellence Cluster Physics of Life (PoL) at the TU Dresden, and the Center for Systems Biology Dresden (CSBD) have now found a mechanism by which tissues can be “programmed” to transition from a flat state to a three-dimensi … ⌘ Read more

Organic farms certified by peers display higher product diversity
In Brazil, a study compared two systems of organic product certification implemented in São Paulo state. One system involves conventional certification by auditors accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (INMETRO). The other is peer-to-peer certification. ⌘ Read more

Faculty cluster hire: Promoting collaboration and addressing gender bias in academic hiring
In the world of academic science, hiring new faculty members typically follows a predictable pattern: candidates apply individually and are evaluated primarily on their personal achievements. What if there was a way to build more collaborative, diverse teams of scientists from the very start? That’s exactly what the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) set out to do with their innovative “cluster hire” appr … ⌘ Read more

Unlocking the genetic secrets of strawberries for superior fruit quality
Strawberries, treasured for their flavor and health benefits, have been at the forefront of breeding programs targeting enhanced sensory and nutritional profiles. Despite advances, the intricate genetic makeup of these fruits has complicated efforts to improve them. ⌘ Read more

How farmers and tech teamed up to better test crops
For over a decade, farmers across the world have been working hand-in-hand with researchers at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and their collaborators to develop a better way to test new crop varieties and improve food security in their communities. ⌘ Read more

NASA tests deployment of Roman Space Telescope’s ‘visor’
The “visor” for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope recently completed several environmental tests simulating the conditions it will experience during launch and in space. Called the Deployable Aperture Cover, this large sunshade is designed to keep unwanted light out of the telescope. This milestone marks the halfway point for the cover’s final sprint of testing, bringing it one step closer to integration with Roman’s other subsystem … ⌘ Read more

Nature at risk in the hunt for the perfect selfie
The need for a dramatic selfie or the perfect landscape photo is proving detrimental to nature, a new research collaboration has found. ⌘ Read more

NASA mission concludes after years of successful asteroid detections
The infrared NEOWISE space telescope relayed its final data to Earth before the project team at JPL sent a command that turned off its transmitter. ⌘ Read more

Age matters: New age-ID tool set to revolutionize threatened seabird conservation
Scientists have developed a rapid and accurate way to estimate the age of a seabird, which could revolutionize the way threatened seabird populations are assessed—and boost conservation efforts. ⌘ Read more

Study reveals how the Global North drives inequality in international trade
Sydney research reveals that trends in international trade are exacerbating inequalities between the Global North and the Global South, undermining efforts to reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. ⌘ Read more

Could 2 NASA astronauts be stuck at the space station until next year? Here’s what to know
NASA is wrestling over how and when to bring two astronauts back from the International Space Station, after repeatedly delaying their return aboard Boeing’s troubled capsule. ⌘ Read more

Battling bugs with big data: Sweet potato’s genomic-metagenomic pest shield
Sweet potato, a staple in combating global hunger, faces significant threats from pests like whiteflies and weevils, impacting plant growth and yields. A new study harnesses the power of genomic and metagenomic data to predict pest abundance and identify key genes that could fortify the plant’s defense mechanisms. ⌘ Read more

Research findings suggest nilgai antelope are not carriers of bovine babesiosis
Nilgai, a non-native antelope species that freely ranges Southern Texas and Northeastern Mexico, do not appear to be susceptible to infection following experimental exposure to Babesia bovis, according to recent findings by Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists. ⌘ Read more

Singlish goes digital: How Singaporeans infuse their distinctive language into online communication
“30th got school meh it’s a Sunday leh.” If we asked an average American what this online message means and what they can discern about its author, they would likely be baffled. ⌘ Read more

Exploring the impact of attentional uniqueness and attentional allocation on firm growth
According to the attention-based view, a firm’s actions and growth performance are directly influenced by its attentional allocation to specific issues. The consequences of organizational attention are reflected in the firm’s strategic decision-making and adaptability. ⌘ Read more

Weather ‘whiplash’ in Antarctica may help predict effects of future climate change
The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica live up to their name. The region is one of the driest places on Earth—mountains form a wall around the valleys and prevent melting glacier water from intruding, humidity is extremely low, and no rain was documented in the valleys between the 1960s and the early 2020s. ⌘ Read more

Microscopy technique ‘paves way’ for improving understanding of cellular functions
Scientists have developed a new way of counting labeled proteins in living cells that could become a standard and valuable tool in the field of biomedical research. ⌘ Read more

Microbes conquer the next extreme environment: Your microwave
Since the industrial revolution, microbes have successfully colonized one novel type of habitat after another: for example, marine oil spills, plastic floating in the oceans, industrial brownfields, and even the interior of the International Space Station. ⌘ Read more

Drone flights and 3D scans: Scientist uses cutting-edge tech to protect Madagascar’s vulnerable forests
In a new study published today in the journal Plants, People, Planet, scientist Jenny Williams from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, highlights how the use of drones can help curb the loss of Madagascar’s biodiverse forests through illegal deforestation. ⌘ Read more

Impact of drought on drinking water contamination: Disparities found affecting Latino/a communities
Long-term exposure to contaminants such as arsenic and nitrate in water is linked to an increased risk of various diseases, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, developmental disorders and birth defects in infants. ⌘ Read more

NASA weighs SpaceX rescue for stranded Boeing Starliner crew
What was meant to be a weeklong trip to the International Space Station (ISS) for the first NASA astronauts to fly with Boeing could extend to eight months, with the agency considering bringing them home on a SpaceX spaceship. ⌘ Read more

Optical navigation tech could streamline planetary exploration
In a dim, barren landscape like the surface of the moon, it can be easy to get lost. With few discernable landmarks to navigate with the naked eye, astronauts and rovers must rely on other means to plot a course. ⌘ Read more

Fungi adapt cell walls to evade antifungal drugs
Every year, life-threatening invasive fungal infections afflict more than 2 million individuals globally. Mortality rates for these infections are high, even when patients receive treatment. ⌘ Read more

Smells may prime our gut to fight off infection
Many organisms react to the smell of deadly pathogens by reflexively avoiding them. But a recent study from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that the nematode C. elegans also reacts to the odor of pathogenic bacteria by preparing its intestinal cells to withstand a potential onslaught. ⌘ Read more

Scientists use carbon isotopes to track ‘forever chemicals’
Organofluorine compounds—sometimes called “forever chemicals”—are increasingly turning up in our drinking water, oceans and even human blood, posing a potential threat to the environment and human health. ⌘ Read more

Newly-discovered star could provide new insights into the evolution of stars
A new study published in The Astrophysical Journal, led by Assistant Professor of Astronomy Rana Ezzeddine and UF alumnus Jeremy Kowkabany, with collaborators, reports the discovery of a star that challenges astronomers’ understanding of star evolution and formation of chemical elements, and could suggest a new stage in their growth cycle. ⌘ Read more

New report on Great Barrier Reef shows coral cover increases before onset of serious bleaching, cyclones
Most of the underwater surveys contributing to these findings, published today, were conducted before and during the recent mass bleaching event, one of the most extensive and serious on record, and have not yet captured how many corals survived or died following the bleaching. ⌘ Read more

Planning for climate resilience in California’s freshwater ecosystems
California’s unique geomorphology and Mediterranean-type climate have largely shaped the state’s freshwater lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands. Now, however, freshwater ecosystems are stressed by water diversion, land use changes, non-native species, sedimentation, and nutrient loading, which are compounded by increases in water temperatures and changes in snowmelt and runoff patterns driven by anthropogenic cl … ⌘ Read more

How efficiently different US forests will remove atmospheric carbon in the future
Forests absorb carbon by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making forest carbon stocks an important resource against climate change. In research published in Ecology and Evolution, investigators examined existing tree regeneration patterns to develop an indicator of potential changes to future carbon stocks across forests in the northeastern and midwestern United States. ⌘ Read more

Nanomaterials may enhance plant tolerance to high soil salt levels
Soil salt concentrations above the optimal threshold for plant growth can threaten global food security by compromising agricultural productivity and crop quality. An analysis published in Physiologia Plantarum has examined the potential of nanomaterials—which have emerged over the past decade as a promising tool to mitigate such “salinity stress”—to address this challenge. ⌘ Read more

Fishing disrupts squaretail grouper mating behavior, study finds
Populations of squaretail grouper face an uncertain future as new research shows fishing that targets their spawning sites is causing males to be repeatedly scared away from their territories during their short mating meetups. ⌘ Read more

New study helps global multinational corporations weigh pros and cons of implementing blockchain technology
Blockchain technology has become one of the most hyped advancements in recent years, but there hasn’t been a clear understanding of the potential tradeoffs for its use by multinational corporations (MNCs). A new study published in the Global Strategy Journal provides a better understanding of blockchain merits and drawbacks by focusing on three particular applications of the technolo … ⌘ Read more

Researchers discover optimum twilight time for plant growth
A team of researchers has gained insight into the genetic processes underpinning how plants detect twilight and the role twilight plays in plant growth. ⌘ Read more