- PhysOrg
- 19/11/11 22:18
Although nitrogen is essential for all living organisms—it makes up 3% of the human body—and comprises 78% of Earth's atmosphere, it's almost ironically difficult for plants and natural systems to access it.
Although nitrogen is essential for all living organisms—it makes up 3% of the human body—and comprises 78% of Earth's atmosphere, it's almost ironically difficult for plants and natural systems to access it.
Zimbabwe's wildlife agency said Monday it would move hundreds of elephants and other animals in a dramatic bid to save them from a lethal drought.
Mini Mercury skipped across the vast, glaring face of the sun Monday in a rare celestial transit.
A moderate earthquake has been felt across Hawaii's Big Island, but there are no immediate reports of damage.
A new technique for continuously monitoring both the size and optical properties of individual airborne particles could offer a better way to monitor air pollution. It is especially promising for analyzing fine particulate matter measuring less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), which can reach deep into the lungs and cause health problems.
There is growing interest in the potential for soil carbon to mitigate climate change, brought into the public sphere at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris. France. There, the French government launched an international initiative, "4per1000," aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by building soil carbon.
Invisible footprints hiding since the end of the last ice age—and what lies beneath them—have been discovered by Cornell University researchers using a special type of radar in a novel way.
A Dartmouth study finds that artisanal-scale gold mining is altering water clarity and dynamics in the Madre de Dios River watershed in Peru, a tropical biodiversity hotspot. Higher levels of suspended sediment were found in rivers near the mining sites, with increasing impacts as mining has become more widespread in the past two decades. The elevated sediment levels contain mercury and other...
In recent years, scientists have found that serious infections that progress rapidly and resist treatment are often caused by multiple microbes interacting with one another. Very little is known about these so-called polymicrobial infections, but traditional diagnostic methods often misidentify them as monomicrobial, or single-microbe, infections.
Humans have evolved dynamic defense mechanisms against the viruses that seek to infect our bodies—proteins that specialize in identifying, capturing and destroying the genetic material that viruses try to sneak into our cells.
New research shows that many larval fish species from different ocean habitats are ingesting plastics in their preferred nursery habitat.
A new study co-led by researchers in the U.S. and China has pushed back the first-known physical evidence of insect flower pollination to 99 million years ago, during the mid-Cretaceous period.
A new study by researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Aslak Grinsted, Peter Ditlevsen and Jens Hesselbjerg shows that hurricanes have become more destructive since 1900, and the worst of them are more than three times as frequent now than 100 years ago. A new way of calculating the destruction, compensating for the societal change in wealth, unequivocally shows a...
A classical orchestra in Germany aims to "make climate change audible" with a reworking of Antonio Vivaldi's famous violin concertos "The Four Seasons" using algorithms based on climate data.
A very rare species of small, deer-like animal thought to be on the verge of extinction has been spotted in the northwestern jungle of Vietnam for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities says local archeologists have unearthed the mummy of an unusually large animal, most likely a lion or lioness.
SpaceX launched 60 mini satellites Monday, the second batch of an orbiting network meant to provide global internet coverage.
Seawater is one of the most abundant resources on earth, offering promise both as a source of hydrogen—desirable as a source of clean energy—and of drinking water in arid climates. But even as water-splitting technologies capable of producing hydrogen from freshwater have become more effective, seawater has remained a challenge.
Every minute counts when it comes to predicting severe weather. Combing data from cutting-edge geostationary satellites and traditional weather radar created a path toward earlier, more accurate warnings, according to Penn State researchers who studied supercell thuderstorms in the Midwest.
The first appearance of bright green leaves heralds the start of spring, nudging insects, birds and other animals into a whirlwind of action. But a new study shows that urbanization shifts this seasonal cue in nuanced ways, with cities in cold climates triggering earlier spring plant growth and cities in warm climates delaying it.
Ancient Egyptians considered the Nile river to be the source of all life. The steady northward path of the river has nourished the fertile valleys of northeast Africa for millions of years and in doing so, shaped the course of human civilization.
Handheld electrochemical sensors are part of the daily routine for millions of people with diabetes around the globe who monitor their blood sugar levels with electric glucometers. While such sensors have revolutionized at-home medical testing for diabetics, they have not yet been successfully applied to diagnosing other conditions. Sensors like glucometers detect glucose in blood based on the...