149 articles from FRIDAY 13.12.2019

An Invisible Menace to the Climate, Revealed in Infrared

To the naked eye, there is nothing out of the ordinary at the DCP Pegasus gas processing plant in West Texas, one of the thousands of installations in the vast Permian Basin that have transformed America into the largest oil and gas producer in the world.But a highly specialized camera sees what the human eye cannot: a major release of methane, the main component of natural gas and a potent...

The wild relatives of major vegetables, needed for climate resilience, are in danger

Growing up in the wild makes plants tough. Wild plants evolve to survive the whims of nature and thrive in difficult conditions, including extreme climate conditions, poor soils, and pests and disease. Their better-known descendants—the domesticated plants that are critical to a healthy diet—are often not nearly as hardy. The genes that make crop wild relatives robust have the potential to...

Why are giant pandas born so tiny?

Born pink, blind, and helpless, giant pandas typically weigh about 100 grams at birth—the equivalent of a stick of butter. Their mothers are 900 times more massive than that.

Unearthing the mystery of the meaning of Easter Island's Moai

Based on a 5-year excavation of two Moai found within the Easter Island quarry called Rano Raraku, the Easter Island Statue Project released the first definitive study to reveal the quarry as a complex landscape and link soil fertility, agriculture, quarrying and the sacred nature of the Moai. Chemistry testing suggests the soil in the quarry itself was made more fertile by the act of quarrying,...

Why are giant pandas born so tiny?

Born pink, blind, and helpless, giant pandas typically weigh about 100 grams at birth -- the equivalent of a stick of butter. Their mothers are 900 times more massive than that. That raises a question that has vexed biologists: why the disparity? No one knows the answer, but by comparing bone growth across newborn bears, dogs and other animals, scientists find that one idea doesn't hold up.

Nanoscience breakthrough: Probing particles smaller than a billionth of a meter

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have developed a new methodology that allows researchers to assess the chemical composition and structure of metallic particles with a diameter of only 0.5 to 2 nm. This breakthrough in analytical techniques will enable the development and application of minuscule materials in the fields of electronics, biomedicine, chemistry, and more.

The Annual Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks This Weekend. Here’s How to See it

The Geminid meteor shower is one of the most visible atmospheric phenomenons that occur every year. The shower is expected to peak late tonight into the midnight hours. During peak hours, 120 meteors per can possibly be seen. Here is everything you need to know about the solar activity. What is the Geminids Meteor Shower? According to the American Meteor Society, the Geminid meteor shower is...

Waiting area entertainment and co-opetition between brick-and-mortar stores boosts profit

With the popularity of online shopping, it's no secret brick-and-mortar stores are fighting to stay relevant. Waiting area entertainment is one way they are standing out, because no one likes to wait. New research in the INFORMS journal Manufacturing & Service Operations Management says funding entertainment is no easy task, but one way to offset the price and increase customer experience and...