Should forests have rights? – podcast
A growing movement of ecologists, lawyers and artists is arguing that nature should have legal rights. By recognising the rights of ecosystems and other species, advocates hope that they can gain better protection. Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s global environment editor, Jonathan Watts, about where this movement has come from and why the UK government has dismissed the concept, and...
US and Japan push for ban on nuclear weapons in space with UN security council resolution
UN chief António Guterres says risk of nuclear war has escalated and that ‘humanity cannot survive a sequel to Oppenheimer’The US and Japan are sponsoring a UN security council resolution calling on all nations not to deploy or develop nuclear weapons in space, the US ambassador has announced.Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a UN security council meeting that “any placement of nuclear weapons...
Scientists in Antarctica track ‘baffling’ virus that could decimate penguins and other polar animals
A 23-meter-long sailboat set off last week from Argentina for Antarctica’s Weddell Sea with eight scientists, lots of cloacal swabs, and a genetic fingerprinting machine aboard. The
Australis
is headed for the southern continent’s teeming colonies of Adélie penguins, other seabirds, and marine mammals. The
goal
: to search for signs of a deadly virus...
MONDAY 18. MARCH 2024
NASA’s x-ray telescope faces a long goodbye
The end is nigh for NASA’s nearly 25-year-old Chandra X-ray Observatory. Funding for the space telescope was slashed last week in President Joe Biden’s budget request, which calls for winding the mission down over several years.
Astronomers are up in arms over the announcement. They argue that the telescope is as productive as ever and remains a cornerstone of U.S....
Livestock farming is responsible for up to a quarter of air pollution in Lombardy region: Study
Agricultural activities and livestock farming are key contributors to the concentrations of hazardous pollutants for health and the environment in the atmosphere, but the potential action in these sectors is often overlooked in public debate.
Cacao plants' defense against toxic cadmium unveiled
Researchers from the University Grenoble Alpes (UGA), France, together with the ESRF, the European Synchrotron located in Grenoble, France, used ESRF's bright X-rays to unveil how cacao trees protect themselves from toxic metal cadmium. This knowledge is relevant as new EU regulations restrict cadmium concentration in chocolate. Their results are published in Environmental and Experimental Botany.
Bodycams in court get broad police approval, according to survey
In the courtroom, Quebec provincial police officers seem to be broadly in favor of having images captured by body-worn cameras used as evidence, but are also concerned about some of the potential consequences for the pursuit of justice.
As Voyager 1's mission draws to a close, one planetary scientist reflects on its legacy
For nearly 50 years, NASA's Voyager 1 mission has competed for the title of deep space's little engine that could. Launched in 1977 along with its twin, Voyager 2, the spacecraft is now soaring more than 15 billion miles from Earth.
Resilience in architecture: The diaspora's response to the Second World War
The Second World War had a profound impact not only on the fate of countries and people but also on the development of architecture. In occupied territories across the globe, architecture reflected the prevailing trends of the time.
Study highlights achievements of the scientific drilling of Songliao Basin
Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, the increase in carbon dioxide emissions has consistently warmed the Earth's climate. At the current warming rate, our planet might potentially be on track toward witnessing a greenhouse climate state with no ice on polar caps.
Domain knowledge drives data-driven artificial intelligence in well logging
Data-driven artificial intelligence, such as deep learning and reinforcement learning, possesses powerful data analysis capabilities. These techniques enable the statistical and probabilistic analysis of data, facilitating the mapping of relationships between inputs and outputs without reliance on predetermined physical assumptions.
Urban greening can lead to an increase of rodent-borne zoonotic pathogens
Wild rodents can host a great diversity of zoonotic pathogens. Rodents that live close to humans increase the likelihood of the transfer of such pathogens. "Changes in the environment, such as urban greening, can increase the presence of rodents and result in a higher human disease risk in urban areas," states Marieke de Cock based on her research. She successfully defended her Ph.D. from...
Tanks of the Triassic: New crocodile ancestor identified
- ScienceDaily
- 24/3/18 21:45
Dinosaurs get all the glory. But aetosaurs, a heavily armored cousin of modern crocodiles, ruled the world before dinosaurs did. These tanks of the Triassic came in a variety of shapes and sizes before going extinct around 200 million years ago. Today, their fossils are found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.
Backyard insect inspires invisibility devices, next gen tech
- ScienceDaily
- 24/3/18 21:45
Leafhoppers, a common backyard insect, secrete and coat themselves in tiny mysterious particles that could provide both the inspiration and the instructions for next-generation technology, according to a new study. In a first, the team precisely replicated the complex geometry of these particles, called brochosomes, and elucidated a better understanding of how they absorb both visible and...
A simple, scalable method using light to 3D print helical nanostructures
A new fabrication process for helical metal nanoparticles provides a simpler, cheaper way to rapidly produce a material essential for biomedical and optical devices, according to a study by University of Michigan researchers.
Climate change alters the hidden microbial food web in peatlands, study shows
The humble peat bog conjures images of a brown, soggy expanse. But it turns out to have a superpower in the fight against climate change.
Alternative tidal wetlands in plain sight have overlooked Blue Carbon superstars
Blue Carbon projects are expanding globally; however, demand for credits outweighs the available credits for purchase.
Eyes on the impossible: First near-field, subwavelength thermal radiation measurement
Nanodevices change the way we diagnose disease, process food and water, and store renewable energy. But to keep up with next-generation technology, researchers need to understand the fundamental principles that prompt their functionality.
West Virginia opens the door to teaching intelligent design
In 2005, then–U.S. District Court Judge John Jones ruled that intelligent design (ID)—the idea that life is too complex to have evolved without nudging from supernatural forces—cannot be taught in public school biology courses because it is not a scientific theory. This month, the West Virginia legislature found a workaround, and passed a bill that doesn’t name ID but will...
Over half of global commutes are by car, says study
What is the extent of car dependency around the world? Why should the best places to live be car-free? What are the best public transportation cities? A new study by Rafael Prieto-Curiel, from the Complexity Science Hub, and Juan Pablo Ospina, from EAFIT University, may provide some insights into these questions.
Can used coffee grounds help clean up environmental toxins?
Global coffee consumption generates millions of tons of spent coffee grounds each year, which can be damaging to wildlife and the environment.
Magpies under siege from climate and man-made noise
The combined impact of climate change and human-generated noise are proving double trouble for wild urban-dwelling bird species, changing their behavior in ways that could threaten their survival.
Keeping in touch: Why businesses are cultivating relationships with former employees
For many people, leaving a job can be like leaving a family—and because of the personal and professional bonds they've forged, many naturally stay in touch with their former coworkers and keep apprised of what's happening in the organization.
Unlocking clearer views of our world's water: A Landsat legacy
Satellite remote sensing is vital for monitoring marine and freshwater ecosystems, leveraging missions like SeaWiFS, MODIS, MERIS, Landsat, and Sentinel to track water parameters such as chlorophyll, sediment, and temperature. The dynamic nature of water bodies demands high-frequency observations for accuracy, with limitations highlighted by factors like clouds and sunlight.
UK's Cambridge University halts fossil fuel funding
Britain's Cambridge University confirmed on Monday that it has adopted a moratorium on new funding from fossil fuel companies after a campaign from students and academics.
Astronaut Thomas Stafford, commander of Apollo 10, has died at age 93
Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, who commanded a dress rehearsal flight for the 1969 moon landing and the first U.S.-Soviet space linkup, died Monday. He was 93.
Tanks of the triassic: New crocodile ancestor identified
Dinosaurs get all the glory. But aetosaurs, a heavily armored cousin of modern crocodiles, ruled the world before dinosaurs did. These tanks of the Triassic came in a variety of shapes and sizes before going extinct around 200 million years ago. Today, their fossils are found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.
An avatar will never lie, or will it? Scientists investigate how often we change our minds in virtual environments
How confident are you in your judgments and how well can you defend your opinions? Chances are that they will change under the influence of a group of avatars in a virtual environment. Scientists from SWPS University have investigated the human tendency to be influenced by the opinions of others, including virtual characters.
Eyes open and toes out of water: How a giant water bug reached the island of Cyprus
The island of Cyprus, although considered a hotspot for biodiversity in the Mediterranean, is more famous for its beautiful sunny coasts than for its insect fauna. Nevertheless, some visitors of its highly populated beaches, with their observations and curiosity, have provided important information for a species never recorded before on the island: a giant water bug, also known as a toe biter.
Virtual reality better than video for evoking fear, spurring climate action: Study
Depicting worst-case climate scenarios like expanding deserts and dying coral reefs may better motivate people to support environmental policies when delivered via virtual reality, according to a research team led by Penn State that studied how VR and message framing affect the impact of environmental advocacy communications.
Artificial mucus identifies link to tumor formation
During cold and flu season, excess mucus is a common, unpleasant symptom of illness, but the slippery substance is essential to human health. To better understand its many roles, researchers synthesized the major component of mucus, the sugar-coated proteins called mucins, and discovered that changing the mucins of healthy cells to resemble those of cancer cells made healthy cells act more...
System detects microorganisms that mar the quality of beer
With the aid of molecular biology, the quality of Brazilian beer—the country's most popular alcoholic beverage, especially during the summer—may soon be significantly enhanced.
Rapid study of Kakhovka Dam breach impacts will support biodiversity's recovery
UK scientists' unprecedented rapid assessment of the environmental impacts of the Kakhovka Dam's breach will support international action to restore a biodiversity hotspot.
Germ aversion found to have impacted 2020 election voting behavior
Voters opted to pick candidates in 2020 by mail-in ballots, avoiding poll sites due to COVID-19 concerns rather than because of political party efforts to promote specific voting methods, according to a new University of Michigan study.
Transforming wood waste for sustainable manufacturing
Lignin, a complex organic polymer, is one of the main components of wood, providing structural support and rigidity to make trees strong enough to withstand the elements. When transforming wood into paper, lignin is a key ingredient that must be removed, and it often becomes waste.
Supercomputer simulations of super-diamond suggest a path to its creation
Diamond is the strongest material known. However, another form of carbon has been predicted to be even tougher than diamond. The challenge is how to create it on Earth.
Advancements in greenhouse spike detection with deep learning for enhanced phenotypic trait analysis
Accurate extraction of phenotypic traits from image data is essential for cereal crop research, but spike detection in greenhouses is challenging due to the environmental and physical similarities between spikes and leaves. Recent efforts include increasing image resolution and feature dimensionality, and developing neural networks such as SpikeSegNet to improve spike detection. However, these...
The zoo of active galaxies: This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher
- Astronomy.com
- 24/3/18 20:29
In 1963, Caltech researcher Maarten Schmidt had a eureka moment. He was looking at the spectrum of a mysterious object named 3C 273, a source that had been found and cataloged with then-novel radio telescopes. It appeared to be a star emitting extremely high amounts of energy. But bizarrely, its spectrum matched no known elementsContinue reading "The zoo of active galaxies: This Week in Astronomy...
Scientists discover how the Diadem butterfly mimics the African Queen
Scientists have discovered how female Diadem butterflies have evolved to look like African Queen butterflies to repel predators.
Two artificial intelligences talk to each other
- ScienceDaily
- 24/3/18 19:24
Performing a new task based solely on verbal or written instructions, and then describing it to others so that they can reproduce it, is a cornerstone of human communication that still resists artificial intelligence (AI). A team has succeeded in modelling an artificial neural network capable of this cognitive prowess. After learning and performing a series of basic tasks, this AI was able to...
Holographic message encoded in simple plastic
- ScienceDaily
- 24/3/18 19:23
Important data can be stored and concealed quite easily in ordinary plastic using 3D printers and terahertz radiation, scientists show. Holography can be done quite easily: A 3D printer can be used to produce a panel from normal plastic in which a QR code can be stored, for example. The message is read using terahertz rays -- electromagnetic radiation that is invisible to the human eye.
Breathe, don't vent: Turning down the heat is key to managing anger
- ScienceDaily
- 24/3/18 19:23
Venting about a source of anger might feel good in the moment, but it's not effective at reducing the rage, new research suggests. Instead, techniques often used to address stress -- deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation, yoga or even counting to 10 -- have been shown to be more effective at decreasing anger and aggression.