Scientists describe how glutamate signals are transmitted across synapses to turn on the switch for synapatic plasticity, the ability of synapses to strengthen or weaken over time in response to increases or decreases in their activity.
Unless radon gas is discovered in a home inspection, most people remain blissfully unaware that rocks like granite, metal ores, and some soils contain naturally occurring sources of radiation. In most cases, low levels of radiation are not a health concern. But some scientists and engineers are concerned about even trace levels of radiation, which can wreak havoc on sensitive equipment. The...
For species to survive in the wild, maintaining connectivity between populations is critical. Without 'wildlife corridors', groups of animals are isolated and may die out. In assessing wildlife connectivity, many aspects of the landscape are measured, but the impact of human behavior has largely been overlooked.
Archaeologists show that the Chumash Indians had been using shell beads as money for at least 800 years.
Researchers have resolved for the first time, how the environment affects the formation of nanoparticles in the Arctic. The results give additional insight into the future of melting sea ice and the Arctic atmosphere. Until recent studies, the molecular processes of particle formation in the high Arctic remained a mystery.
Scientists have developed a process to produce commodity chemicals in a much less hazardous way than was previously possible. The researchers report that they have been able to utilize electrolysis, i.e., the application of an electric current, to obtain chemicals known as dichloro and dibromo compounds, which can then be used to synthesize commodity chemicals.
The analysis of sediment cores from the Mediterranean Sea combined with Earth system models tells the story of major environmental changes in North Africa over the last 160,000 years.
High-intensity tropical cyclones have been moving closer to coasts over the past 40 years, potentially causing more destruction than before.
Efforts to understand when corals reproduce have been given a boost thanks to a new resource that gives scientists open access to more than forty years' worth of information about coral spawning.
Researchers have conducted an original scientific study that puts forth a plausible explanation for the mysterious 1959 death of nine hikers in the Ural Mountains in the former Soviet Union. The tragic Dyatlov Pass Incident, as it came to be called, has spawned a number of theories, from murderous Yeti to secret military experiments.
People often move their hands up and down to 'highlight' what they are saying. Are such 'beat gestures' important for communication? Researchers created words with an ambiguous stress pattern and asked listeners what they heard (DIScount or disCOUNT?). The beat gestures people saw influenced what they heard, showing that listeners quickly integrate verbal and visual information during speech...
New findings buck the historical view that most cities in the United States developed in similar ways. Using a century's worth of urban spatial data, researchers found a long history of urban size (how big a place is) ''decoupling'' from urban form (the shape and structure of a city), leading to cities not all evolving the same -- or even close.
For most of Earth's history, life was limited to the microscopic realm, with bacteria occupying nearly every possible niche. Life is generally thought to have evolved in some of the most extreme environments, like hydrothermal vents deep in the ocean or hot springs that still simmer in Yellowstone.
A new study has revealed insights on the intricate, adaptive mechanisms of a protective system employed by the cells of mammalian immune systems. These defenses have evolved to set a type of tripwire that produces an immune response against attack from viruses.
Decadal growth rate of methane in the atmosphere varied dramatically over the past 30 yeas with three distinct periods of slowed (1988-1998), quasi-stationary (1999-2006) and renewed (2007-2016) phases. An inverse analysis with atmospheric chemistry transport modeling explained these variations consistently. While emissions from oil and gas exploitation and natural climate events caused the slowed...
Engineers have developed a thread-based sensor capable of monitoring the direction, angle of rotation and degree of displacement of the head. The design is a proof of principle that could be extended to measuring movements of other limbs by sensors attached like tatoos to the skin.