- BBC Science/Nature
- 21/3/2 23:17
The sharks live in deep waters and are thought to use light as a form of camouflage.
304 articles from TUESDAY 2.3.2021
The sharks live in deep waters and are thought to use light as a form of camouflage.
A former conservation officer who made international headlines in 2015 for refusing to kill two orphaned bear cubs is suing to get his job back and his lost pay...
Scientists regularly use remote sensing drones and satellites to record how climate change affects permafrost thaw rates—methods that work well in barren tundra landscapes where there's nothing to obstruct the view.
It’s awfully hard to find any upside in a global pandemic that’s sickened nearly 115 million people and killed more than 2.5 million. But throughout 2020, there was some good news buried in the bad concerning that other great infirmity: the sickly state of the earthly climate. When economies are booming and people are moving, greenhouse gasses soar. It follows then that economic...
The rush for scientific understanding of the novel coronavirus has focused on biological mechanisms: how people get infected, the response of the human body, and the fastest path to a vaccine. As an aerosol scientist, Tami Bond went a different route, convening a research team that would treat the virus like any other aerosol. This team set out to quantify the dynamics of how aerosols like viruses...
Researchers have identified a new drug that could prevent AD by modulating, rather than inhibiting, a key enzyme involved in forming amyloid plaques.
When quantum computers become more powerful and widespread, they will need a robust quantum internet to communicate. Engineers have addressed an issue barring the development of quantum networks that are big enough to reliably support more than a handful of users.
Researchers have developed a remote sensing method of measuring the depth of permafrost by analyzing vegetation cover in boreal ecosystems.
Advanced Research & Innovation Agency will be exempt from existing procurement rules for ‘maximum flexibility’, says governmentA new £800m government science and defence research agency will be exempt from existing procurement rules, prompting warnings from Labour that it could be used as “cover for cronyism”.Originally the brainchild of Dominic Cummings, the Advanced Research &...
In the private space industry, it can seem that there’s SpaceX and then there’s everyone else. Only Blue Origin, backed by its own billionaire founder in the person of Jeff Bezos, seems able to command the same degree of attention. And Blue Origin hasn’t even gone beyond suborbital space yet. Rocket Lab might soon have something to say about that duopoly. The company, founded...
Today, we can say without a shadow of doubt that an alternative to fossil fuels is needed. Fossil fuels are not only non-renewable sources of energy but also among the leading causes of global warming and air pollution. Thus, many scientists worldwide have their hopes placed on what they regard as the fuel of tomorrow: hydrogen (H2). Although H2 is a clean fuel with incredibly high energy density,...
Powerful insecticides are turning up in deer in nearly every corner of Minnesota, raising concerns that the ubiquitous chemicals may be keeping fawns from surviving to maturity or harming deer reproduction.
The coronavirus pandemic has drawn new attention to the digital divide, as the need for online schooling and working from home has disproportionately hurt those without computer equipment and skills. New research finds that people with basic Information Technology (IT) skills are more likely to be employed, even in jobs that aren't explicitly tied to those skills.
High-resolution imaging and 3D computer modeling show that the dendrites of neurons weave through space in a way that balances their need to connect to other neurons with the costs of doing so. The discovery emerged as researchers sought to understand the fractal nature of neurons as part of a project to design fractal-shaped electrodes to connect with retinal neurons to address vision loss due to...
Health impacts from a 2010 spill are found even in dolphins born years later.
A new method to rate tornado warnings shows that nighttime tornadoes in the U.S. have a lower probability of detection and a higher false-alarm rate than other events. Summertime tornadoes, occurring in June, July or August, also are more likely to evade warning.
A new study has shown that gentle streams of water carrying sound and microscopic air bubbles can clean bacteria from salad leaves more effectively than current washing methods used by suppliers and consumers. As well as reducing food poisoning, the findings could reduce food waste and have implications for the growing threat of anti-microbial resistance.
Researchers exploring the interactions between light particles, photons and matter find that optical microresonators host quasiparticles made by two photons.
Earthquakes in the Black Rock Desert are rare and capturing the seismic recordings from these earthquakes provides a glimpse into the volcanic system of the Black Rock Desert that, while not showing any signs of erupting, is still active.
Positive psychological effects associated with taking small doses of psychedelic drugs are likely the result of users' expectations, suggests a new study.
Lithium metal batteries have higher charge density than conventional lithium ion batteries but are prone to problems of tree-like metal dendrites, which can cause short circuits or explosions. A new article shows that flowing ions near the cathode can prevent this problem.
Researchers have identified a potential new marker that shows cardiovascular disease may be present in a patient using an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan -- a non-invasive diagnostic tool commonly used in ophthalmology and optometry clinics to create images of the retina. The finding suggests it may be possible to detect heart disease during an eye examination.
Disruptions in the circadian rhythms in lung cells may explain why adults who survived premature birth are often more at risk of severe influenza infections, suggests a new study.
A recent study of how human resources professionals review online information and social media profiles of job candidates highlights the ways in which so-called 'cybervetting' can introduce bias and moral judgment into the hiring process.
A new study provides evidence that COVID-19 patients' heart damage is caused by the virus invading and replicating inside heart muscle cells, leading to cell death and interfering with heart muscle contraction. The researchers used stem cells to engineer heart tissue that models the human infection and could help in studying the disease and developing possible therapies.
Finding innovative and sustainable solutions to our material needs is one of the core objectives of green chemistry. The myriad plastics that envelop our daily life—from mattresses to food and cars—are mostly made from oil-based monomers which are the building blocks of polymers. Therefore, finding bio-based monomers for polymer synthesis is attractive to achieve more sustainable solutions in...
Pesticides used in forestry may threaten species in downstream rivers and estuaries, but little is known about the extent to which this occurs. A new study by researchers at Portland State University found mussels, clams and oysters in watersheds along the Oregon Coast are exposed to pesticides used in managing forests. The results of this study, published in the journal Toxics, have implications...
College course syllabi written in a warm, friendly tone are more likely to encourage students to reach out when they are struggling or need help, a new study from Oregon State University found.
The United States experiences more tornadoes than any other country, with a season that peaks in spring or summer depending on the region. Tornadoes are often deadly, especially in places where buildings can't withstand high winds.
The City of Toronto is warning residents to avoid contact with raccoons after an uptick in reported raccoon-related...
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, college students were reporting record levels of stress and anxiety. According to the American College Health Association Fall 2018 National College Health Assessment, 63% of U.S. college students experienced overwhelming anxiety throughout the year. Plus, stress can impact students' academic performance, and students with higher stress levels are more at-risk of...
If you drive south through central Utah on Interstate 15 and look west somewhere around Fillmore, you'll see smooth hills and fields of black rock. The area is, aptly, named the Black Rock Desert. It may not look like much, but you're looking at some of Utah's volcanoes.
The coronavirus pandemic has drawn new attention to the digital divide, as the need for online schooling and working from home has disproportionately hurt those without computer equipment and skills.
Powerful and deadly, the bite of a trap-jaw ant is renowned throughout the animal kingdom. Unlike normal gripping jaws, which rely on muscles to open and close, the trap-jaw latches itself open, storing energy like a stretched spring. When released, the jaws of the ansnap shut on their prey in one ultrafast strike.
The hunt is on for the Brazilian variant, and tracking mutations will be necessary for some time to comeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOf the many coronavirus variants identified so far, there is particular concern about P1, first identified in Brazil, with fears about the extent it can evade the immune system and possibly vaccines. The UK has recorded six cases so...
Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose slightly in December compared with the same month of 2019, indicating the sharp drop seen due to the pandemic was short-lived.
Plan for moving from lockdown to relaxation of restrictions will be guided by data Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNorthern Ireland’s deputy first minister, Michelle O’Neill, has unveiled a cautious five-step plan to ease the region’s Covid-19 lockdown. The plan has no hard dates and will be led by data, notably the reproductive rate of the virus, O’Neill told...
There's more to taste than flavor. Let ice cream melt, and the next time you take it out of the freezer you'll find its texture icy instead of the smooth, creamy confection you're used to. Though its flavor hasn't changed, most people would agree the dessert is less appetizing.
Researchers have developed a promising new COVID-19 vaccine candidate that utilizes nanotechnology and has shown strong efficacy in preclinical disease models. According to a new study, the vaccine produced potent neutralizing antibodies among preclinical models and also prevented infection and disease symptoms in the face of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19).
Detecting COVID-19 outbreaks before they spread could help contain the virus and curb new cases within a community. In a new study, researchers describe a mostly automated early alert system that uses high-throughput analysis of wastewater samples to identify buildings where new COVID-19 cases have emerged -- even before infected people develop symptoms.
Scientists have discovered a new electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in electrochemical water splitting: CaFe2O4. This inexpensive, non-toxic, and easy-to-synthesize material outperforms other bimetallic OER electrocatalysts and even surpasses the benchmark set by iridium oxide, paving the way to accessible hydrogen generation for upcoming hydrogen societies.
An astrophysicist theorized why the chemical composition of the Sun's tenuous outermost layer differs from that lower down. His theory has recently been validated by combined observations of the Sun's magnetic waves from the Earth and from space.
Travellers looking to book a hotel should trust their gut instinct when it comes to online reviews rather than relying on computer algorithms to weed out the fake ones, a new study suggests.
Hurricanes are known to occur in the lower atmosphere of Earth and even other planets, but had never before been detected in the upper atmosphere. An international team of scientists made the unprecedented discovery during retrospective analysis of satellite observations. The hurricane occurred during surprisingly low geomagnetic activity, and suggests they could occur in the upper atmosphere of...
New energy tariffs designed for a low carbon future could leave people on bad deals even worse off. The tariffs could benefit all kinds of customers, but many people are unlikely to choose them. Those likely to adopt them first are younger, with higher incomes and higher education.
The agricultural cultivation of the staple food of rice harbors the risk of possible contamination with arsenic that can reach the grains following uptake by the roots. A research team studied over 4,000 rice variants and discovered a plant that resists the toxin as well as contains a large amount of the trace element selenium.