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58 articles from ScienceDaily

Hunga volcano eruption provides an explosion of data

The massive Jan. 15, 2022, eruption of the Hunga submarine volcano in the South Pacific Ocean created a variety of atmospheric wave types, including booms heard 6,200 miles away in Alaska. It also created an atmospheric pulse that caused an unusual tsunami-like disturbance that arrived at Pacific shores sooner than the actual tsunami.

Jellyfish's stinging cells hold clues to biodiversity

The cnidocytes -- or stinging cells -- that are characteristic of sea anemones, hydrae, corals and jellyfish, and make us careful of our feet while wading in the ocean, are also an excellent model for understanding the emergence of new cell types, according to new research.

What we're still learning about how trees grow

A new study finds that tree growth does not seem to be generally limited by photosynthesis but rather by cell growth. This suggests that we need to rethink the way we forecast forest growth in a changing climate, and that forests in the future may not be able to absorb as much carbon from the atmosphere as we thought.

When quan­tum par­ti­cles fly like bees

A quantum system with only 51 charged atoms can take on more than two quadrillion different states. Calculating the system's behavior is child's play for a quantum simulator. But verifying the result is almost impossible, even with today's supercomputers. A research team has now shown how these systems can be verified using equations formulated in the 18th century.

Mind the gap: Space inside eggs steers first few steps of life

Imagine sitting at a meeting where the shape of the table and your place at it might impact how you get along with the other members. Cells also communicate with their nearest neighbors, and in embryos, nothing is left to chance in the 'seating plan' for the first few cells. However, questions remain about the how this process is controlled and how it can influence the overall growth of an...

Massive single-cell atlas across human tissues highlights cell types where disease genes are active

Genetic studies have revealed many genes linked to both common and rare disease, but to understand how those genes bring about disease and use those insights to help develop therapies, scientists need to know where they are active in the body. Research on single cells can help achieve this goal, by surveying gene activity in specific cell types. Scientists need to profile all cell types and...

Skin drug treatments may regress dangerous birthmarks and prevent melanoma

About one in 20,000 infants is born with what's called a congenital giant nevus -- a huge, pigmented mole that may cover much of the face and body. Due to the mole's appearance and its risk of later developing into skin cancer, many patients decide to have their children undergo extensive surgery to remove the entire lesion, which can cause large and permanent scars. Researchers led by recently...

Family size may influence cognitive functioning in later life

A new study found that having three or more versus two children has a negative effect on late-life cognition. The results further indicated that this effect was strongest in Northern Europe, where higher fertility decreases financial resources but does not improve social resources in this region.

Using shark teeth to decipher evolutionary processes

From embryo to turtle cracker: Palaeobiologists studied the multiple changes in tooth shape in the tiger shark. The study is also central in drawing conclusions about extinct species from the myriad of preserved shark teeth in the field of palaeontology.

Water makes tree branches droop at night

Terrestrial laser scanning data show that trees move their branches in a diurnal pattern, settling down for the night -- as if falling asleep. Changes in the water status of leaves and branches causes branches to move downward at night, up to 20 cm depending on the tree species.

What grasshoppers feed on

Anyone walking past a meadow on a mild summer evening is often exposed to an impressive concert. It is the grasshoppers, bush crickets and crickets that create a Mediterranean atmosphere with their chirping. The songs are usually those of males trying to attract females to mate with them. But they can also be rival songs when two males get too close to each other.

The deadly impact of urban streets that look like highways

Serious auto crashes in urban areas are more likely on city streets that look to drivers like highways, new research suggests. The study used a novel approach: researchers applied machine learning techniques to analyze more than 240,000 images of road segments in Columbus, Ohio.