139 articles from MONDAY 12.9.2022
Astronomers wind back the clock to determine the timeline of a stellar explosion
While astronomers have seen the debris from scores of exploded stars in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies, it is often difficult to determine the timeline of the star's demise. By studying the spectacular remains of a supernova in a neighboring galaxy using NASA telescopes, a team of astronomers has found enough clues to help wind back the clock.
Study: Baby Kinda baboons become independent faster if moms are social, dominant
New research shows female Kinda baboons who have strong social connections with other female and male baboons, or are more dominant, have babies who become independent faster than others.
New technique to measure temperatures in combustion flames could lead to cleaner biofuels
A new X-ray technique to measure temperatures in combustion flames could lead to cleaner biofuels.
Doctors and lawyers less likely to live in prosperous areas if from working class families, says research
Doctors, lawyers, and senior managers from working class families are less likely to live in prosperous areas than their counterparts from well-off backgrounds, new research shows.
In a warmer world, half of all species are on the move. Where are they going?
From the deepest oceans to the highest mountains, human-caused climate change is making a profound impact on animals and plants around the world, with many species pushed to the brink of extinction by rising temperatures.
Opinion: Scientists might have discovered an Earth-like planet. Let one of them tell you about it.
There's more important work for the James Webb Space Telescope. A team of astronomers at the University of Montreal hopes to use it to study a newly found planet beyond our solar system (an exoplanet) that could be almost completely covered in water.
The strange behavior of sound through solids
Not everything needs to be seen to be believed; certain things are more readily heard, like a train approaching its station. In a recent paper, published in Physical Review Letters, researchers have put their ears to the rail, discovering a new property of scattering amplitudes based on their study of sound waves through solid matter.
Most US states don't have universal air conditioning in prisons. Climate change, heat waves are making it 'torture'
It was nearly 100 degrees outside in South Texas the day Quintero Jones died. Inside his cinder-block prison cell in the middle of summer, it felt even hotter.
NASA’s unprecedented asteroid-deflection mission is more than ‘billiards in space,’ scientists say
On 26 September, an act of targeted violence will ensue 11 million kilometers from Earth, as a spacecraft about the size of a vending machine smashes into a small asteroid at 6 kilometers per second. Unlike some asteroids that stray worrisomely close to Earth’s orbit, Dimorphos—the 160-meter moon of a larger body—is an innocent bystander, posing no threat to our world. But the...
Older adults with regular activity routines are happier and do better on cognitive tests, study finds
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/12 22:38
Older adults who consistently get up early and remain active throughout the day are happier and perform better on cognitive tests than those with irregular activity patterns, according to a new study.
How visual information travels from the retina to the midbrain
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/12 22:38
Neuroscientists have revealed the precise connections between sensory neurons inside the retina and the superior colliculus, a structure in the midbrain. Neuropixels probes are a relatively recent development, representing the next generation of electrodes. Densely packed with recording points, Neuropixels probes are used to record the activity of nerve cells, and have facilitated these recent...
What is the smallest planet? (It's not Pluto.) Taking a closer look at planet sizes.
As elementary schoolers, we learned the order of the planets. Maybe your teacher even had a snappy mnemonic like "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas" or "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos" after Pluto was axed from the planetary lineup.
Why are dark matter halos of ultra-diffuse galaxies so odd?
A study co-led by physicists at UC Riverside and UC Irvine has found that dark matter halos of ultra-diffuse galaxies are very odd, raising questions about physicists' understanding of galaxy formation and the structure of the universe.
Tidal marsh or 'fake habitat'? California environmental project draws criticism
Southwest of Sacramento, California, the branching arms of waterways reach into a patchwork of farm fields and pastures. Canals and wetlands fringed with reeds meet a sunbaked expanse of dry meadows.
Researchers explore enzymes that use a cation, not oxygen-addition, to drive reactions
Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of Texas at Austin have defined the structure of a substrate-bound iron 2-oxoglutarate (Fe/2OG) enzyme to explore whether these enzymes could be used to create a wide array of molecules. They probed the enzyme's active site to determine its ability to bind with different substrates. Additionally, rather than oxygen-addition, they...
Soil disturbance reduces resilience of rangelands to climate change
USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and collaborators from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment have tested how soil disturbance influences the response of U.S. Great Plains rangeland to climate change. The results showed that disturbance and subsequent plant invasion are key factors to consider when predicting the impact of climate change on these ecosystems.
What killed dinosaurs and other life on Earth?
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/12 21:29
Determining what killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous Period has long been the topic of debate, as scientists set out to determine what caused the five mass extinction events that reshaped life on planet Earth in a geological instant. Some scientists argue that comets or asteroids that crashed into Earth were the most likely agents of mass destruction, while...
Forests' carbon uptake will be compromised by climate change, leaf temperature study suggests
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/12 21:29
A new study suggests leaves in forest canopies are not able to cool themselves below the surrounding air temperature, likely meaning trees' ability to avoid damaging temperature increases, and to pull carbon from the atmosphere, will be compromised in a warmer, drier climate.
How human cells become Zika virus factories
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/12 21:29
Scientists solve the mystery of how Zika virus takes over key immune system cells. New findings shed light on how to stop the virus from spreading.
New study identifies main drivers of government investment in clean energy innovation
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/12 21:29
A new analysis suggests that international cooperation and competition are the main drivers of public investment in energy innovation. However, this funding remains insufficient to help meet climate goals.
Bigger plants don't always equal more nutritious ones
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/12 21:29
While increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere encourage plant growth, they also reduce the nutritional value of plants, which can have a larger impact on nutrition and food safety worldwide. Researchers have discovered a new way plants are adapting to the changing climate -- information that can be used to help plants grow strong while also maintaining their nutritional value.
Investing in new water filtration membranes is worth it
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/12 21:29
In the new study, researchers performed a high-level analysis of membrane filtration systems to evaluate cost, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with desalination and wastewater treatment. The researchers found that municipal wastewater facilities could spend 43% more on antifouling membranes for wastewater treatment and up to three times more on antifouling membranes for...
Researchers explore enzymes that use a cation, not oxygen-addition, to drive reactions
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/12 21:28
Researchers defined the structure of a substrate-bound iron 2-oxoglutarate (Fe/2OG) enzyme to explore whether these enzymes could be used to create a wide array of molecules. They saw that Fe/2OG enzymes likely utilize cations -- highly reactive species -- to drive desaturation during catalysis. The work could lead to the use of Fe/2OG enzymes in making a wide array of valuable molecules.
Daytime eating may benefit mental health
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/12 21:28
Investigators have designed a study that simulated night work and then tested the effects of daytime and nighttime eating versus daytime eating only. The team found that, among participants in the daytime and nighttime eating group, depression-like mood levels increased by 26 percent and anxiety-like mood levels by 16 percent. Participants in the daytime-only eating group did not experience this...