75 articles from FRIDAY 23.12.2022
U.S. mulls stronger protections for iconic Caribbean conch, raising concern among fishers
- ScienceNOW
- 22/12/23 21:45
Overfishing may put the queen conch—a large marine snail known for its showy shell and delectable flesh—on the path to extinction, U.S. government researchers concluded earlier this year after an extensive review of the species. Federal officials are now considering whether to list the Caribbean species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, having wrapped up collecting...
Deadly sharp points found in Idaho could be first American-made tools
- ScienceNOW
- 22/12/23 20:30
Lethally sharp projectile points found along the banks of a river in southwestern Idaho, dated to nearly 16,000 years ago according to a
study published today
, could represent the oldest evidence of the first tool technology brought to the Americas.
Apparently deposited into a series of shallow pits by an ancient group of hunter-gatherers, the points are examples...
Penalties, corruption and legislation are failing to deter harmful gas flaring in Nigeria, study shows
Legislation is failing to end gas flaring in Nigeria which is harming and environment and people's health, a new study warns.
Software lets researchers create tiny rounded objects out of DNA. Here's why that's cool
Marvel at the tiny nanoscale structures emerging from research labs at Duke University and Arizona State University, and it's easy to imagine you're browsing a catalog of the world's smallest pottery.
Archaeologists uncover oldest known projectile points in the Americas
Oregon State University archaeologists have uncovered projectile points in Idaho that are thousands of years older than any previously found in the Americas, helping to fill in the history of how early humans crafted and used stone weapons.
Electrons on the run: On chirality, tunneling and light fields
Will an electron escaping a molecule through a quantum tunnel behave differently depending on the left- or right-handedness of the molecule?
The world's largest turbulence simulation unmasks the flow of energy in astrophysical plasmas
Researchers have uncovered a previously hidden heating process that helps explain how the atmosphere that surrounds the sun called the "solar corona" can be vastly hotter than the solar surface that emits it.
Scientists find secret to how glass frogs turn transparent
Scientists discover the glass frog's "superpower" in its ability to pool blood to turn see-through.
Reactive strip developed to quickly and easily detect and quantify allergens in foods
A team from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), the Universitat de València (UV), and the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) has developed a lateral flow test that identifies and quantifies the level of allergens reliably in food with the help of a smartphone. The work has been published in the journal Biosensors.
Polar bear decline in Western Hudson Bay 'a lot larger' than expected, researcher says
Researchers surveyed Western Hudson Bay and estimated there were 618 bears, compared to the 842 in 2016, when they were last...
Polarity proteins shape efficient 'breathing' pores in grasses
Grasses have "respiratory pores" (called stomata) that open and close to regulate the uptake of carbon dioxide for photosynthesis on the one hand and water loss through transpiration on the other. Unlike many other plants, stomata in grasses form lateral "helper cells." Thanks to these cells, the stomata of grasses can open and close more quickly, which optimizes plant-atmosphere gas exchange and...
Predicting calving problems before insemination
A small percentage of cows will experience problems when calving and breeders would like to know which cows are at risk. Using the vast dataset of the Dutch cattle breeding company CRV, computer scientists at the University of Groningen used artificial intelligence to develop a predictive model that in theory could halve the number of calving problems. They published their results in Preventive...
Successful hypothermia in nonhuman primate paves the way for future application in human torpor during spaceflight
Hibernation is a state adopted by certain mammals as an adaptation to adverse winter conditions. Typical features of hibernation include greatly reduced metabolic activity and lowered body temperature.
Advances in understanding the quark substructure of scalars
At this stage in the evolution of the universe (about 14 billion years after the big bang) there are four fundamental forces in action that cause interactions among the constituents of matter.
Ten times this year the Webb telescope blew us away with new images of our stunning universe
It is no exaggeration to say the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) represents a new era for modern astronomy.
Cats in the middle ages: What medieval manuscripts teach us about our ancestors' pets
Cats had a bad reputation in the middle ages. Their presumed links with paganism and witchcraft meant they were often treated with suspicion. But despite their association with the supernatural, medieval manuscripts showcase surprisingly playful images of our furry friends.
Scientists investigate potential regolith origin on Uranus' moon Miranda
In a recent study published in The Planetary Science Journal, a pair of researchers led by The Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute in California investigated the potential origin for the thick regolith deposits on Uranus' moon, Miranda. The purpose of this study was to determine Miranda's internal structure, most notably its interior heat, which could help determine if Miranda harbors—or...
Humans have been using bear skins for at least 300,000 years, suggests study
Humans have been using bear skins to protect themselves from cold weather for at least 300,000 years. This is suggested by cut marks on the metatarsal and phalanx of a cave bear discovered at the Lower Paleolithic site of Schöningen in Lower Saxony, Germany. This makes it one of the oldest examples of this type in the world.
sPHENIX assembly update: Magnet mapped, detectors prepared
Physicists, engineers, and technicians at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory are rounding out the year with key developments to a house-sized particle detector that will begin capturing collision snapshots for the first time next spring.
Antarctica's emperor penguins could be extinct by 2100. And other species may follow if we don't act
Greater conservation efforts are needed to protect Antarctic ecosystems, and the populations of up to 97% of land-based Antarctic species could decline by 2100 if we don't change tack, our new research has found.
The lie of 'nobody's water' prevails in Australia: Indigenous water reserves are not enough to deliver justice
When the British colonized Australia they assumed terra nullius, "nobody's land," and aqua nullius, "nobody's water." In 1992, terra nullius was overturned—but aqua nullius remains.
Palm kernel product imported for use on dairy farms may actually be harmful to cows
Each year, New Zealand imports about 2 million tons of palm kernel expeller (PKE), a by-product of palm-oil processing in Indonesia and Malaysia, to feed dairy cows, at a cost of NZ$800 million.
Viewpoint: How equity, diversity and inclusion policies are becoming a tool for capitalism
In capitalistic economies like those in the West, wealth and status accumulation often drive our every endeavor.
Upconverting near‐infrared light detection in lead halide perovskite with core–shell lanthanide nanoparticles
Under the JST Strategic Basic Research Program PRESTO, Associate Professor Ayumi Ishii of Teikyo University of Science with her team members has developed a new near-infrared light sensor by using a material that converts weak near-infrared light to visible light.