143 articles from WEDNESDAY 4.1.2023
It just got harder to question the existence of black holes
No notion in physics may be more mind bending than a black hole, an infinitesimal pit in spacetime whose gravity is so strong that nothing can escape. But could very dense, dark objects be masquerading as black holes? A new study suggests not. Simulations show how any material object dense enough to resemble a black hole would be unstable, either puffing up into something less dense or...
Wild weather driven by roiling Pacific, nature and warming
In a world getting used to extreme weather, 2023 is starting out more bonkers than ever and meteorologists are saying it's natural weather weirdness with a bit of help from human-caused climate change.
When American democracy is weakened, faith in the U.S. as an ally falters
A new study finds that foreign interference in an American election can reduce faith abroad in the United States as an effective and trustworthy ally, suggesting that Russia's meddling in the 2016 election had some international ramifications.
Study explores how meaningful but unused products hinder sustainability
Custom sneakers, vintage dishware, a limited-edition car—each is an example of a product owners may regard as special and irreplaceable, fostering strong feelings of attachment.
'Veggie' dinosaurs differed in how they ate their food
Although most early dinosaurs were vegetarian, there were surprising differences in the way that these animals tackled eating a plant-based diet, according to a new study by scientists from the Natural History Museum and the Universities of Bristol and Birmingham.
Eye-tracking marketing research boosts public transportation agency's ridership
One of Florida's largest passenger rail services is experiencing an increase in ridership—and leaders of a Florida Department of Transportation program that promotes alternatives to commuters who drive alone attribute some of this success to guidance from an interdisciplinary team of researchers at USF who combined eye-tracking technology and social marketing to improve the impact of marketing...
Climate change could cause 'disaster' in the world's oceans, say scientists
Climate-driven heating of seawater is causing a slowdown of deep circulation patterns in the Atlantic and Southern oceans, according to Earth system scientists at the University of California, Irvine, and if this process continues, the ocean's ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere will be severely limited, further exacerbating global warming.
Study shows hydroponic systems as a promising method for sustainable saffron production
Saffron (Crocus sativus) is a geophyte perennial plant from the family Iridaceae with underground soft corms. The stigmas of the saffron flower have been cultivated as a spice for at least 3,500 years. Conventional cultivation processes, such as planting, flower harvesting, and separation of the stigmas, are labor-intensive and time-consuming. The labor costs and low supply contribute to the high...
After hurricanes, Florida neighborhoods see steady housing demand, wealthier residents
A new peer-reviewed study, which analyzes Florida housing markets battered by hurricanes, finds that affected areas tend to gentrify slightly in the years following a storm: The average income of new buyers increases while long-term demand stays stable.
Warmer climate increases Atlantic tropical storms, say cyclone researchers
A warming climate will increase the number of tropical cyclones and their intensity in the North Atlantic, potentially creating more and stronger hurricanes, according to simulations using a high-resolution, global climate model.
California's endangered salmon population plummets amid new threat
They've been pushed to the brink of extinction by dams, drought, extreme heat and even the flare of wildfires, but now California's endangered winter-run Chinook salmon appear to be facing an entirely new threat—their own ravenous hunger for anchovies.
Researchers detect fluoride in water with new simple color change test
Environmental contaminants like fluoride, lead and pesticides exist all around and even within us. While researchers have simple ways to measure concentrations of such contaminants inside lab environments, levels are much more difficult to test in the field. That's because they require costly specialized equipment.
Climate change could cause 'disaster' in the world's oceans
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/4 21:43
Climate change will slow down deep overturning ocean circulation in the coming centuries. Using three dozen Earth system models, researchers have concluded that the Southern Meridional Overturning Circulation could completely shut down by 2300, causing disaster to the marine ecosystem on a large portion of the planet.
Scientists develop a cancer vaccine to simultaneously kill and prevent brain cancer
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/4 21:43
Investigators have developed a new cell therapy approach to eliminate established tumors and induce long-term immunity, training the immune system so that it can prevent cancer from recurring. Dual-action cell therapy engineered to eliminate established tumors and train the immune system to eradicate primary tumor and prevent cancer's recurrence.
Potential new targets identified in advanced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/4 21:42
Using the latest technologies --i ncluding both single-nuclear sequencing of mice and human liver tissue and advanced 3D glass imaging of mice to characterize key scar-producing liver cells -- researchers have uncovered novel candidate drug targets for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
New type of entanglement lets scientists 'see' inside nuclei
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/4 21:42
Nuclear physicists have found a new way to use the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) to see the shape and details inside atomic nuclei. The method relies on particles of light that surround gold ions as they speed around the collider and a new type of quantum entanglement that's never been seen before.
Climate risk insurance can effectively mitigate economic losses
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/4 21:42
Global warming is expected to lead to an accumulation of particularly intense hurricanes in the United States. This may substantially increase the economic losses caused by these storms. Better insurance could effectively mitigate the climate change-induced increase in economic losses. This is shown in a new study examining the effectiveness of climate risk insurance in the US.
Researchers detect fluoride in water with new simple color change test
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/4 21:42
Environmental contaminants like fluoride, lead and pesticides exist all around and even within us. While researchers have simple ways to measure concentrations of such contaminants inside lab environments, levels are much more difficult to test in the field. That's because they require costly specialized equipment.
Climate warming reduces organic carbon burial beneath oceans
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/4 21:42
An international team of scientists painstakingly gathered data from more than 50 years of seagoing scientific drilling missions to conduct a first-of-its-kind study of organic carbon that falls to the bottom of the ocean and gets drawn deep inside the planet.
What's Up: January 2023 Skywatching Tips from NASA
What are some skywatching highlights in January 2023? Some lovely groupings this month include the Moon with Mars, and later with Jupiter, and a close conjunction of Venus and Saturn. The brilliant stars of the Northern Hemisphere's winter sky are a dazzling sight all month long. And a comet discovered last March makes its closest approach to Earth in January, gracing pre-dawn skies....
More links aren't necessarily better for hybrid nanomaterials
Chemists from Rice University and the University of Texas at Austin discovered more isn't always better when it comes to packing charge-acceptor molecules on the surface of semiconducting nanocrystals.
Germany likely missed climate target again, activists angry
Data published Wednesday by a respected environmental think tank indicates Germany likely missed its target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions again last year, despite a big effort by the new government to expand the renewable energy use.
Nature conservation needs to incorporate the human approach
An international study led by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) stresses the need to apply a biocultural approach in nature conservation programs.
How marketers can capitalize on the power of perception to influence beliefs about brand performance
Researchers from Oklahoma State University and University of Florida published a new article explaining how marketers can capitalize on the power of perception through the structure of visual communications to influence beliefs about brand performance, which ultimately influences product interest and choice.
Breakthroughs made as scientists sequence the genomes of endangered sharks
The first chromosome level genome sequences for great hammerhead and shortfin mako sharks have shown that both species have experienced major population declines over a 250,000-year history. Low genetic diversity and signs of inbreeding are concerning for Critically Endangered great hammerhead sharks, whose overfished populations have plummeted. With higher levels of genetic diversity, shortfin...
Here today, gone tomorrow: How humans lost their body hair
Orangutans, mice, and horses are covered with it, but humans aren't. Why we have significantly less body hair than most other mammals has long remained a mystery. But a first-of-its-kind comparison of genetic codes from 62 animals is beginning to tell the story of how people—and other mammals—lost their locks.
Researchers reveal how geminiviruses cause devastating disease in worldwide crops
Geminiviruses are a group of single-stranded circular plant DNA viruses that cause devastating diseases in many economically important crops including tomato, tobacco, cotton, corn, wheat, beans, and cassava worldwide. Due to their small genome size and limited coding capacity, geminiviruses rely heavily on host plants to complete their life cycle by exploiting/manipulating host components at...
Consumer preferences for sustainably produced meat and meat substitutes in Japan
Meat has multiple nutritional benefits and is consumed as the primary source of protein by an increasing segment of the world's population. However, there have been significant environmental costs associated with the growing demand for meat. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported in 2013 that livestock production accounts for 14.5% of all greenhouse gas...
Nutrients of the Changjiang river system linked to the land-use changes and climate variability
This study examines the state changes of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and silicon) from one of the ten largest river systems in the world, the Changjiang, based on field expeditions and time-series data since early 1980s. The study covers an area of ~80% of the whole drainage basin (i.e., 1.8×106 km2) and 70% of water course, including main streams and 15 major tributaries.
Climate warming reduces organic carbon burial beneath oceans
An international team of scientists painstakingly gathered data from more than 50 years of seagoing scientific drilling missions to conduct a first-of-its-kind study of organic carbon that falls to the bottom of the ocean and gets drawn deep inside the planet.
Climate risk insurance can effectively mitigate economic losses
Global warming is expected to lead to an accumulation of particularly intense hurricanes in the United States. This may substantially increase the economic losses caused by these storms. Better insurance could effectively mitigate the climate change-induced increase in economic losses. This is shown in a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research examining the effectiveness of...
Enabling nanoscale thermoelectrics with a novel organometallic molecular junction
The Seebeck effect is a thermoelectric phenomenon by which a voltage or current is generated when a temperature difference exists across a conductor. This effect is the basis of established and emerging thermoelectric applications alike, such as heat-to-electricity energy harvesters, sensing devices, and temperature control.
Extensive testing shows dogs' tails are not used for stabilization
A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Friedrich-Schiller-University, and the Georgia Institute of Technology has found that contrary to prior research results, dogs do not use their tails to help stabilize their movements. Instead, as they explain in their paper posted on the arXiv preprint, the tails are used as a communications device.
Stem cell model allows researchers to explore the earliest stages of sex determination in mice and humans
During embryonic development, two different cascades of genetic signals determine whether the embryo's primordial gonad will become testes or ovaries, and thus whether the embryo will develop into a male or a female. Disruptions in this process cause disorders in sexual development characterized by a mismatch between sex-determining chromosomes, gonads (ovaries or testicles) and the anatomy of the...