Swift, deadly epidemic kills all the black sea urchins in Gulf of Eilat, posing threat to Eilat's coral reef
A series of new, disturbing studies from Tel Aviv University reveals a deadly epidemic causing mass mortality of black sea urchins in the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Eilat. The entire population of black sea urchins in Eilat was wiped out over a couple of months. For example, thousands of sea urchins living in a site near the northern shore of the Gulf of Eilat died out over the course of a...
Using nuclear spins neighboring a lanthanide atom to create Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger quantum states
Researchers have experimentally demonstrated a new quantum information storage protocol that can be used to create Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) quantum states. There is a great deal of interest in these complex entangled states because of their potential use in quantum sensing and quantum error correction applications.
Extinct offshore volcano could store gigatons of carbon dioxide
A new study published in Geology concludes that an extinct volcano off the shore of Portugal could store as much as 1.2–8.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of ~24–125 years of the country's industrial emissions.
Investors overvalue companies that align with presidential policies; their mistakes 'leave money on the table'
Republican politicians typically favor low taxes and less regulation, which seems like a recipe for corporate profits and stock market success. In reality, however, this is not what happens.
Engineers create bacteria that can synthesize an unnatural amino acid
In a study recently published in Nature Chemical Biology, researchers focused on para-nitro-L-phenylalanine (pN-Phe), a non-standard amino acid that is neither one of the twenty standard amino acids nor observed in nature. pN-Phe has been used by other research groups to help the immune system mount a response to proteins that it does not ordinarily respond to.
Strategic city planning can help reduce urban heat island effect
The tendency of cities to trap heat—a phenomenon called the "urban heat island," often referred to as the UHI effect—can lead to dangerous temperatures in the summer months, but new Penn State research published in Buildings suggests that certain urban factors can reduce this effect.
How the February 2023 Türkiye earthquakes ruptured and produced damaging shaking
Three studies now published in The Seismic Record (TSR) offer an initial look at the February 6, 2023 earthquakes in south-central Türkiye and northwestern Syria, including how, where, and how fast the earthquakes ruptured and how they combined as a "devastating doublet" to produce damaging ground shaking.
How did COVID-19 lockdown impact employment of individuals with visual disabilities?
New data show that while individuals with visual disabilities were slow to recover employment because of the effects of the COVID-2019 lockdown, they have made headway, depending on their level of disability, almost meeting their pre-pandemic levels. Possible reasons for their slower recovery include major safety concerns due to the shortage of personal protective equipment, less access to...
Organizations must go beyond medical views on menopause to support women's professional aspirations, says study
Organizations must enable midlife women to thrive in the workplace by taking inspiration from societies such as China and Japan to encourage positive conversations around the impact of menopause, a new study reveals.
Evaluating the ecological impacts of mountain biking
Mountain biking is one of the most popular leisure activities today. Sport ecologists at the University of Bayreuth have now compiled and evaluated a wide range of previously published findings on the ecological consequences of this sport. Numerous direct and short-term effects on animals, plants and soils can be clearly demonstrated. However, estimates of long-term consequences remain difficult...
Newly described species of dome-headed dinosaur may have sported bristly headgear
If you look at enough dinosaur fossils, you'll see that their skulls sport an amazing variety of bony ornaments, ranging from the horns of Triceratops and the mohawk-like crests of hadrosaurs to the bumps and knobs covering the head of Tyrannosaurus rex.
World's most sensitive model-independent experiment starts searching for dark matter
The world's most sensitive model-independent experiment to search for particularly light particles, of which dark matter might be composed, starts today at DESY in the form of the 'light shining through a wall' experiment ALPS II. Scientific calculations predict that this ominous form of matter should occur five times as often in the universe as normal, visible matter. Until now, however, no one...
The laws of physics have not always been symmetric, which may explain why you exist
For generations, physicists were sure the laws of physics were perfectly symmetric. Until they weren't.
Long-term study shows tree species diversity increases likelihood of planting success
Planting forests with diverse species can help ensure their success, according to a new study published May 18 from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) and The Nature Conservancy. The discovery is the result of a decade of research from BiodiversiTREE, a large-scale reforestation project at SERC designed to run for 100 years, testing the effects of different tree planting...
A novel high-throughput method for screening protein-secreting microbial strains
A unique method to screen large-scale libraries for industrially useful bacterial strains was recently developed by Tokyo Tech researchers. The simple approach combines biosensors and microfluidics to quickly identify mutant strains that secrete large amounts of industrially useful proteins, opening the doors to more applications, like reasonably priced biopharmaceuticals.
Multifunctional interface enables manipulation of light waves in free space
Recent technological advances have given us a remarkable ability to manipulate and control light waves, opening up numerous applications in various fields, such as optical communication, sensing, imaging, energy, and quantum computing. At the heart of this progress are photonic structures that can control light waves, either at the chip level in the form of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) or...
Precipitation variations indicate the northern boundary and climate regimes of the Asian summer monsoon
Precipitation patterns and their variations over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are mainly dominated by the Asian summer monsoon (ASM), westerlies, and their interactions. The exact extent of the ASM's influence, however, remains undetermined. The northern boundary of the ASM denotes the northernmost position, with its leading edge advancing from south to north after its outbreak.
Risk of 'catastrophic flooding' has diminished in Tulare Lake Basin, officials say
The risk of catastrophic flooding in the Tulare Lake Basin has diminished as cool temperatures have predominated this spring, flattening the melt curve of the Sierra's epic snowpack, state officials said Monday.
How do you recognize the atmosphere of extraterrestrial lava worlds?
In the past 30 years, more than 5,000 planets have been discovered outside our solar system. One common exoplanet is the lava world, a hot super-Earth with oceans of liquid lava. Mantas Zilinskas developed models to simulate possible atmospheres of these worlds. Those simulations provide guidance for astronomers searching for these atmospheres with the James Webb Space Telescope. Zilinskas will...
A troubling reaction to school violence compounds the crisis
High school students who experience violence or bullying at school are more likely to bring weapons like a gun, knife, or club to school than those who have not experienced violence, according to a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Scientists make first observation of a polar cyclone on Uranus
Scientists used ground-based telescopes to get unprecedented views, thanks to the giant planet's position in its long orbit around the sun.
Researchers want to use 'biochar' to combat climate change
A new review of research suggests that the nature-based technology biochar—a carbon-rich material—could be an important tool to use in agriculture to help mitigate climate change.
How the COVID-19 pandemic impacted social cohesion
More than any other recent event, the COVID-19 crisis has affected the lives of people around the world. In a special issue of the online journal Frontiers in Sociology, edited by sociologists from Constructor University and the Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg, a group of researchers documents the global impact of the pandemic on the social cohesion of individual population groups and...
Brazil declares animal health emergency over bird flu
Brazil, the world's largest chicken exporter, has declared a nationwide "animal health emergency" after confirming eight cases of avian flu in wild birds, authorities said.
Video: Annual global ice loss simulated over Oslo
Satellites play a vital role in monitoring the rapid changes taking place in the Arctic. Tracking ice lost from the world's glaciers, ice sheets and frozen land shows that Earth is losing ice at an accelerating rate.