Every year on the Fourth of July, fireworks cause cause a precipitous increase of wildfire ignitions in the United States (U.S.). This human-environmental phenomenon is noteworthy and highlights the impact of American culture on wildfire activity in the U.S.

From the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, "monstrous births"—malformed or anomalous fetuses—were, to Western medicine, an object of superstition. In 19th-century America, they became instead an object of the "modern scientific study of monstrosity," a field formalized by French scientist Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire.

Utility companies are generally well-equipped to handle routine blackouts, but often struggle with extreme weather events like hurricanes.

For the first time, German researchers have measured the influence of clouds on short-term fluctuations of solar radiation in North America. They have used a globally unique network of radiation sensors that was designed and built at the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), which has been deployed in the flat prairies of the Midwest of the U.S. from the beginning of June until the...

Ahead of the first match of the Rugby World Cup 2023 (RWC23) this weekend, a new report released today by Mastercard and the University of Bath reveals how rugby is set for a significant growth in global followers by 2025.

Just published in PeerJ Life & Environment, a new research article by Professor Mark Costello (Nord University) and Doctor Han-Yang Lin (University of Auckland) unveils a comprehensive analysis of the relationships between body size, trophic level (position in the food web), latitude, and depth for marine fish species on a global scale. The study sheds light on the complex interplay between...

Music can take on many forms in cultures across the globe, but Yale researchers have found in a new study that some themes are universally recognizable by people everywhere with one notable exception—love songs.

Organosulfur compounds are organic molecules that contain one or more sulfur atoms bonded to carbon atoms. They not only play fundamental roles in biological processes but also have wide applications in many industries, such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and materials science. Thus, many chemists strive to develop safe and efficient methods to synthesize organosulfurs.

Wealthy Americans have distinct preferences regarding fairness, with a greater willingness to accept inequalities relative to the general public, according to a new University of Michigan study.

A years-long legal battle over the expansion of one of the reservoirs holding Denver's water supply entered a new chapter this week when environmental groups asked a judge to invalidate the federal permits underlying the $464 million project.

A new study by University of Maryland economist Louis Preonas provides empirical evidence that railroads are likely to cut transportation prices to prop up coal-fired plants if U.S. climate policies further disadvantage coal in favor of less carbon-intensive energy sources.

The glittering globular cluster Terzan 12—a vast, tightly bound collection of stars—fills the frame of this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The location of this globular cluster, deep in the Milky Way galaxy in the constellation Sagittarius, means that it is shrouded in gas and dust which absorb and alter the starlight emanating from Terzan 12.

A new study from the Department of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University found that the extinction of large prey, upon which human nutrition had been based, compelled prehistoric humans to develop improved weapons for hunting small prey, thereby driving evolutionary adaptations. The study reviews the evolution of hunting weapons from wooden-tipped and stone-tipped spears, all the way to the...

After a record-breaking summer of global weather catastrophes, climate change is a hot topic. But while many look skyward in despair, some astronomers do so with hope. They see the L1 Lagrange point — a distant spot between Earth and the Sun where gravity is perfectly balanced — as a potential ally in fighting climateContinue reading "Could massive sunshields in space stop global warming?" The...

A new report presents major findings on the gravity of impacts from invasive alien species on our planet.

Engineers have developed a new device that can warn consumers about early risks of tooth decay from diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis.

Researchers have developed two closely related polymers that respond differently to high and low temperature thresholds, despite their similar design. The polymer pair could be used in applications in medicine, protein synthesis, protective coatings and other fields.

A new study suggests that railroads are likely to cut transportation prices to prop up coal-fired plants if U.S. climate policies further disadvantage coal in favor of less carbon-intensive energy sources.

Researchers have identified the structure of a special transporter found in red blood cells and how it interacts with drugs. Details on the findings could lead to the development of more targeted medicines. The research team found that this transporter facilitates the movement of a substance called bicarbonate, which certain drugs can inhibit. They discovered how these drugs block the transporter...

Some patients have experienced incredible recoveries after CAR-T-cell therapy. But they've also endured incredibly strong and scary side effects, in part because of the lymphodepleting chemotherapy that is performed before the CAR-T-cells are reinfused. What if CAR-T-cell therapy could be performed without lymphodepleting chemotherapy?

When astronauts enter space, they are exposed to weightlessness. Physiological and psychological challenges are waiting ahead. They may have a puffy face and experience space motion sickness, cardiovascular deconditioning, muscle atrophy, and bone loss.

The Chang'e-6/7/8 exploration mission has been announced officially by China recently, and the international lunar and Mars research station plans will be carried out within the 2030s. It can be predicted that China's future lunar and Mars surface exploration activities will last longer, have a larger exploration range, and have a more complex terrain to traverse and explore, which will pose...