Court says dinosaur fossils worth millions aren't minerals
Dinosaur fossils aren't minerals under state law, a divided Montana Supreme Court said in a ruling Wednesday that has implications in an ongoing legal battle over the ownership of millions of dollars of fossils unearthed on an eastern Montana ranch.
Capturing the coordinated dance between electrons and nuclei in a light-excited molecule
Using a high-speed "electron camera" at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, scientists have simultaneously captured the movements of electrons and nuclei in a molecule after it was excited with light. This marks the first time this has been done with ultrafast electron diffraction, which scatters a powerful beam of electrons off materials to pick up tiny molecular...
NASA Snow campaign wraps 2020 survey
As spring and summer temperatures return to the Northern Hemisphere, winter's snow is melting, releasing precious fresh water into Earth's streams, rivers and oceans. This annual change provides liquid water for drinking, agriculture and hydropower for more than one billion people around the world. In the future, NASA plans to use a satellite mission to measure how much water the world's winter...
Low-severity fires enhance long-term carbon retention of peatlands
High-intensity fires can destroy peat bogs and cause them to emit huge amounts of their stored carbon into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases, but a new Duke University study finds low-severity fires spark the opposite outcome.
Biophysicists find a way to take a peek at how membrane receptors work
In a study published in Current Opinion in Structural Biology, MIPT biophysicists explained ways to visualize membrane receptors in their different states. Detailed information on the structure and dynamics of these proteins will enable developing effective and safe drugs to treat many sorts of conditions.
Tropical forests can handle the heat, up to a point
Tropical forests face an uncertain future under climate change, but new research published in Science suggests they can continue to store large amounts of carbon in a warmer world, if countries limit greenhouse gas emissions.
Scientists boost microwave signal stability a hundredfold
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have used state-of-the-art atomic clocks, advanced light detectors, and a measurement tool called a frequency comb to boost the stability of microwave signals 100-fold. This marks a giant step toward better electronics to enable more accurate time dissemination, improved navigation, more reliable communications and...
US forecasters predict 'above normal' Atlantic hurricane season
US forecasters on Thursday predicted an "above normal" Atlantic hurricane season and emergency officials said they were factoring the coronavirus pandemic into potential relief efforts.
NASA, SpaceX bringing astronaut launches back to home turf
For the first time in nearly a decade, U.S. astronauts are about to blast into orbit aboard an American rocket from American soil. And for the first time in the history of human spaceflight, a private company is running the show.
A replaceable, more efficient filter for N95 masks
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, there's been a worldwide shortage of face masks—particularly, the N95 ones worn by health care workers. Although these coverings provide the highest level of protection currently available, they have limitations. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Nano have developed a membrane that can be attached to a regular N95 mask and replaced when needed. The filter has a...
Genetic barcodes can ensure authentic DNA fingerprints
Engineers at Duke University and the New York University's Tandon School of Engineering have demonstrated a method for ensuring that an increasingly popular method of genetic identification called "DNA fingerprinting" remains secure against inadvertent mistakes or malicious attacks in the field.
Promoting temporary contracts fails to have the desired effect of increasing employment
A study by the UPV/EHU and University of Cambridge explores the actual effect of the labour reforms applied between 1988 and 2012 in countries throughout Europe. Far from meeting the aim of encouraging recruitment, these reforms were found to have caused the rate of temporary employment to increase and indefinite recruitment to fall. The current economic crisis of a health origin could prompt...
The genome of chimpanzees and gorillas could help to better understand human tumors
A new study by researchers from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE), a joint centre of UPF and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), shows that, surprisingly, the distribution of mutations in human tumours is more similar to that of chimpanzees and gorillas than that of other types of genetic mutations in humans.
First ancient cultivated rice discovered in Central Asia
Rice has always been the most important food in Asia and the world. About half of the population on earth use rice as their main food source. The origin, spread, evolution, and ecological adaptation of cultivated rice are still one of the most important issues which currently concerned by global archaeologists, biologists, and agricultural scientists.
Q&A: How synthetic biology will change us
John Cumbers is founder and CEO of SynBioBeta, a global network of biological engineers and entrepreneurs in a promising new scientific field known as "synthetic biology." The San Francisco Bay Area is a leader in this little-known but fast-growing industry, which reassembles the building blocks of life in imaginative and diverse ways.
How non-religious worldviews provide solace in times of crisis
The saying "There are no atheists in foxholes" suggests that in stressful times people inevitably turn to God (or indeed gods). In fact, non-believers have their own set of secular worldviews which can provide them with solace in difficult times, just as religious beliefs do for the spiritually-minded.
Domestic coastal and marine tourism could contribute to rebooting activity in the sector
NUI Galway's Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit (SEMRU) has released a report that presents estimates of the value of domestic coastal and marine tourism in the Republic of Ireland.
Why a 17% emissions drop does not mean we are addressing climate change
The global COVID-19 quarantine has meant less air pollution in cities and clearer skies. Animals are strolling through public spaces, and sound pollution has diminished, allowing us to hear the birds sing.
Enrichment programs help children build knowledge
How we organize information plays an integral role in memory, reasoning and the ability to acquire new knowledge. In the absence of routine education programs, the pandemic is exacerbating the disparities in educational opportunities available for children to develop new skills. While children of higher socio-economic means often benefit from enrichment programs, these opportunities are...
Turtles get boost as Malaysian state to ban egg trade
A Malaysian state that is a major nesting site for turtles will ban the trade in their eggs, authorities said Thursday, in a boost for the threatened creatures.