Science & Technology
Paper refutes assertion that effects of bottom trawling on blue carbon can be compared to that of global air travel
A new paper refutes previous findings on the amount of CO2 released from the seabed by bottom trawling. The previous paper made significant headlines around the world on release in 2021, as it equated the carbon released by bottom trawling to be of a s…
Dark clouds on the horizon
Our industrialized society releases many and various pollutants into the world. Combustion in particular produces aerosol mass including black carbon. Although this only accounts for a few percent of aerosol particles, black carbon is especially proble…
Physicists discover ‘stacked pancakes of liquid magnetism’
Physicists have discovered stacked pancakes of ‘liquid’ magnetism that may account for the strange electronic behavior of some layered helical magnets.
Quantum electrodynamics verified with exotic atoms
Adapting a detector developed for space X-ray observation, researchers have successfully verify strong-field quantum electrodynamics with exotic atoms.
New study reveals boreal wetlands are a large source of reactive vapors in a warming climate
Boreal wetlands are a significant source of isoprene and terpenes, a class of highly reactive organic compounds that have a substantial impact on the Earth’s climate, according to a new study.
Giants of the Jurassic seas were twice the size of a killer whale
There have been heated debates over the size of Jurassic animals. The speculation was set to continue, but now a chance discovery in an Oxfordshire museum has led to palaeontologists publishing a paper on a Jurassic species potentially reaching a whopp…
Invading insect could transform Antarctic soils
A tiny flightless midge which has colonized Antarctica’s Signy Island is driving fundamental changes to the island’s soil ecosystem, a study shows.
Nature favors creatures in largest and smallest sizes
Surveying the body sizes of Earth’s living organisms, researchers found that the planet’s biomass — the material that makes up all living organisms — is concentrated in organisms at either end of the size spectrum.
A jumping conclusion: Fossil insect ID’d as new genus, species of prodigious leaper, the froghopper
A fossil arthropod entombed in 100-million-year-old Burmese amber has been identified as a new genus and species of froghopper, known today as an insect with prodigious leaping ability in adulthood following a nymphal stage spent covered in a frothy fl…
How life and geology worked together to forge Earth’s nutrient rich crust
Around 500 million years ago life in the oceans rapidly diversified. In the blink of an eye — at least in geological terms — life transformed from simple, soft-bodied creatures to complex multicellular organisms with shells and skeletons. Now, resear…
Unlocking the power of photosynthesis for clean energy production
Researchers are embarking on a groundbreaking project to mimic the natural process of photosynthesis using bacteria to deliver electrons to a nanocrystal semiconductor photocatalyst. By leveraging the unique properties of microorganisms and nanomateria…
A journey to the origins of multicellular life: Long-term experimental evolution in the lab
Over 3,000 generations of laboratory evolution, researchers watched as their model organism, ‘snowflake yeast,’ began to adapt as multicellular individuals. In new research, the team shows how snowflake yeast evolved to be physically stronger and more …
Fecal microbiota transplants: Two reviews explore what’s worked, what hasn’t, and where do we go from here
Fecal microbiota transplants are the most effective and affordable treatment for recurrent infections with Clostridioides difficile, an opportunistic bacterium and the most common cause of hospital-acquired intestinal infections. However, attempts to t…
FDA-approved Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab could prevent free-floating amyloid beta fibrils from damaging the brain
Researchers described the structure of a special type of amyloid beta plaque protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression. Scientists showed the small aggregates of the amyloid beta protein could float through the brain tissue fluid, re…
Crops evolved by swapping genetic modules between cells
Comparing individual cells across corn, sorghum, and millet reveals evolutionary differences among these important cereal crops, according to a new study. The findings bring researchers closer to pinpointing which genes control important agricultural t…
Human pangenome reference will enable more complete and equitable understanding of genomic diversity
Scientists have released a draft of the first human pangenome — a new, usable reference for genomics that combines the genetic material of 47 individuals from different ancestral backgrounds to allow for a deeper, more accurate understanding of worldw…