Mars may not have had liquid water long enough for life to form
Lab experiments suggest gullies on Mars might form when carbon dioxide heats up. Enlarge (credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona) Mars has a history of liquid water on its surface, including lakes like the one th.....»»
Centipedes used in traditional Chinese medicine offer leads for kidney treatment
A venomous, 8-inch centipede may be the stuff of nightmares, but it could save the life of those affected by kidney disease. Researchers report in the Journal of Natural Products that the many-legged critter—used in traditional Chinese medicine—c.....»»
New eco-friendly lubricant additives protect turbine equipment, waterways
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed lubricant additives that protect both water turbine equipment and the surrounding environment......»»
NASA selects 9 companies to work on low-cost Mars projects
NASA is expanding its plans for Mars, looking at not only a mission to bring back a sample but also smaller, lower-cost missions to enable exploration......»»
Apple CEO Tim Cook bullish on China, thinking long-term
After revealing Apple's Q2 earnings, CEO Tim Cook shared he "feels great" about China due to beating expectations in a competitive environment.iPhone doing well in China despite shrinking marketApple earned $90.8 billion in the March quarter, beating.....»»
Life"s insiders: Decoding endosymbiosis with mathematics
Endosymbiosis, the intimate and long-term relationship where one organism lives inside another, is a cornerstone of life as we know it, and a key to the emergence of complex life on Earth. Many of the mysteries surrounding endosymbiosis are difficult.....»»
International team cracks genomic code for earliest forms of terrestrial plant life
Plant life first emerged on land about 550 million years ago, and an international research team co-led by University of Nebraska–Lincoln computational biologist Yanbin Yin has cracked the genomic code of its humble beginnings, which made possible.....»»
Pulsed plasma rocket (PPR): Shielded, fast transits for humans to Mars
The future of a space-faring civilization will depend on the ability to move both cargo and humans efficiently and rapidly. Due to the extremely large distances that are involved in space travel, the spacecraft must reach high velocities for reasonab.....»»
The Great Observatory for Long Wavelengths (GO-LoW) proposal
Humankind has never before seen the low frequency radio sky. It is hidden from ground-based telescopes by the Earth's ionosphere and challenging to access from space with traditional missions because the long wavelengths involved (meter- to kilometer.....»»
Investigation reveals varied impact of preschool programs on long-term school success
Early education programs are widely believed to be effective public investments for helping children succeed in school and for reducing income- and race-based achievement gaps. However, a new study conducted by a team of investigators from Teachers C.....»»
Chemists use new approach in the synthesis of complex natural substances
They are found as fragrances in cosmetics or as flavorings in food, and form the basis of new medications: Terpenes are natural substances that occur in plants, insects and sea sponges. They are difficult to produce synthetically. However, chemists a.....»»
Weak magnetic field may have supported diversification of life on Earth
An unusual reduction in the strength of Earth's magnetic field between 591 and 565 million years ago coincided with a significant increase in the oxygen levels in the atmosphere and oceans, according to a paper published in Communications Earth & Env.....»»
Webb telescope probably didn"t find life on an exoplanet—yet
Recent reports of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope finding signs of life on a distant planet understandably sparked excitement. A new study challenges this finding, but also outlines how the telescope might verify the presence of the life-produced g.....»»
Intercropping viable for optimizing vegetable production on Mars
A group of crop systems analysts at Wageningen University and Research, in the Netherlands, has found evidence that intercropping on Mars could be a viable option for optimizing vegetable production......»»
Historical data suggest hard knocks to human societies build long-term resilience
Frequent disturbances to human societies boost the ability of populations to resist and recover from subsequent downturns, a Nature paper indicates. The study, which analyzes 30,000 years of human history, has implications for future population growt.....»»
Long-awaited Chicago policy doesn"t do enough to protect migrating birds, advocates say
Annette Prince peered between glossy downtown buildings: "There's a bird in that grate.".....»»
Everything leaving Hulu in May 2024
Be sure to catch Thank You For Smoking, L.A. Confidential, The Wrestler, Taken, Salt, Life of Pi, Scarface, and everything else leaving Hulu in May 2024......»»
A new tool for plant long non-coding RNA identification
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are ubiquitous transcripts with crucial regulatory roles in various biological processes, including chromatin remodeling, post-transcriptional regulation, and epigenetic modifications. While accumulating evidence elucid.....»»
Precipitation may brighten Colorado River"s future, says modeling study
The Colorado River's future may be a little brighter than expected, according to a new modeling study from CIRES researchers. Warming temperatures, which deplete water in the river, have raised doubts the Colorado River could recover from a multi-dec.....»»
New work reveals the "quantumness" of gravity
Gravity is part of our everyday life. Still, the gravitational force remains mysterious: to this day we do not understand whether its ultimate nature is geometrical, as Einstein envisaged, or governed by the laws of quantum mechanics......»»
Researchers turn to two crops to tackle environmental harm of apparel made with synthetic fibers
From risottos to sauces, mushrooms have long been a staple in the kitchen. Now fungi are showing the potential to serve up more than just flavor—as a sustainable, bendy material for the fashion industry......»»