What would an ancient Egyptian corpse have smelled like? Pine, balsam and bitumen, if you were nobility
In 1900—some 22 years before he discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen—British archaeologist Howard Carter opened another tomb in the Valley of the Kings. In tomb KV42, Carter found the remains of a noblewoman called Senetnay, who died around 1450 BC.....»»
2025 Minis feature new EV powertrains and wild interiors
Mini's going almost all-in on electrification. Enlarge / It's recognizably a mini, but with a bold, modern look. (credit: Mini) BMW provided flights from Albany to Munich and back, and three nights in a hotel so we could.....»»
Museum researchers enlist hundreds of home gardeners in fight to save the iconic monarch butterfly
On a suburban street with smooth lawns and trimmed bushes, Martha Chiplis' yard stands out. It's not just the wildflowers: purple wild petunia, golden lanceleaf coreopsis, hot-pink Bush's poppy mallow. It's the lemon-yellow goldfinches that snack on.....»»
The enduring mystery of mass whale strandings
On 18 July 2023, 97 pilot whales became stranded near Albany, WA......»»
Countering false and omitted evidence of historically heterogeneous western US dry forests and mixed-severity fires
Evidence of forest structure and fires in pre-industrial dry forests—major forests covering ~26 million hectares (64 million acres) of the western U.S.—provides an essential historical baseline. Dry forests are dominated by ponderosa pine (Pinus.....»»
Home gardeners become accidental citizen scientists for Wollemi Pine
When the unusual branches of a tall tree were first noticed in a canyon northwest of Sydney in 1994, it sparked great excitement in the botanical world. The tree was new to science. It had very few living relatives and a lineage dating back millions.....»»
Research shows having police in schools results in fewer fights, but harsher discipline
Public schools routinely have a police officer in the building to deescalate and prevent violence. A new study led by faculty from the University at Albany's Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy examined how these school resource officers.....»»
Possible remains of 187-year-old jail uncovered in Albany
A team of staff and students from the University of Notre Dame Australia believe they have uncovered the underground remains of an 187-year-old jail at a historic site in Albany, in Western Australia's south......»»
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe in Texas uses fire to save a tree that is part of its identity
The longleaf pine's branches arch toward the sky, each bud bursting with spindly green fingers. As flames sweep the landscape, setting yuccas and loblolly pine saplings ablaze, the longleaf's thick bark peels but protects the solid trunk underneath......»»
Six ways AI can make political campaigns more deceptive than ever
Political campaign ads and donor solicitations have long been deceptive. In 2004, for example, U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry, a Democrat, aired an ad stating that Republican opponent George W. Bush "says sending jobs overseas 'makes sense' f.....»»
Scientists make common pain killers from pine trees instead of crude oil
A team of scientists, from the University of Bath's Department of Chemistry and Institute for Sustainability have found a way to create two of the world's most common painkillers, paracetamol and ibuprofen, out of a compound found in pine trees, one.....»»
Q&A: Democracy means different things to different people
Texas A&M University Professor Dr. Kirby Goidel reflects on the "march of democracy" as America's 247th birthday nears. A professor of political science in the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Goidel studies democratic governance......»»
Attack worm may be new biocontrol weapon against wasp
A strain of roundworm discovered for the first time in Australian pine plantations during University of the Sunshine Coast-led research could become the timber industry's latest biocontrol weapon......»»
Researchers advance DNA nanostructure stability
Researchers at the University at Albany's RNA Institute have demonstrated a new approach to DNA nanostructure assembly that does not require magnesium. The method improves the biostability of the structures, making them more useful and reliable in a.....»»
A botanical detective story: shedding light on the journey out of Africa for one of Australia"s worst weeds
The scrubby harbor-side hills of a South African city recently revealed details of an historical event that transformed Australian coastlines. That event led to the arrival in Australia of a native South African shrub, bitou bush. The invader went on.....»»
Preserving pine forests by understanding beetle flight
The mountain pine beetle is one of the main causes of tree mortality in the pine forests of North America. For example, the insect has killed thousands of acres of pine forest in British Columbia and Alberta, and as a result, the areas are more vulne.....»»
The predicament of Taiwan"s human resources
I've just finished reading Richard Bush's book, "Difficult Choices: Taiwan's Quest for Security and the Good Life." Bush is a Taiwan expert, and his book offers a lot of insights into and fair discussions about Taiwan's predicaments. It points out ho.....»»
Mushrooms and their post-rain, electrical conversations
Certain fungi play a critical role in the ecological sustenance of forest trees. Ectomycorrhizal fungi are one such example. Commonly found on pine, oak, and birch trees, ectomycorrhizal fungi form a sheath around the outside of tree roots, and their.....»»
Big flames, raining embers in New Jersey Pine Barrens fire
The 200-foot wall of flames, the burning embers landing miles away and the carloads of evacuees fleeing to shelter at a high school—it all took place in New Jersey but could happen in almost every part of the country this week due to dry conditions.....»»
Gone for good? California"s beetle-killed, carbon-storing pine forests may not come back
Ponderosa pine forests in the Sierra Nevada that were wiped out by western pine beetles during the 2012-2015 megadrought won't recover to pre-drought densities, reducing an important storehouse for atmospheric carbon......»»