"Cape of Storms": Climate researchers explain Cape Town"s recent extreme weather
A severe storm hit South Africa's Western Cape province between 6 and 9 April 2024, with extreme winds gusting at up to 135km/h. The storm left a trail of destruction across Cape Town and surrounding areas—at least 1,500 people were left homeless a.....»»
Researchers develop high-performance anion exchange membranes for sustainability applications
A team of researchers has achieved a breakthrough in the development of anion exchange membranes (AEMs). They designed a novel spiro-branched polymeric membrane that incorporates highly connected sub-nanometer microporous ion channels, showing except.....»»
“Energy-smart” bricks need less power to make, are better insulation
Cutting the energy used while firing the bricks means big savings at scale. Enlarge / Some of the waste material that ends up part of these bricks. (credit: Seamus Daniel, RMIT University) Researchers at the Royal Melbou.....»»
US to launch satellite to better prepare for space weather
The United States is aiming Tuesday to launch a new satellite expected to significantly improve forecasts of solar flares and coronal mass ejections—huge plasma bubbles that can crash into Earth, disrupting power grids and communications......»»
Extreme wildfires are on the rise globally, powered by the climate crisis
Wildfires are the new "polar bear," routinely used by the media to epitomize the climate crisis and the threat of major natural hazards. This is despite most fire on Earth being harmless, even ecologically beneficial......»»
Researchers develop MoonIndex, open-source software that allows study of lunar surface
With MoonIndex, researchers from Constructor University and the National Institute of Astrophysics in Italy have developed an open-source software that for the first time gives scientists access to a free tool that creates science-ready products from.....»»
Climate inaction undermines public support for lifestyle changes, study finds
New research into the public perception of climate change initiatives finds that while there is strong support for low-carbon lifestyles, inaction is limiting public beliefs that a low-carbon future is possible......»»
Researchers discover MAPK20-ATG6 link in tomato pollen vitality
Pollen development in flowering plants is a complex process involving multiple genetic and physiological pathways. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in various plant developmental stages......»»
AI predicts upper secondary education dropout as early as the end of primary school
An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, from the fields of Psychology, Education, and Information Technology have developed the first machine learning models that forecast upper secondary education dropou.....»»
Boosting "natural killer" cell activity could improve cancer therapy
Yale researchers have uncovered a way to make a type of white blood cells known as natural killer cells—which kill infected, damaged, or malignant cells in the body—more effective against cancer. The approach, they say, could enable new treatment.....»»
Public health beliefs predict support for climate action, study shows
A paper published in the current issue of the Journal of Health Communication by Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) researchers finds evidence that holding science-consistent beliefs about the public health effects of climate change is an importan.....»»
Tea science: Gene discovery to boost mechanical harvesting
Researchers have made significant strides in understanding the genetic factors influencing tea plant leaf droopiness, a key determinant of mechanical harvest success. By identifying the CsEXL3 gene and its regulation by CsBES1.2, the study paves the.....»»
A high-temperature superconductor with zero resistance that exhibits strange metal behavior
Researchers at Zhejiang University and Sun Yat-Sen University have gathered evidence of high-temperature superconductivity with zero resistance and strange metal behavior in a material identified in their previous studies......»»
New study unveils formation secrets of tiny rare earth elements
Researchers from Trinity College Dublin's School of Natural Sciences have revealed a novel route to the formation of bastnäsite, a crucial mineral for the extraction of rare earth elements (REEs). Their work offers promise in one day making the extr.....»»
In a world-first, researchers map a 4,200 km transatlantic flight of the painted lady butterfly
In October 2013, Gerard Talavera, a researcher from the Botanical Institute of Barcelona at CSIC, made a surprising discovery of painted lady butterflies on the Atlantic beaches of French Guiana—a species not typically found in South America. This.....»»
Geological archives may predict our climate future
By analyzing 56-million-year-old sediments, a UNIGE team has measured the increase in soil erosion caused by global warming, synonymous with major flooding......»»
Radioactive isotopes trace hidden Arctic currents
The Arctic Ocean is warming four times faster than the rest of the world's oceans, a trend that could potentially spill over to the rest of the world in the form of altered weather patterns and other climate consequences. Efforts such as the Synoptic.....»»
Using supercomputer researchers discover new clues to improving fusion confinement
Nuclear fusion—when two nuclei combine to form a new nucleus, thereby releasing energy—may be the clean, reliable, limitless power source of the future. But first, scientists must learn how to control its production......»»
New tool maps microbial diversity with unprecedented details
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen have developed the groundbreaking tool SynTracker. SynTracker expands traditional microbial analysis by considering genomic structural variation to complement existing SNP-based methods......»»
Researchers move floating objects with soundwaves
EPFL researchers have succeeded in directing floating objects around an aquatic obstacle course using only soundwaves. Their novel, optics-inspired method holds great promise for biomedical applications such as noninvasive targeted drug delivery......»»
Researchers identify potential hazards in biosolid fertilizers
Fertilizers manufactured from the sludgy leftovers of wastewater treatment processes can contain traces of potentially hazardous organic chemicals, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins University researchers......»»