Adapting roots to a hotter planet could ease pressure on food supply
The shoots of plants get all of the glory, with their fruit and flowers and visible structure. But it's the portion that lies below the soil—the branching, reaching arms of roots and hairs pulling up water and nutrients—that interests plant physi.....»»
Chinese scientist who first published COVID sequence stages protest after being locked out of lab
The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China staged a sit-in protest outside his lab after authorities locked him out of the facility—a sign of the Beijing's continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the c.....»»
Engineered increase in mesophyll conductance improves photosynthetic efficiency in field trial
It is possible to engineer increased mesophyll conductance in plants according to new research from the University of Illinois. Mesophyll conductance plays a key role in photosynthesis and refers to the ease with which CO2 can diffuse through a leaf'.....»»
Inexpensive spring truffles or exquisite Piedmont truffles? New analytical method can detect food fraud
Some truffles are particularly expensive and therefore often the target of food fraud. For example, high-priced Piedmont truffles (Tuber magnatum) are often difficult to distinguish from the cheaper spring truffles (T. borchii) on the basis of their.....»»
Mercedes to stay firm on pricing following Q1 profit drop
Mercedes said model transitions in the top-end segment and supply chain-related costs caused its return on sales to fall to 9.6 percent from 14.9 percent a year earlier, with vehicle sales down 8 percent at 462,978......»»
NASA lays out how SpaceX will refuel Starships in low-Earth orbit
"The fundamental flow mechanism is the pressure delta across the umbilical." Enlarge / Artist's illustration of two Starships docked belly-to-belly in orbit. (credit: SpaceX) Some time next year, NASA believes SpaceX wi.....»»
Too many vehicles, slow reactions and reckless merging: New math model explains how traffic and bacteria move
What do the flow of cars on a highway and the movement of bacteria towards a food source have in common? In both cases, annoying traffic jams can form. Especially for cars, we might want to understand how to avoid them, but perhaps we've never though.....»»
Better reservoir management could aid food security and fisheries conservation in US
After nearly a century of people building dams on most of the world's major rivers, artificial reservoirs now represent an immense freshwater footprint across the landscape. Yet, these reservoirs are understudied and overlooked for their fisheries pr.....»»
NASA scientists gear up for solar storms at Mars
In the months ahead, two of NASA's Mars spacecraft will have an unprecedented opportunity to study how solar flares—giant explosions on the sun's surface—could affect robots and future astronauts on the Red Planet......»»
Lear to acquire Spanish automation supplier to ease labor costs
Financial terms were not disclosed for the deal, announced Monday and expected to close by the third quarter......»»
New iPad Pro models will get the best OLED tablet display ever made
Samsung has reportedly had difficulties adapting its production line to the two-stack OLED needed for the new iPad Pro line, which is said to be the best OLED tablet panel on the market.Two 12.9-inch iPad Pro modelsThe forthcoming iPad launch on May.....»»
Review: The iPhone 15 Pro is the best pitch to switch from Android – it’s just not for me
The iPhone is the best-selling smartphone on the planet and, in the US especially, it’s clearly a dominant force. I’m an Android person by choice, but once in a while, I spend time with the latest iPhone to take a peek inside of Apple’s garden,.....»»
A new way to study and help prevent landslides
Landslides are one of the most destructive natural disasters on the planet, causing billions of dollars of damage and devastating loss of life every year. By introducing a new paradigm for studying landslide shapes and failure types, a global team of.....»»
20% of grocery store milk has traces of bird flu, suggesting wider outbreak
The milk is still considered safe, but disease experts are alarmed by the prevalence. Enlarge (credit: Getty | Jeffrey Greenberg) The Food and Drug Administration reported late Thursday that about 20 percent of retail mi.....»»
Towards novel promising perovskite-type ferroelectric materials: High-pressure synthesis of rubidium niobate
Capacitors are crucial components in electronic devices such as smartphones and computers. They are made of dielectric materials that polarize on the application of the voltage. Currently, barium titanate (BaTiO3) is the most widely used material for.....»»
TESS finds its first rogue planet
Well over 5,000 planets have been found orbiting other star systems. One of the satellites hunting for them is TESS, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. Astronomers using TESS think they are made a rather surprising discovery; their first free.....»»
Barley plants fine-tune their root microbial communities through sugary secretions
Different types of barley recruit distinct communities of soil microbes to grow around their roots by releasing a custom mix of sugars and other compounds, according to a new study led by Jacob Malone of the John Innes Center, UK, published in the op.....»»
Did climate chaos cultivate or constrain 2023"s greenery?
In the ongoing quest to track the progression of climate change, scientists frequently examine the state of our planet's vegetation—forests, grasslands, agricultural lands, and beyond......»»
Synthesis of two new carbides provides perspective on how complex carbon structures could exist on other planets
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have gained new insights in the field of high-pressure carbon chemistry: They synthesized two new carbides—compounds of carbon and another chemical element—with unique structures. The results may provide.....»»
Solar geoengineering to cool the planet: Is it worth the risks?
When I first wrote about geoengineering in 2012 , it was considered far-fetched at best, and crazy by most. But 12 years later, while there is still controversy and considerable resistance to deploying it, respectable scientists and institutions are.....»»
How marketing classes can rescue "ugly produce" from becoming food waste
At a time of rising food costs and growing food insecurity, a large percentage of food grown for consumption never reaches our tables......»»