Adapting to a hotter planet has never been more important, and progress edged forward at COP27
As the COP27 climate summit drew to a close over the weekend, it's important to acknowledge that progress was made on climate adaptation—even if more can be done......»»
Full moon hazard: 50% rise in wildlife vehicle collisions during moonlit nights
The moon's impact on our planet, culture, and society goes beyond just affecting tides. Recent research by Texas A&M University, published in the journal Transportation Research Part D, indicates a 45.8% increase in wildlife vehicle collisions during.....»»
Researchers uncover role of plasma waves in mysterious heating of sun"s corona
There is a profound mystery in our sun. While the sun's surface temperature measures around 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, its outer atmosphere, known as the solar corona, measures more like 2 million degrees Fahrenheit, about 200 times hotter......»»
Plant stem cells: Understanding the biological mechanism of growth control
Researchers from the University of Freiburg have identified the HAN molecule as an important regulator that controls plant growth in conjunction with WOX5. Understanding this mechanism is relevant for breeding more resilient or higher-yielding crops......»»
Up in smoke: DIY tech to combat wildfires
As wildfires become a more frequent and dangerous part of life, especially in the Pacific Northwest, finding solutions that everyone can use is more important than ever. By June 2024, the Pacific Northwest had already seen more trees burn than in all.....»»
Wildlife loss is taking ecosystems nearer to collapse, new report suggests
Even for a conservation biologist numbed to bad news about nature, the biennial Living Planet report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is a stark reminder of our failure to arrest the loss of biodiversity—the variety of living things and the ecosy.....»»
In a rare disclosure, the Pentagon provides an update on the X-37B spaceplane
"This first of a kind maneuver from the X-37B is an incredibly important milestone." After more than nine months in an unusual, highly elliptical orbit, the US military's X-37B sp.....»»
The US military’s X-37B spaceplane is preparing for a “novel space maneuver”
"This first of a kind maneuver from the X-37B is an incredibly important milestone." After more than nine months in an unusual, highly elliptical orbit, the US military's X-37B sp.....»»
Claustrophobic cells slow their own growth, forming beautiful patterns of concentric circles
Like so many organisms on the planet, when cells experience mosh-pit-level crowding, they may just become stressed. Yet unlike most other life forms, cells subject to physical stress from crowding by neighbors can find some relief by dramatically slo.....»»
In our opinion: Believe the storms: Climate change is real
No one should try to kill the auto industry in hopes of saving the planet. But we must also take seriously the need for the industry to be a functional partner in a solution......»»
Dark energy: Could the mysterious force we think of as constant actually vary over cosmic time?
,As I finished my Ph.D. in 1992, the universe was full of mystery—we didn't even know exactly what it is made of. One could argue that cosmologists had made little progress in our understanding of these basic facts since the discovery of the cosmic.....»»
How did magma oceans evolve on early Earth and Mars? Iron chemistry and primordial atmospheres offer clues
Before Earth became the blue planet, it was engulfed by a very different kind of ocean: a vast, deep magma ocean reaching down hundreds or perhaps even thousands of kilometers......»»
Poverty-level wages pose urgent problem for US childcare, study finds
A new report from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) at UC Berkeley finds that child care workers in every state struggle with poverty-level wages, even as they nurture and educate our children in the most important years of de.....»»
Astronomers race to capture image of exoplanet near star
Planet AF Lep b is a world of firsts. In 2023, it was the lowest-mass planet outside our solar system to be directly observed and have its mass measured using astrometry. This is a technique that charts the subtle movements of a host star over many y.....»»
Hubble and New Horizons offer dual perspectives on Uranus to inform exoplanet research
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and New Horizons spacecraft simultaneously set their sights on Uranus recently, allowing scientists to make a direct comparison of the planet from two very different viewpoints. The results inform future plans to study l.....»»
Underwater caves yield clues that may help explain early expansion of Homo sapiens into Mediterranean islands
Archaeological surveys led by scientists at Washington University in St. Louis suggest that coastal and underwater cave sites in southern Sicily contain important new clues about the path and fate of early human migrants to the island......»»
James Webb discovers a new type of exoplanet: an exotic ‘steam world’
Researchers using James Webb have identified a new and exotic type of planet called a steam world, with an atmosphere almost entirely composed of water vapor......»»
Quantum register reaches 1,200 neutral atoms in continuous operation
A team of physicists led by Johannes Zeiher, research group leader in Immanuel Bloch's Quantum Many-Body Systems department and co-founder of the MPQ spin-off planqc, has achieved significant progress in scaling up quantum computing platforms with ne.....»»
GM expects lower EV losses in 2025, will drop Ultium name
GM executives did not say if EVs will be profitable in 2025. They pointed to the improving trajectory as a sign of progress in GM's EV strategy......»»
How academia drives sustainability: The impact of science on the UN"s Sustainable Development Goals
The role of universities in the fight for a fairer and more sustainable planet is increasingly significant. A team of researchers from ESPOL has examined how academia contributes to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by analyzing scientifi.....»»
Key molecule in wound healing identified through mapping of long non-coding RNA molecules
A new study from Karolinska Institutet and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences has identified an RNA molecule that is important for skin wound healing. The research, published in Nature Communications, may have implications for the treatment of h.....»»