Canadians are unprepared for natural hazards. Here"s what we can do about it
Over the last year, Canada has made important progress toward making it easier for people to determine if they're at risk from natural hazard disasters. But many people across the country still lack awareness about the risks they face and the steps t.....»»
Harnessing hyperspectral imaging and machine learning for rubber tree nutrient management
Rubber trees are essential for natural rubber, and require precise nutrient management. Traditional methods for assessing nutrient levels are expensive and destructive, but near-infrared (NIR) hyperspectral techniques offer a promising nondestructive.....»»
Wind and wave observations reveal the seasonal variations in wave-induced stress over global ocean
Recently, a study by Ph.D. student Jing Ren from Ocean University of China and Associate Prof. Sheng Chen and Prof. Fangli Qiao from First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources was published in Science China Earth Sciences......»»
Researchers: Sweden has vast "old growth" forests, but they are being chopped down faster than the Amazon
Most of Europe's natural ecosystems have been lost over the centuries. However, a sizeable amount of natural old forest still exists, especially in the north. These "old-growth" forests are exceptionally valuable as they tend to host more species, st.....»»
Google’s new gaming AI aims past “superhuman opponent” and at “obedient partner”
New model can respond to natural language commands, even on games it has never seen. Enlarge / Even hunt-and-fetch quests are better with a little AI help. (credit: Getty Images) At this point in the progression of machi.....»»
The future is likely less skiable, thanks to climate change
Annual snow cover days in all major skiing regions are projected to decrease dramatically as a result of climate change, with one in eight ski areas losing all natural snow cover this century under high emission scenarios. These results are published.....»»
US energy industry methane emissions are triple what government thinks, study finds
American oil and natural gas wells, pipelines and compressors are spewing three times the amount of the potent heat-trapping gas methane as the government thinks, causing $9.3 billion in yearly climate damage, a new comprehensive study calculates......»»
How climate change drives the spread of invasive plants
As the climate warms, the number of alien species on every continent is expected to increase 36% by 2050. Some alien species—that is, plants or animals that live outside their natural range—are invasive and can harm ecosystems and the areas they.....»»
Advancing tissue engineering with shape memory hydrogels
One of the primary goals in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is the development of artificial scaffolds that can serve as substitutes for damaged tissue. These materials must ideally resemble natural tissue and must have the.....»»
Valorization of depolymerized lignin using microorganisms
Lignin is an abundant natural polymer which is eliminated as a byproduct in the pulp and paper industry. A recent review article explored different microbial processes available for sustainable lignin valorization, yielding not only environmental but.....»»
Scientists use spent brewer"s yeast to filter out metal from waste streams
When we recycle electronic devices we can no longer use, we expect to make the most out of the precious natural resources that went into building them. But electronic waste is notoriously difficult to recycle because it's hard to separate the differe.....»»
Rice paddy snake diversification was driven by geological and environmental factors in Thailand, molecular data suggest
A University of Kansas study of rice paddy snakes in Southeast Asia gives key details to their diversification and natural history, adding molecular evidence that the rise of the Khorat Plateau and subsequent environmental shifts in Thailand may have.....»»
Rainforest"s next generation of trees threatened 30 years after logging
Rainforest seedlings are more likely to survive in natural forests than in places where logging has happened—even if tree restoration projects have taken place, new research shows. The work appears in Global Change Biology......»»
Unveiling inaoside A: An antioxidant derived from mushrooms
Natural products have unique chemical structures and biological activities and can play a pivotal role in advancing pharmaceutical science. In a study published in Heliyon, researchers from Shinshu University have discovered inaoside A, an antioxidan.....»»
Soil may release more carbon than expected, affecting climate change models
The accuracy of climate models depends on many factors—greenhouse gas emissions from industrial and transportation activity, farm animal "emissions," urban growth and loss of forests, and solar reflections off snow and ground cover. Natural phenome.....»»
Nearly 2 billion people globally at risk from land subsidence
Land subsidence is a geohazard caused by the sudden or gradual settling (years to decades) of the land surface due to the removal of subsurface material. This can be due to a variety of factors, both natural (such as earthquakes, volcanic activity an.....»»
Natural tech for "dimming" genes brings transformative potential to agriculture
Until the 1992 advent of a tomato that could delay softening, the fruit was picked green to withstand shipping. The delayed-softening trait was an example of the gene-silencing technique RNA interference, RNAi, before the underlying mechanism was und.....»»
Subaru Telescope discovers the faintest moon around icy giant planets
Using some of the largest telescopes in the world, including the Subaru Telescope, a team of astronomers discovered three new natural satellites orbiting the outermost planets in our solar system—one around Uranus and two around Neptune. One of the.....»»
Nanodevices can produce energy from evaporating tap or seawater
Evaporation is a natural process so ubiquitous that most of us take it for granted. In fact, roughly half of the solar energy that reaches the Earth drives evaporative processes. Since 2017, researchers have been working to harness the energy potenti.....»»
Birds, beetles, bugs could help replace pesticides: Study
Natural predators like birds, beetles and bugs might be an effective alternative to pesticides, keeping crop-devouring pests populations down while boosting crop yields, researchers said Wednesday......»»
Ten reasons why Canadians are still dissatisfied with the economy, despite the upswing
The COVID-19 pandemic is no longer a global emergency, Canada's GDP outperformed expectations in 2023, the economy seems to be heading for soft landing after a period of stagnation, inflation is winding down and unemployment has decreased to 5.7% in.....»»