Drought in Sicily threatens grain fields, animal herds
A crushing drought in Sicily has withered fields of grain, deprived livestock of pasture land and fanned a spate of wildfires, causing damage already estimated at 2.7 billion euros this year......»»
Mobile phone networks and Bluetooth technology could help researchers improve animal tracking
Animal tracking studies for ecology and conservation all face technological limitations, such as high costs or the need for tags to remain in close proximity to detectors. In research published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution, investigators descr.....»»
The case of a robot shark in a marine park raises questions about animal welfare
After five years of renovation, Shenzhen's Xiaomeisha Sea World finally opened its doors to the public. But the marine park soon found itself the object of international discussion as it was revealed their advertised real whale shark was actually a r.....»»
Oriental hornets do not get sick or die when consuming very large amounts of alcohol, study shows
A team of behavioral ecologists, zoologists and crop protection specialists from Tel Aviv University reports that Oriental hornets have the highest-known tolerance to alcohol in the animal kingdom. In their study published in Proceedings of the Natio.....»»
Combining satellite methods provides drought detection from space
Observing sites like the Amazon basin from space has underscored the capability of satellites to better detect signs of drought, according to a new study......»»
Photonic computing method uses electromagnetic waves to rapidly solve partial differential equations
In the fields of physics, mathematics, and engineering, partial differential equations (PDEs) are essential for modeling various phenomena, from heat diffusion to particle motion and wave propagation. While some PDEs can be solved analytically, many.....»»
First mRNA vaccine against C. difficile infection developed in animal model
A new vaccine provides hope for treating and even preventing the highly contagious and difficult-to-treat Clostridioides difficile infection, more commonly known as C. difficile or C. diff......»»
Loss of "nitrogen fixers" threatens biodiversity, ecosystems, say biologists
Mississippi State University is part of a European-American collaboration studying how human activities, like fertilizer use and pollution, are impacting nitrogen-fixing plants which are crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems by adding nitrogen t.....»»
Q&A: A faster way to identify drought-resistant plants for crop breeding research
Climate change is making droughts more common and more severe—which makes research into developing drought-resistant crops more important than ever. Now researchers have developed a new framework that should expedite this important research......»»
Drones prove effective way to monitor maize re-growth, researchers report
Maize, or corn, grows tall, with thin stalks that boast ears of the cereal grain used in food production, trade and security globally. However, due to rain, wind and other increasingly extreme weather events, the maize falls down, risking the entire.....»»
Cats associate human words with images, experiment suggests
A small team of animal scientists at Azabu University, in Japan, has found via experimentation that common house cats are capable of associating human words with images without prompting or reward. In their study, published in the journal Scientific.....»»
Aquaculture could harm animal welfare or protect it, depending on what species the farms raise
The global aquaculture industry has tripled in size since the year 2000, with producers raising a mind-boggling diversity of species, from seaweeds and clams to carp, salmon and cuttlefish. Many of these creatures are undomesticated and lead complex.....»»
AI Comes to the Nobels: Double Win Sparks Debate about Scientific Fields
While many researchers celebrated this year’s chemistry and physics prizes, others were disappointed by the focus on computational methods.....»»
In a fusion device plasma, a steep ion temperature gradient slows the growth of magnetic islands
Future fusion power plants will require good plasma confinement to sustain reactions and generate energy. One way to contain plasma for fusion reactions is to use a tokamak, a device that applies magnetic fields to "bottle" plasma. However, magnetic.....»»
What do planet formation and badminton have in common?
Dust grains in protoplanetary disks align via the same aerodynamics as the sport. The birth of a planet starts with a microscopic grain floating in a protoplanetary disk, a swirli.....»»
From Northern Germany to Italy in five days: Tiny transmitters provide insights into precise migration routes of bats
Some bat species are among the world champions of seasonal migration in the animal kingdom. Leisler's bat, for example, which weighs between 12 and 22 grams, flies from central or Eastern Europe to the Mediterranean every late summer—and back in sp.....»»
Tubeworms, snails and other weird creatures found under the seafloor
Scientists for the first time have uncovered an underworld of animal life thriving beneath the seafloor......»»
Tube sock-like skunk can cover more ground than deer, study finds
A study in the Cascade Range in Oregon of a tiny, elusive skunk found the animal can cover more ground than deer and is sensitive to climate change, particularly severe winter weather......»»
Bacteria discovered in healthy vertebrate brains point to a potential role in brain function
Researchers at the University of New Mexico have identified the presence of bacteria in the healthy brains of fish. Understanding this connection between bacteria and animal brains could have future implications for the study of Alzheimer's disease......»»
The science of happier dogs: Five tips to help your canine friends live their best life
When you hear about "science focused on how dogs can live their best lives with us" it sounds like an imaginary job made up by a child. However, the field of animal welfare science is real and influential......»»
Natural extracts boost drought resistance in lettuce and broccoli
A team from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Universitat Jaume I of Castelló, in collaboration with the company Caldic Ibérica, has developed a product based on four natural extra.....»»