El Niño"s changing patterns: Human influence on natural variability
Two recent scientific studies led by Dr. Paul Wilcox from the Department of Geology at the University of Innsbruck provide new insights into Earth's climate dynamics, with a particular focus on the El Niño phenomenon. The results show how El Niño r.....»»
Q&A: Looking at ancient Roman plagues through an environmental lens
A pit of human bones, potential evidence of a catastrophic epidemic that struck Constantinople in 541 A.D. Sulfur deposits trapped in polar ice, showing traces of a series of massive volcanic eruptions. For Brandon McDonald, these seemingly incongruo.....»»
How do brains coordinate activity? From fruit flies to monkeys, scientists discover a universal principle
The brain is a marvel of efficiency, honed by thousands of years of evolution so it can adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world. Yet, despite decades of research, the mystery of how the brain achieves this has remained elusive......»»
Evolutionary anthropologist presents hypothesis about why humans are dominating the world over other animals
Why is human culture—the shared body of knowledge passed down across generations—so much more powerful than animal cultures?.....»»
The natural environment is declining—are companies doing their part to save it?
The natural environment across the globe is deteriorating, leading to crises like climate change, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity. Companies and industries play a major role in this decline, and they are expected to take responsibility for thei.....»»
Earliest evidence of Ephedra use found in 15,000-year-old Moroccan burial
An international group of researchers led by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria have uncovered the earliest evidence of Ephedra use from the charred remains of the plant in a 15,000-year-old human burial site in northeastern Morocco......»»
Researcher highlights the combined effects of climate change and chemical pollution
Traditionally, research has focused on either climate change or chemical pollution in isolation, overlooking their combined effects. This oversight creates a blind spot in understanding the full scope of risks to ecosystems and human health......»»
Coyotes are thriving despite human and predator pressures, large-scale study finds
Research led by the University of New Hampshire sheds light on how coyotes, North America's most successful predators, are responding to various environmental pressures, including human development, hunting and competition with larger carnivores. Sur.....»»
Siri better watch out. Samsung just launched its biggest Bixby update in years
Samsung's Bixby has been lagging behind Siri for years. It looks like that is finally changing......»»
Pathogens that cling to microplastics may survive wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment fails to kill several human pathogens when they hide out on microplastics in the water, reports a study led by Ingun Lund Witsø of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, published November 6, 2024 in the open-access journal.....»»
Making farming better for bees: Can we breed crops that produce more nectar and pollen?
Where once there were vast areas of forest and other natural habitats, farmland now covers much of Earth—including 70% of the UK. This transition has helped feed a growing number of people......»»
Public pressure found to influence whether companies reduce their environmental impact
The effectiveness of national voluntary programs asking companies to pledge to lower their pollution and greenhouse gas emissions depends on pressure from the public, according to a new study led by a Penn State researcher......»»
The frozen carbon of the northern permafrost is on the move—we estimated by how much
Among the most rapidly changing parts of our planet are the coldest landscapes near the top of the globe, just south of the Arctic. This region is warming two to four times faster than the global average......»»
Extreme weather already cost vulnerable island nations US$141 billion—and 38% is attributable to climate change
Two years ago, when the curtain fell on the COP27 summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, developing nations on the frontline of climate change had something meaningful to celebrate......»»
Study shows commercial ties influence ESG ratings and highlights need for regulation
An analysis published in the Journal of Accounting Research uncovers evidence that conflicts of interest arising from commercial ties lead to bias in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings......»»
Nintendo confirms Switch 2 will play original Switch games
"More software has been played on Nintendo Switch than on any other Nintendo hardware." As US states were busy counting votes to confirm who would be the next president Tuesday ni.....»»
Bach, Mozart or jazz: Scientists provide a quantitative measure of variability in music pieces
Physicists at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) have investigated to which extent a piece of music can evoke expectations about its progression. They were able to determine differences in how far compositions of dif.....»»
Decadal climate patterns reveal new insights into tropical cyclone formation and El Niño-Southern Oscillation link
A new study has revealed how decadal-scale climate fluctuations impact the ability of climate models to simulate tropical cyclone frequency in response to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. This finding offers an improved understanding of t.....»»
Boeing strike ends after workers vote to accept “life-changing” wage increase
Workers vow to restore Boeing's iconic legacy as costly strike ends. More than 33,000 Boeing workers reached a tentative agreement Monday night to end a weekslong strike that quic.....»»
Space Innovation Lab experiment heads to International Space Station
The first human tissue samples from Oxford's Space Innovation Lab (SIL) have been launched and are on their way to the International Space Station, where they will be used to study the effects of space microgravity on the human aging process......»»
A human topological insulator: Researchers use choreographed dance to explain quantum materials
Science can be difficult to explain to the public. In fact, any subfield of science can be difficult to explain to another scientist who studies in a different area. Explaining a theoretical science concept to high school students requires a new way.....»»