Extreme weather may help invasive species outcompete native animals, new study finds
Non-native species appear to be better able to resist extreme weather, threatening native plants and animals and potentially creating more favorable conditions for invasive species under climate change. That's the conclusion of a new study in the jou.....»»
Mercury Weather can now provide notifications for rain and snow
Mercury Weather is a cool indie app that works as an alternative to Apple’s Weather app. Following an update in August that added new features to the app, there’s now another update available – and this one provides notifications about weather.....»»
Australian dragon study reveals surprising link between motor systems control and sleep rhythms
Sleep is one of the most mysterious, yet ubiquitous components of our biology. It has been described in all major groups of animals, including worms, jellyfish, insects or cephalopods, and in all vertebrates, from fish to humans. Common characteristi.....»»
Ancient unicellular organism indicates embryonic development might have existed prior to animals" evolution
Chromosphaera perkinsii is a single-celled species discovered in 2017 in marine sediments around Hawaii. The first signs of its presence on Earth have been dated at over a billion years, well before the appearance of the first animals......»»
Gray squirrel control: Study shows promise for effective contraceptive delivery system
A study published in the journal Pest Management Science sheds light on the behavior of gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and explores methods for the targeted delivery of oral contraceptives to control their populations......»»
Employers hold sway in immigration bureaucracy
Prioritizing unique and more educated applicants for temporary work visas, employers play a central but understudied role in the U.S. immigration bureaucracy, with implications for careers and American innovation, new Cornell research finds......»»
Team develops non-invasive biosensor for early kidney disease detection
Traditionally, kidney health has been monitored by measuring blood creatinine levels, which indicate muscle breakdown. High creatinine levels can suggest that the kidneys are not filtering waste efficiently. However, creatinine levels can be affected.....»»
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.....»»
Climate change is contributing to drought in the American West even without rainfall deficits, scientists find
Higher temperatures caused by anthropogenic climate change made an ordinary drought into an exceptional drought that parched the American West from 2020–2022. A study by UCLA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climate scientists ha.....»»
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.....»»
Grocery stores are more reliable than sushi restaurants in labeling salmon properly, Seattle study finds
In a study of salmon samples from Seattle, Washington, grocery stores and sushi restaurants, DNA analysis revealed that 18% were mislabeled. Tracie Delgado and colleagues at Seattle Pacific University, WA, U.S., present these findings in the open-acc.....»»
Soundtracks in toy ads shape gender stereotypes, study suggests
A study from Queen Mary University of London reveals that the music and soundscapes used in toy commercials are reinforcing rigid gender norms, shaping the way children perceive masculinity and femininity. The research uncovers how gender stereotypes.....»»
"Shallow" sports and "deep" social hierarchies: Not all pecking orders are created equally
University of Michigan researchers have added a new dimension to the mathematics used to predict the outcomes of all manner of competitions, including sports, games and social hierarchies in both humans and animals......»»
The high cost of complexity: New study explores energy needs of multicellular life
Between 1.8 billion and 800 million years ago, earthly life was in the doldrums. During this period, called the "boring billion," the complexity of life remained minimal, dominated by single-celled organisms with only sporadic ventures into multicell.....»»
More families purchased school meals after federal nutrition policies enacted, research suggests
Families purchased more school lunches and breakfasts the year after the federal government toughened nutritional standards for school meals. A new University of California, Davis, study suggests that families turned to school lunches after the Obama.....»»
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......»»
Microbial slime: The ultimate system to understand our planet
Billions of years ago, Earth was home to extreme environments, including intense UV radiation, frequent volcanic eruptions, and very high concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Yet, under these conditions, biofilms formed and within thes.....»»
Vampire bats" metabolism mirrors that of blood-sucking insects, biologists find
A pair of biologists at the University of Toronto has found that vampire bats are able to burn amino acids as a fuel source similarly to blood-sucking insects. In their study published in the journal Biology Letters, Giulia Rossi and Kenneth Welch co.....»»
The extreme floods that devastated Spain are hitting more often. Is Australia ready for the next one?
Spain is still reeling from recent floods in the Valencia region. In some areas, a year's worth of rain fell in a single day. Sudden torrents raced through towns and cities. More than 200 people are dead. Rapid analysis suggests daily rainfall extrem.....»»
Multi-country study finds significant differences in how poverty is passed from parents to children
Researchers from Stockholm University, Bocconi University, and the Rockwool Foundation have studied poverty's lasting impact across generations in wealthy countries. By examining the United States, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany,.....»»
Ultrasensitive nanoscale sensors can identify lung cancer through exhaled isoprene
Exhaled breath contains chemical clues to what's going on inside the body, including diseases like lung cancer. And devising ways to sense these compounds could help doctors provide early diagnoses—and improve patients' prospects. In a study in ACS.....»»