Heatwave hotspots linked to urban agglomerations in Africa
Due to global warming, heatwave events will likely cause severe damage to natural ecosystems and human society. Urban areas are at higher risk owing to the significant economic activities carried out there and the populations residing in them. As suc.....»»
Unveiling East Asia"s urban landscape: A massive mapping project illuminates 280 million buildings
Accurate and comprehensive building data is critical for urban management and planning. Existing datasets, such as those from Microsoft and OpenStreetMap, often lack completeness and accuracy in East Asia, limiting their utility for large-scale appli.....»»
High ceilings linked to poorer exam results for uni students
Ever wondered why you performed worse than expected in that final university exam where you sat in a cavernous gymnasium or massive hall, despite countless hours, days and weeks of study? Now you have a genuine reason—high ceilings......»»
Wastewater is a viable medium for growing lettuce in hydroponic systems, study shows
Urban agriculture has the potential to improve food security through local, efficient, and sustainable food production. Examples of urban food systems include hydroponics, where plants grow in a nutrient solution without soil, and aquaponics, which c.....»»
Apple customers to finally share of $50M MacBook settlement
It's been a long wait, but payouts linked to Apple's settled MacBook butterfly keyboard lawsuit are set to go out to impacted customers this month......»»
Mountain building linked to major extinction event half a billion years ago
As life on Earth rapidly expanded a little over 500 million years ago during the Cambrian explosion, Earth had tectonic plates slowly crashing into each other, building mountains and starting a series of unfortunate events that led to a mass extincti.....»»
Mutations in a non-coding gene associated with intellectual disability
A gene that only makes an RNA is linked to neurodevelopmental problems. Enlarge / The spliceosome is a large complex of proteins and RNAs. (credit: NCBI) Almost 1,500 genes have been implicated in intellectual disabiliti.....»»
Model simulates urban flood risk with an eye to equity
Plans for flood mitigation along urban rivers often benefit some neighborhoods more than others. Researchers and collaborators in a densely populated California floodplain developed a way to help planners see how infrastructure designs, sea-level ris.....»»
Modern lives are messing up menstrual cycles—earlier starts, more irregularity
Earlier and irregular periods are both linked to poor health outcomes. Enlarge / Panty liners, hygienic tampons, and sanitary pads. (credit: Getty | LOU BENOIST) People in the US are starting their menstrual cycles earli.....»»
Rapid urbanization in Africa transforms local food systems and threatens biodiversity, says study
Urbanization in Africa is accelerating quickly, showing no signs of slowing down. An international team of researchers addresses critical gaps in our understanding of how this urbanization affects local food and ecological systems, emphasizing the im.....»»
"Cape of Storms": Climate researchers explain Cape Town"s recent extreme weather
A severe storm hit South Africa's Western Cape province between 6 and 9 April 2024, with extreme winds gusting at up to 135km/h. The storm left a trail of destruction across Cape Town and surrounding areas—at least 1,500 people were left homeless a.....»»
Women are 14 times more likely to die in a climate disaster than men—just one way climate change is gendered
When we think of climate and environmental issues such as climate-linked disasters or biodiversity loss, we don't tend to think about gender. At first glance, it may seem irrelevant......»»
How to cut stray cat numbers in a way that works better for everyone
Stray cats are a big problem across most Australian cities and towns. They cause many complaints related to nuisance behaviors and concerns about urban wildlife, as well as straining government resources. Ratepayers ultimately pay for the substantial.....»»
Study finds urban office buildings pump out volatile chemicals to the outdoors, comparable to traffic emissions
The air coming out of office buildings in urban areas may be more polluted than once believed, Purdue University researchers say......»»
Researcher uses satellite imagery to investigate ancient urbanism in eastern Africa
At the U of A's Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies, Wolfgang Alders, a National Science Foundation SBE Postdoctoral Fellow, is using satellite imagery and archaeological methods to better understand the origins of urban life on the eastern Afri.....»»
Tropical forest resilience to seasonal drought linked to nutrient availability
Tropical forests are highly productive ecosystems, accounting for nearly half of the global forest carbon sink. If tropical forests can no longer remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the effects of climate change may become even more severe......»»
Only the Hardiest Trees Can Survive Today’s Urban Inferno
In a rapidly warming world, cities need more tree cover to stay cool—but only certain species can handle soaring temperatures, and often they aren’t native species......»»
What makes a "good farmer" in Aotearoa?
In New Zealand, farmers and the largely urban general public are held to have differing views on what is meant by being a "good farmer." Anecdotally, farmers see themselves as stewards of the land for future generations, using management practices th.....»»
Secrets of sargassum: Scientists advance knowledge of seaweed causing chaos in the Caribbean and West Africa
Researchers have been working to track and study floating sargassum, a prolific seaweed swamping Caribbean and West African shorelines, and causing environmental and economic harm. The study, "Changes in holopelagic Sargassum spp. biomass composition.....»»
Horn of Africa droughts: Research shows how a network of groundwater bores could help
The Horn of Africa recently suffered its worst drought in almost half a century, and its sixth failed rainfall season in a row......»»
Over 300 million young people have experienced online sexual abuse, exploitation, finds metastudy
It takes a lot to shock Kelvin Lay. My friend and colleague was responsible for setting up Africa's first dedicated child exploitation and human trafficking units, and for many years he was a senior investigating officer for the Child Exploitation On.....»»