Insect Farming Is Booming. But Is It Cruel?
More than a trillion insects are raised each year as high-protein, low-carbon animal feed, but the practice might have an ethical blind spot......»»
Increase in rice farming in sub-Saharan Africa found to be producing rising amounts of methane
A team of engineers and atmospheric scientists at Harvard University, working with a colleague from the California Institute of Technology's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has calculated the increased amount of methane being expelled into the atmosphere.....»»
New evidence that insect wings may have evolved from gills
How did insect wings originate? This is a question that represents an unsolved mystery of insect evolution. Despite many years of research, it is still not entirely clear from which body structure insect wings actually evolved and what their original.....»»
Using UV disinfection instead of antibiotics in poultry farming
Infectious diseases pose a huge problem in poultry farming. Poultry farmers are often forced to rely on antibiotics to tackle this issue. However, this can sometimes result in germs developing resistance to these drugs. These resistant pathogens then.....»»
New high-speed video system uses sensors, infrared illumination to track insects in large wild areas
Our ability to learn more about insect behavior—which affects ecology, health, and economy on a global scale—depends largely on suitable recording technology. But until now, these tools have been considerably limited......»»
Apple Watch ban, passcode thieves and Beeper -- December 2023 in review
In December 2023, Apple couldn't prevent an Apple Watch ban, but it could block Beeper's hijacking of its iMessage, and it did have a go at stopping more iPhone thefts.It would be cruel to describe this Apple Watch Ultra as "red faced" about the banN.....»»
Stinky, bitter, and painful: A novel insect repellent attacks multiple sensory pathways
Crop damage in agriculture and the transmission of vector-borne diseases by insect pests have become worldwide threats nowadays. Chemical treatments such as insecticides and repellents have been a significant strategy against insect pests for centuri.....»»
Viewpoint: Europe has a wolf problem, and a late Norwegian philosopher had the solution
Europe's "wolf problem" is fast becoming a source of social and political tension. Relative conservation success across the continent has led to calls for action from worried politicians and farming and hunting groups. And the European Commission has.....»»
Amber analyses show that insects already had a variety of defense strategies in the Cretaceous
Analyses of amber show that insect larvae were already using a wide variety of tactics to protect themselves from predators 100 million years ago......»»
Wildflowers increasingly doing without insect pollinators
Scientists at the CNRS and the University of Montpellier have discovered that flowering plants growing in farmland are increasingly doing without insect pollinators. As reproduction becomes more difficult for them in an environment depleted of pollin.....»»
Research offers a reason why diversity in plant species causes higher farming yield, solving "a bit of a mystery"
A study appearing in Nature Communications based on field and greenhouse experiments at the University of Kansas shows how a boost in agricultural yield comes from planting diverse crops rather than just one plant species: Soil pathogens harmful to p.....»»
Meal sharing for a longer life? Insects may hold the secret
Insect species which are closely related and eat a similar balance of nutrients in their diet live longer than those that don't, according to new research from the University of Aberdeen......»»
New catalyst opens efficient conversion from nitrate pollution to valuable ammonia
Pollution spewing from a booming global economy poses a number of different threats to human health. Researchers from Zhongyuan University of Technology proposed a new possible avenue to efficiently convert nitrate, a widespread water pollutant, back.....»»
COP28"s commitment to transforming farming and food systems is an insult to Africans
Globally, food systems are unsustainable: 80% of the production of food is powered by fossil fuels. The food system is responsible for over one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. It is the primary driver of biodiversity loss. The COP28 climate.....»»
Beef farming that keeps cattle on lifelong grass diets may have higher carbon footprint
Beef operations that keep cattle on lifelong grass-based diets may have an overall higher carbon footprint than those that switch cattle to grain-based diets partway through their lives. Daniel Blaustein-Rejto of the Breakthrough Institute, U.S., and.....»»
COP28: Countries promise action on food and farming
Countries must act swiftly following a landmark declaration on sustainable agriculture and food systems at COP28 to protect farmers and vulnerable groups from the effects of climate change, research leaders urge......»»
Planting less water-intensive crops in the western United States would help alleviate water scarcity, study finds
Across the world, irrigation dominates freshwater consumption, accounting for 88% of all the freshwater consumed on a global scale. In the western United States, this is no different, as irrigated farming is the leading driver of water depletion in t.....»»
DNA analysis of bat droppings shows astonishingly high number of insect species
Adequate food supply is a fundamental need and requirement for survival. To protect a species, it is often very helpful to know what that species prefers and frequently consumes. Through the analysis of DNA traces in the droppings of a Leisler's bat.....»»
Researcher: With a cruel summer ahead, why is Australia so unprepared?
2023 has shattered climate records, accompanied by extreme weather that has left a trail of devastation and despair, according to the World Meteorological Organization at COP 28. Some of the most significant extreme heat events were in southern Europ.....»»
Teaching physics from the din of flying discs
Disc golf is booming, with record numbers of players turning up each year to partake in the disc-throwing sport. It is also whizzing and whistling. In fact, the sound a disc makes while soaring through the air toward its target is full of information.....»»
Roar of cicadas was so loud, it was picked up by fiber-optic cables
Brood X made itself known in a way that could change how we monitor insect populations. Enlarge / BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ (credit: astrida via Getty Images) One of the world’s most peculiar test beds stretches above Prince.....»»