Low sulfide concentration in Mercury"s smooth plains inhibits geomorphic hollows
A probe on Mercury used for the purpose of "surface-space-environment-geochemistry-and-ranging" abbreviated as the MESSENGER mission to Mercury, resulted in the discovery of geological structures known as hollows. Such landforms are quintessentially.....»»
The unexpected role of magnetic microbes in deep-sea mining
Polymetallic nodules are potato-sized formations on the ocean floor that are rich in minerals such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese. Their concentration of rare, economically important minerals has made the nodules the focus of controversial deep-sea.....»»
Researcher develops low-sugar ice cream with smooth texture
Wageningen researcher Qi Wang has developed a new variant of low-sugar ice cream that mimics the texture and melting properties of traditional ice cream. By replacing half of the sugar with broken-down proteins or the sweetener xylitol, she succeeded.....»»
Scientists seek a balance between crop production and protecting the environment
Scientists at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory (NPARL), in Sidney, Montana, completed a study that shows the use of continuous cropping systems can better sustain crop yields while reduc.....»»
Lexus at its peak—the 2024 RX450h+ is one smooth plug-in hybrid
The plug-in hybrid powertrain is pleasant, but the infotainment can irritate. Enlarge / It's a somewhat pricey plug-in hybrid, but it's also quite competent. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin) Arguably, some of Lexus' greatest in.....»»
Here’s why you shouldn’t freak out about lead in your cinnamon
For the most part, you'd have to eat a weirdly large amount to cause a problem. Enlarge / Cinnamon buns. (credit: Getty | Christoph Schmidt) Consumer Reports on Thursday reported the concentration of lead it found in 36.....»»
Unprecedented heat wave on the Tibetan plateau: Study highlights land-atmosphere interactions
Heat waves are generally thought to occur in hot, lowland regions—but what happens when extreme heat strikes the frigid, high-altitude Tibetan Plateau? Is the definition of a heat wave the same at 5,000 meters above sea level as it is in the plains.....»»
See the gorgeous images of Mercury taken by BepiColombo
The European Space Agency's BepiColombo spacecraft recently made a close flyby of Mercury, and it snapped some stunning pictures along the way......»»
Farming at the edges of nature reserves is helping exotic species invade New Zealand, finds study
Native shrublands were once common across the Canterbury Plains, but over time, conversion of land to other uses, including irrigated pasture, has contributed to their gradual decline. Now, a new study by scientists at Manaaki Whenua—Landcare Resea.....»»
BepiColombo"s best images yet highlight fourth Mercury flyby
The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission has successfully completed its fourth of six gravity assist flybys at Mercury, capturing images of two special impact craters as it uses the little planet's gravity to steer itself on course to enter orbit around Merc.....»»
Windows ARM PCs struggle to run games, and Apple may now have an advantage
Just like Apple did in 2020, many other PC makers are also trying to switch from Intel processors to ARM chips in order to improve performance and energy efficiency. However, while this transition has been smooth on Apple’s side, things are complic.....»»
Recreated 1870s railway photos reveal profound changes to Kansas and Colorado plains
A new book chronicling transformation on the plains of Kansas and western Colorado uses repeat photography—contemporary re-creations of 1870s photos—to reveal startling changes to the landscape......»»
Fourth Mercury flyby begins BepiColombo"s new trajectory
Teams from across ESA and industry have worked continuously over the past four months to overcome a glitch that prevented BepiColombo's thrusters from operating at full power. The ESA/JAXA mission is still on track, with a new trajectory that will ta.....»»
Q&A: Scientist discusses the MESSENGER mission to Mercury
Twenty years ago, the MESSENGER mission revolutionized our understanding of Mercury. We sat down with project head and former Carnegie Science director Sean Solomon to talk about how the mission came together and the groundbreaking work it enabled......»»
California legislature passes controversial “kill switch” AI safety bill
Governor will balance worries about "over-regulation" with calls from AI luminaries. Enlarge / California governor Gavin Newsom will likely soon face a decision on whether to sign SB-1047. (credit: Ray Chavez/The Mercury News via.....»»
AI tools like ChatGPT popular among students who struggle with concentration and attention
Since their release, AI tools like ChatGPT have had a huge impact on content creation. In schools and universities, a debate about whether these tools should be allowed or prohibited is ongoing......»»
A hybrid arrowhead against immune disorders: Bacterially derived natural product inhibits cellular immune response
The so-called immunoproteasome is essential for the cellular immune response. In autoimmune diseases, however, it is overactive. Until now, it has not been possible to selectively inhibit the immunoproteasome without disrupting other cellular mechani.....»»
Two strategies to protect your business from the next large-scale tech failure
The CrowdStrike event in July clearly demonstrated the risks of allowing a software vendor deep access to network infrastructure. It also raised concerns about the concentration of digital services in the hands of a few companies. A prescient Reddit.....»»
Sponges" symbiosis with bacteria helps them store toxic molybdenum to keep predators away, study shows
A new study at Tel Aviv University found that sponges in the Gulf of Eilat have developed an original way to keep predators away. The researchers found that the sponges contain an unprecedented concentration of the highly toxic mineral molybdenum (Mo.....»»
"Mercury bomb" threatens millions as Arctic temperatures rise, study warns
The Yukon River flows west across Alaska toward the Bering Sea, eroding Arctic permafrost along its banks and transporting sediment downstream. Within that sediment lurks a toxic stowaway: mercury......»»
Wildfires are increasing toxic mercury in streams in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, study finds
Wildfires have been burning across Idaho this summer, and their list of harmful impacts is long, from worsening health conditions because of smoke to challenges recovering millions in costs to fight them......»»