Maya used hallucinogenic plants in “ensouling” rituals for their ball courts
eDNA analysis found traces of xtabentum, as well as lancewood, chili peppers, and jool. Enlarge / A decorative ring made from carved stone is embedded in the wall of a ballcourt in the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza. (credit:.....»»
Svalbard Global Seed Vault evokes epic imagery and controversy because of the symbolic value of seeds
Two-thirds of the world's food comes today from just nine plants: sugar cane, maize (corn), rice, wheat, potatoes, soybeans, oil-palm fruit, sugar beet and cassava. In the past, farmers grew tens of thousands of crop varieties around the world. This.....»»
Study reveals effect of slope position on nonstructural carbohydrates in biological soil crusts
Nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) provide energy for metabolic processes in plants and play a key role in plant growth, defense and osmoregulation. However, the regulation of NSC in biological soil crusts across different slope positions remains unc.....»»
Dams have taken half the water from Australia"s second biggest river—and climate change will make it even worse
The largest wetland on Australia's second longest river, the Murrumbidgee in the southern Murray-Darling Basin, is drying up. This is bad news for the plants, animals and people who rely on the vast Lowbidgee Floodplain. So it's important to understa.....»»
Only 3% of South Africans can name all five national animals and plants. Why these symbols matter
Alongside a national flag, anthem and coat of arms, most countries have one or more plant and animal species that they designate as national symbols. The national animal of China, for example, is the giant panda, a nation-wide source of pride and dip.....»»
UN summit approves fund to share benefits of nature"s sequenced genetic data
A UN nature summit agreed in Colombia Saturday on the creation of a fund to share the profits of digitally sequenced genetic data taken from animals and plants with the communities they come from......»»
Deep sea rocks suggest oxygen can be made without photosynthesis, deepening the mystery of life
Oxygen, the molecule that supports intelligent life as we know it, is largely made by plants. Whether underwater or on land, they do this by photosynthesizing carbon dioxide. However, a recent study demonstrates that oxygen may be produced without th.....»»
U.S. regulators raise questions about siting data centers at power plants
U.S. regulators raise questions about siting data centers at power plants.....»»
How a PhD Student Discovered a Lost Mayan City From Hundreds of Miles Away
WIRED spoke with the researchers responsible for the discovery of Valeriana, a lost Maya city in the middle of the jungle of Campeche......»»
African Sahara "greening" can alter Northern Hemisphere climate, modeling study finds
Africa's Sahara Desert may be considered a vast expanse of barren sand with limited vegetation, an extreme environment for plants and animals to thrive, but life always finds a way. Indeed, vegetation growth in the desert has waxed and waned over mil.....»»
The reasons flowers wilt could explain how plants spend (and save) their energy
Wilting flowers might not signal poor flower or plant health, but rather the effects of a sophisticated resource management strategy in plants, millions of years in the making......»»
Researchers study effect of phosphorous and irradiance on the invasive plant Chromolaena odorata
Resource competition is an important factor affecting the invasion success of alien plants, and environmental factors influence the competition outcomes between invasive and native plants. Chromolaena odorata has been listed as one of the main invasi.....»»
Courts in UK may permit companies to be convicted of crimes even when no individual employee is criminally liable
Due to loopholes that remain despite recent reforms to corporate criminal law in the UK, University of Surrey academics are calling for a new legal approach that could hold companies accountable for economic crimes, even when no single employee posse.....»»
Watch Yankees fans disrupt Mookie Betts" catch, spark internet frenzy
The video of the moment Yankees fans ripped a ball from Mookie Betts' glove is pretty unbelievable. The internet loved joking about it......»»
When will we know who won the 2024 election?
Election officials anticipate 2024 to be the most streamlined and secure election in history. But results may still take longer than the public hopes. Less than a week out from election day, as many around the country send in their mail-in ball.....»»
New Age ritual that send "bad energies" up in smoke may contribute to overharvesting of wild plants
A commercialized New Age ritual is causing not only "unwanted energies" to go up in smoke, but also foreign wild plants. A study by Utrecht University researchers Isabela Pombo Geertsma and Anastasia Stefanaki, alongside colleagues from Wageningen UR.....»»
Australian courts use "body language" to judge witness credibility
Nonverbal behavior in the courtroom can significantly influence how judges assess the credibility of witnesses in their rulings. But is reliance on "body language" based on sound science?.....»»
Soybean domestication linked to higher mesophyll conductance for increased photosynthesis
In a new study conducted by the Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) project, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looked back in time at soybean growth and discovered that modern plants have increased mesophyll.....»»
Invasive plants drive homogenization of soil microbial communities across US, new study finds
Invasive plants are doing more than just taking over landscapes—they're also changing the soil beneath them. A new study co-authored by Matthew McCary, assistant professor of biosciences at Rice University, reveals that these species are reshaping.....»»
Have we found all the major Maya cities? Not even close, new research suggests
Archaeologists have analyzed lidar data from a completely unstudied corner of the Maya world in Campeche, Mexico, revealing 6,674 undiscovered Maya structures, including pyramids like those at the famous sites of Chichén Itzá or Tikal......»»
Researchers warn against weakening Clean Air Act regulations
A new commentary published in the American Journal of Public Health has found that power plants' use of air pollution control devices saved up to 9,100 lives and up to $100 billion in health costs in 2023. These estimates reveal the substantial healt.....»»