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:.....»»
Researcher helps develop new technique to explore oceanic microbes
When Southern Methodist University (SMU) researcher Alexander Chase was a young boy, the sheer diversity of plants in Earth's tropical rainforests fascinated him. He found himself wondering what new species were out there, waiting to be unearthed. Th.....»»
Metal bats have pluses for young players, but in the end it comes down to skill
Skill of the hitters was still the biggest factor in how fast the ball came off the bat. Enlarge / Washington State University scientists conducted batting cage tests of wood and metal bats with young players. (credit: YouTube/Ba.....»»
Research uncovers new strategy for salt-resistant poplar
Salt stress disrupts plant growth by impairing ion balance and reducing water uptake, posing a significant challenge to agriculture and forestry. Maintaining sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) balance is particularly vital in woody plants like poplar, w.....»»
Seismic echoes reveal a mysterious "donut" inside Earth"s core
About 2,890 kilometers beneath our feet lies a gigantic ball of liquid metal: our planet's core. Scientists like me use the seismic waves created by earthquakes as a kind of ultrasound to "see" the shape and structure of the core......»»
Labor Day deal brings popular Dyson Ball vacuum to affordable $300
The Dyson Ball Animal 3 is an incredible vacuum cleaner, but up until now it has been too expensive to buy......»»
Scientists modify citrus pectin with induced electric field
Pectin, a natural and nontoxic acidic polysaccharide, is widely found in the primary cell wall and inner layer of terrestrial higher plants. The main domains of pectin are homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan I, which contribute to the complexity.....»»
Study reveals distinct roles of H3K27me3 and H3K36me3 in winter wheat vernalization
Vernalization is the phenomenon whereby plants require prolonged exposure to low temperatures to flower. This ensures that overwintering plants undergo reproductive growth under suitable light and temperature conditions, thereby securing yield......»»
Drowning tomatoes for science
I can barely hear Esther Ngumbi over the roar of greenhouse fans as she shows me around her rooftop laboratory in Morrill Hall. The benches are full of tomato plants, and the tomatoes don't look good. Half of the plants are submerged in bins of water.....»»
Molecularly imprinted polymers help get the stink out of smoke-tainted wine
Wildfires can damage crops, even if flames come nowhere near the plants. One outcome can be an unpleasant flavor and smell of wine that is made from grapes exposed to smoke. But researchers report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry tha.....»»
A chloroplast-mimicking nanoreactor for enhanced CO₂ electrocatalysis
Chloroplast, which is a double-membrane-bounded organelle, is the main site for CO2 fixation via photosynthesis in green plants. The double-membrane configuration can regulate the transport of substances into and out of the chloroplasts with the aid.....»»
New moves for self defense—how plants can inspire future soft robotic design
For plants, cleaning the air, providing food and medicines, and preserving our ecosystem is just another day's work. In the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, however, plants are being studied in new ways to inspire f.....»»
Plant signaling pathways decoded using "optogenetic" tobacco plants
Using newly generated "optogenetic" tobacco plants, research teams from the University of Würzburg's Departments of Plant Physiology and Neurophysiology have investigated how plants process external signals......»»
Wood charcoal reveals the existence of a variety of woody plants around early millet sites
A study led by Hui Shen, Keliang Zhao, Xinying Zhou, Xiaoqiang Li from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Zhenwei Qiu from the National Museum of China has reconstructed how early millet f.....»»
Darwin"s fear was unjustified: Study suggests fossil record gaps not a major issue
Fossils are used to reconstruct evolutionary history, but not all animals and plants become fossils and many fossils are destroyed before we can find them (e.g., the rocks that contain the fossils are destroyed by erosion). As a result, the fossil re.....»»
Research sheds light on low crop yields and their impact on small farms
Northeastern University professor Gabriela Garcia studies the relationship between people and plants......»»
From leaf to cup: The essential role of magnesium in tea plant metabolism
Magnesium plays a vital role in the growth and quality of tea plants, influencing key processes such as photosynthesis and the synthesis of important metabolites. However, tea plants often suffer from magnesium deficiency due to factors like poor soi.....»»
Manganese nanoparticles can more than double availability of world"s potable water, say scientists
Manganese ferrite nanoparticles could lead to a substantial surge in the availability of drinking water globally when used to modify the filtering sheets currently used in water treatment plants, according to scientists......»»
How do curve balls, cutters, sinkers and sweepers work?
It's a cliché that "baseball is a game of inches," but for hitters and pitchers, it's more a game of millimeters. If the bat hits the ball a fraction of an inch too low or too high, the result is a popup or weak ground ball instead of a solid hit. A.....»»
VW scales back plans for battery cell plants in Europe, North America
VW expects to start production next year at a new gigafactory in Germany, but said it may take longer to scale up battery cell capacity at plants in Spain and Canada......»»
Breaking boundaries: The unexpected routes of minerals in crop growth
Imagine plants not just sipping nutrients dissolved in water, but actually munching on tiny mineral particles straight from the soil. A study sheds light on how wheat and lettuce aren't just passive feeders—they actively grab, transport, and utiliz.....»»