Mimicking how water and wind create complex shapes in nature
Intricate natural formations like star-shaped sand dunes or arc-shaped rocks can appear so purposeful in form that it's easy to wonder whether someone has designed them. Scientists have long recognized that a particular combination of random and chao.....»»
Scientists develop new geochemical "fingerprint" to trace contaminants in fertilizer
An international team of scientists has uncovered toxic metals in mineral phosphate fertilizers worldwide by using a new tool to identify the spread and impact of such contaminants on soil, water resources, and food supply......»»
How I upgraded my water heater and discovered how bad smart home security can be
Could you really control someone's hot water with just an email address? Enlarge / This is essentially the kind of water heater the author has hooked up, minus the Wi-Fi module that led him down a rabbit hole. Also, not 140-degre.....»»
Airborne technology brings new hope to map shallow aquifers in Earth"s most arid deserts
Water shortages are expanding across the Earth. This is particularly acute in desert areas of the Middle East that are subject to both drought and extreme conditions such as flooding. As a result of these uncertainties, there is an increasing relianc.....»»
Mystery CRISPR unlocked: A new ally against antibiotic resistance?
CRISPR-Cas systems have revolutionized biotechnology by offering ways to edit genes like a pair of programmable scissors. In nature, bacteria use these systems to fight off deadly viruses. A recent international collaboration led by the University of.....»»
Research reveals key genetic factors in snap bean pod traits
Snap beans, the vegetable form of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), are cultivated for their tender, immature pods. They boast a diverse array of pod shapes and sizes. Pod morphology, including shape, thickness, length, and color, plays a crucial.....»»
A new space mission may help physicists answer "hairy" questions about black holes
Physicists consider black holes one of the most mysterious objects that exist. Ironically, they're also considered one of the simplest. For years, physicists like me have been looking to prove that black holes are more complex than they seem. And a n.....»»
Fossil captures starfish splitting itself in two—showing this has been happening for 155 million years
One of the wildest wonders of nature is the ability of some animals to reproduce by splitting in half. There is still so much we don't know about this process. So the discovery of a 155-million-year-old starfish fossil frozen partway through this pro.....»»
Researchers shed light on how key ingredient for life may form in space
A team led by University of Maryland chemists discovered a new way to create carbenes, a class of highly reactive yet notoriously short-lived and unstable molecules. Involved in many high-energy chemical reactions such as the creation of carbohydrate.....»»
Scientists use generative AI to answer complex questions in physics
When water freezes, it transitions from a liquid phase to a solid phase, resulting in a drastic change in properties like density and volume. Phase transitions in water are so common most of us probably don't even think about them, but phase transiti.....»»
Researchers uncover how jelly sea creatures might shape modern robotics
Scientists at the University of Oregon have discovered that colonies of gelatinous sea animals swim through the ocean in giant corkscrew shapes using coordinated jet propulsion, an unusual kind of locomotion that could inspire new designs for efficie.....»»
Discovery may explain why Egyptian pyramids were built along long-lost Ahramat branch of the Nile
Some 31 pyramids in Egypt, including the Giza pyramid complex, may originally have been built along a 64-km-long branch of the river Nile which has long since been buried beneath farmland and desert. The findings, reported in a paper in Communication.....»»
Study shows regenerating worms have genetic control over their algal partners
Many organisms are far more complex than just a single species. Humans, for example, are full of a variety of microbes. Some creatures have even more special connections, though......»»
Mixup of drinking and irrigation water sparks dangerous outbreak in children
Of 13 children sickened, 7 hospitalized and 2 had life-threatening complications. Enlarge / A child cools off under a water sprinkler. (credit: Getty | JASON SOUTH) In 1989, a city in Utah upgraded its drinking water sy.....»»
Ford built its own rallycross course to test newest Mustang Mach-E variant
Ford turned a grassy field at its sprawling Michigan Proving Grounds to create a series of winding dirt paths it used to torture test the Mustang Mach-E Rally......»»
Temperature, time and blueberry wine: Researchers examine fermentation"s effects on health-promoting compounds
Nutrient-rich blueberries—a common breakfast smoothie ingredient—can also create wine. But does the heat and time required to ferment this mighty berry strip out any of those potential health-promoting compounds? Researchers in ACS Food Science &.....»»
Penalties for dropping out of ecosystem services incentive programs should equal lost environmental benefits
Payment for Ecosystem Services programs (PES) are important tools that governments around the world use to improve water quality, protect forests and wildlife habitat, and sequester carbon. Under these programs, landowners—usually farmers—are pai.....»»
Underground "anomaly" found near iconic Giza pyramid complex
A multi-institutional team of archaeological researchers from Japan and Egypt has discovered what they describe as an underground "anomaly" near the iconic Giza pyramid complex. In their study, published in the journal Archaeological Prospection, the.....»»
A penguin with an unconventional call inspires researchers to change how they study penguins
An emperor penguin's sex determines the nature of their courtship call—male vocalizations are composed of long, slow bursts with lower frequency tones than the female version. But calls of SeaWorld San Diego male penguin E-79 caught the attention o.....»»
Column: Toyota spent a bunch to build batteries. It could have spent more to make its own electricity
Toyota is spending $13.9 billion to build EV batteries in rural N.C. It should have spent more to add on-site solar, wind generation from the get-go......»»
Repurposed beer yeast encapsulated in hydrogels may offer a cost-effective way to remove lead from water
Every year, beer breweries generate and discard thousands of tons of surplus yeast. Researchers from MIT and Georgia Tech have now come up with a way to repurpose that yeast to absorb lead from contaminated water......»»