Myth, busted: Formation of Namibia’s fairy circles isn’t due to termites
Plants are "ecosystem engineers" that survive by forming optimal geometric patterns. Enlarge / Drone image of car driving through the NamibRand Nature Reserve, one of the fairy-circle regions in Namibia. (credit: Stephan Getzin).....»»
Does urbanization trigger plant evolution?
Urbanization and human activities have transformed a significant proportion of the land on Earth, resulting in the formation of urban environments. These urban environments are man-made habitats that often impose several selective pressures on their.....»»
Namibia and Angola"s remote Ovahimba mountains reveal a haven for unique plants—new survey
The Kaokoveld region, covering north-western Namibia and south-western Angola, is one of the remotest areas in southern Africa. Although it's extremely dry, it is a center of species endemism: many species occur only there and nowhere else on earth......»»
New observations confirm important step in star formation
New observations have confirmed a key step in the process of star formation: a rotating "cosmic wind" made of molecules, which is vitally important for collapsing gas clouds to contract sufficiently so as to form a hot, dense young star......»»
Familiarity breeds contempt for moral failings, research suggests
People judge members of their own circles more harshly than they judge individuals from other groups for the same transgressions, according to new Cornell University research......»»
Scientists explain unique formation of ancient algae that evolved photosynthesis and oxygenated the planet
Scientists have for the first time revealed how blue-green algae—visible as the slippery green slime in stagnant water, riverbeds, and seashores—weaves itself into large weblike structures......»»
Scientists reveal centromere repositioning in soybean genome
Researchers from China studying soybean genome evolution have focused on the phenomenon of centromere repositioning, which involves the formation of new centromeres at different chromosomal locations without altering the underlying DNA sequences. Thi.....»»
Thousands More Puzzling "Fairy Circles" Have Been Found around the World
These mysterious spots of barren soil have fascinated scientists for years. Now evidence of their existence beyond two known locations is stirring up a fresh round of contention.....»»
Planet collision explains star’s brightening, then dimming
Emissions in infrared shot up, then visible light dropped two years later. Enlarge / Artist's conception of what the post-collision body of material might look like. (credit: MARK GARLICK) Planet formation is thought to.....»»
NASA asteroid sample contains life-critical water and carbon
A sample collected from the 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid Bennu contains abundant water and carbon, both vital materials for the formation of our planet, NASA revealed on Wednesday......»»
Skeletal remains debunk myth surrounding 1918 flu pandemic
Look back at the chronicle of global pandemics, and the flu pandemic of 1918 stands out as an anomaly for one reason: According to the history books, it struck healthy adults in their prime just as often, if not more so, than the weak or sickly......»»
"Priscilla" review: Sofia Coppola spins a sweet and soured fairy tale about Mrs. Elvis Presley
In "Priscilla," writer/director Sofia Coppola tells the story of Mrs. Elvis Presley. To the world, Priscilla Presley's life seemed a fairy tale. Like Cinderella, she was a kind-hearted common girl plucked from obscurity to be a princess —.....»»
Astronomers discover first step toward planet formation
Solving the mystery of how planets like Earth were formed is an important question for understanding the origin of life. Planets are thought to form when interstellar dust and gas collect in a protoplanetary disk surrounding a protostar, but it has b.....»»
6 things to know about NASA"s asteroid-exploring Psyche mission
The first-ever mission to study a metal-rich asteroid, Psyche aims to help scientists learn more about the formation of rocky bodies in our solar system......»»
Scientists discover the highest energy gamma-rays ever from a pulsar
Scientists using the H.E.S.S. observatory in Namibia have detected the highest energy gamma rays ever from a dead star called a pulsar. The energy of these gamma rays clocked in at 20 tera-electronvolts, or about 10 trillion times the energy of visib.....»»
How llamas help mitigate effects of climate change
Introducing llamas (Llama glama) into land exposed by retreating glaciers can speed the establishment of stable soils and ecosystem formation, mitigating some of the harmful effects of climate change, according to experimental research conducted by s.....»»
Inuit hunters blame cruise ships as narwhal disappear
To hunt the narwhal, whose long tusk was the unicorn horn of medieval myth, you need absolute silence......»»
Bursts of star formation explain mysterious brightness at cosmic dawn
When scientists viewed the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) first images of the universe's earliest galaxies, they were shocked. The young galaxies appeared too bright, too massive and too mature to have formed so soon after the Big Bang. It would.....»»
Researchers investigate role of water molecules in formation of condensates in cells
In order to fulfill their function, biological cells need to be divided into separate reaction compartments. This is sometimes done with membranes, and sometimes without them: the spontaneous segregation of certain types of biomolecules leads to the.....»»
Metaphors for human fertilization are evolving, study shows
In a common metaphor used to describe human fertilization, sperm cells are competitors racing to penetrate a passive egg. But as critics have noted, the description is also a "fairy tale," rooted in cultural beliefs about masculinity and femininity......»»
Researchers invent a new metallization method of modified tannic acid photoresist patterning
The micro/nano metal pattern formation is a key step in the assembly of various devices. However, ex situ approaches of metal patterning limited their industrial applications due to the poor stability and dispersion of metal nanoparticles. The in sit.....»»