Plate tectonics in the twenty-first century
The emergence of plate tectonics in the late 1960s led to a paradigm shift from fixism to mobilism of global tectonics, providing a unifying context for the previously disparate disciplines of Earth sciences. Although plate tectonics was originally d.....»»
Climate change could become the main driver of biodiversity decline by mid-century, analysis suggests
Global biodiversity has declined between 2% and 11% during the 20th century due to land-use change alone, according to a large multi-model study published in Science. Projections show climate change could become the main driver of biodiversity declin.....»»
New algorithm solves century-old problem for coral reef scientists
An algorithm developed by a Florida Tech graduate student creates a new ecological survey method that allows scientists to unlock important historical data from a vast trove of coral-reef photographs dating back more than a century......»»
Five things our research uncovered when we recreated 16th century beer (and barrels)
It's true that our 16th-century ancestors drank much more than Irish people do today. But why they did so and what their beer was like are questions shrouded in myth. The authors were part of a team who set out to find some answers......»»
Light pollution affects coastal ecosystems, too—this underwater "canary" is warning of the impacts
In the early 20th century, canaries were used as early warning systems in coal mines to alert miners to rising levels of carbon monoxide......»»
The beginnings of modern science shaped how philosophers saw alien life—and how we understand it today
Speculation about extraterrestrials is not all that new. There was a vibrant debate in 17th-century Europe about the existence of life on other planets......»»
Yellowstone Lake ice cover unchanged despite warming climate
The length of time that Yellowstone Lake is covered by ice each year has not changed in the past century, despite warming temperatures in the region, according to new research led by University of Wyoming scientists......»»
Study uses thermodynamics to describe expansion of the universe
The idea that the universe is expanding dates from almost a century ago. It was first put forward by Belgian cosmologist Georges Lemaître (1894–1966) in 1927 and confirmed observationally by American astronomer Edwin Hubble (1889-1953) two years l.....»»
Study sheds light on 11th-century Arab-Muslim optical scientist whose work laid foundation for modern-day physics
Scientists from the University of Sharjah and the Warburg Institute are poring over the writings of an 11th-century Arab-Muslim polymath to demonstrate their impact on the development of optical sciences and how they have fundamentally transformed th.....»»
Biden plans sweeping effort to block Arctic oil drilling
The U.S. set aside 23 million acres of Alaska's North Slope to serve as an emergency oil supply a century ago. Now, President Joe Biden is moving to block oil and gas development across roughly half of it......»»
Food security in developed countries shows resilience to climate change
A study by the University of Southampton has found that market forces have provided good food price stability over the past half century, despite extreme weather conditions......»»
More than two dozen Colorado water systems exceed EPA"s new limits on "forever chemicals"
Twenty-nine of the more than 2,000 water treatment facilities in Colorado do not meet strict new federal limits on the amount of dangerous "forever chemicals" in their drinking water supplies and it will cost millions to clean those toxins out of the.....»»
"Fallout" review: Video game adaptation is a wild nuclear Western
Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell, and Aaron Moten star in Prime Video's adaptation of the "Fallout" games. Early on in one of Fallout's many flashbacks to the late 21st century, actor Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins) worries about the ending of a Wes.....»»
Panama plans dry alternative to drought-hit canal
Panama on Wednesday unveiled plans for a "dry canal" to move cargo between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans due to low water levels in its century-old maritime channel......»»
The limits of ice: What a 19th-century expedition trapped in sea ice for a year tells us about Antarctica"s future
In 1897, the former whaling ship RV Belgica left Antwerp in Belgium and set sail due south. It was the first voyage of what would become known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration. It did not go to plan......»»
The science of static shock jolted into the 21st century
Shuffling across the carpet to zap a friend may be the oldest trick in the book, but on a deep level that prank still mystifies scientists, even after thousands of years of study......»»
Peter Higgs: physicist who predicted "God particle"
Nobel laureate Peter Higgs gave his name to one of the great scientific discoveries of the last century, earning a place alongside Albert Einstein and Max Planck in physics textbooks......»»
Mysterious bones may have belonged to gigantic ichthyosaurs
Several similar large, fossilized bone fragments have been discovered in various regions across Western and Central Europe since the 19th century. The animal group to which they belonged is still the subject of much debate to this day. A study carrie.....»»
Study explores changing design of birdfeeders as influenced by unwanted guests
The first birdfeeders were made in the 19th century, and their design rapidly evolved during the 20th century. Researchers at the University of Helsinki and Aalto University consider the evolution of the birdfeeder to be an example of multispecies de.....»»
Early medieval money mystery solved
Byzantine bullion fueled Europe's revolutionary adoption of silver coins in the mid-7th century, only to be overtaken by silver from a mine in Charlemagne's Francia a century later, new tests reveal. The findings could transform our understanding of.....»»
Britain began industrializing in the 17th century—more than 100 years earlier than history books claim
Britain was already well on its way to an industrialized economy under the reign of the Stuarts in the 17th century—over 100 years before textbooks mark the start of the Industrial Revolution—according to the most detailed occupational history of.....»»