Rio"s urban gardens produce healthy food for the poor
Gun-toting youths watch over a street in a Rio de Janeiro slum hit hard by drug trafficking, but walk a bit further and this rough area also boasts the largest urban vegetable garden in Latin America......»»
Q&A: Why are we drowning in single-use plastics, and what can we do about it?
Plastic is ubiquitous. It's in the clothes we wear, wrapped around the food we eat and in the toothpaste we use. It floats in the oceans and litters the snow on Mount Everest......»»
A third of China"s urban population at risk of city sinking, new satellite data shows
Land subsidence is overlooked as a hazard in cities, according to scientists from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Virginia Tech. Writing in the journal Science, Prof Robert Nicholls of the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research at UEA and.....»»
"They don"t have enough"—schools in England are running food banks for families
The peak of the cost-of-living crisis may have passed, but millions of families are struggling to buy enough food to feed their children. Experiencing food insecurity can be deeply damaging for children and negatively affects their achievement at sch.....»»
Rewild the soil: The largest urban rewilding project is going underground
The largest urban rewilding project in the U.K. is happening on an old golf course......»»
Asbestos in playground mulch—how to avoid a repeat of this circular economy scandal
Asbestos has been found in mulch used for playgrounds, schools, parks and gardens across Sydney and Melbourne. Local communities naturally fear for the health of their loved ones. Exposure to asbestos is a serious health risk—depending on its inten.....»»
Researchers create nanomembrane to increase reaction rate in chemical production
Flow-through reactors packed with enzymes can produce certain chemicals in a gentle and careful way. However, their performance has so far been limited. A research team from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon and RWTH Aachen University has now been able to.....»»
How insects control their wings: The mysterious mechanics of insect flight
Many of us would love the superpower to fly, and for good reason: Flight offers a crucial evolutionary advantage. Flying enables an animal to travel large distances quickly, in search of food and new habitats, while expending far less energy than wal.....»»
Life-threatening rat pee infections reach record levels in NYC
Between 2001 and 2020, there was an average of 3 cases per year. Last year's tally was 24. Enlarge / A rat looks for food while on a subway platform at the Columbus Circle - 59th Street station on May 8, 2023, in New York City......»»
Column: Why Tesla"s wacky Cybertruck design might force other automakers to take chances
We could very well see future pickups from mainstream automakers that are more about style and individuality than about towing heavy loads. Sports cars are impractical and yet there is still a healthy market for them. Why not trucks?.....»»
How a calcium-sensing protein multitasks
The calcium-sensing receptor is critical for maintaining healthy calcium levels, but CaSR is also well-known for its side hustles. The receptor is increasingly recognized for its ability to detect other ions and proteins and for its role in breast ca.....»»
On-demand nutrient production system for long-duration space missions
When astronauts embark on long space missions, they'll need to grow their own food because pre-packaged meals from Earth lose their nutritional value over time. The BioNutrients project at Ames Research Center's Space Biosciences Division has solved.....»»
Report: England has more food banks inside schools than regular food banks nationwide
Research shows schools have increasingly stepped in as a fourth emergency service and are now the biggest source of charitable food and household aid for families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis......»»
Column: Tesla"s wacky Cybertruck design might force other automakers to take chances with wildly styled vehicles
We could very well see future pickups from mainstream automakers that are more about style and individuality than about towing heavy loads. Sports cars are impractical and yet there is still a healthy market for them. Why not trucks?.....»»
How a cyanobacterium manages iron scarcity makes it the most successful photosynthetic organism on Earth
The sea is the world's largest ecosystem, and it harbors two photosynthetic organisms that produce approximately half of the oxygen on Earth. The cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is the most abundant photosynthetic organism in the oceans and fixes appr.....»»
Researchers uncover human DNA repair by nuclear metamorphosis
Researchers at the University of Toronto have discovered a DNA repair mechanism that advances understanding of how human cells stay healthy, and which could lead to new treatments for cancer and premature aging......»»
Astronomers discover the most metal-poor extreme helium star
Using the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), astronomers have performed high-resolution observations of a recently detected extreme helium star designated EC 19529–4430. It turned out that EC 19529–4430 is the most metal deficient among the.....»»
Silver-based micromotors that eliminate bacteria can move freely in aqueous media
Researchers at ICIQ in Tarragona have developed a simple technique to produce microscopic crystals that activate in the presence of light, releasing silver ions with antimicrobial activity......»»
Fires pose growing worldwide threat to wildland-urban interface
Fires that blaze through the wildland-urban interface (WUI) are becoming more common around the globe, a trend that is likely to continue for at least the next two decades, new research finds......»»
Feeling rushed at the food ordering kiosk? You"re not alone
If you've been to a fast-food restaurant recently, you've probably noticed that self-service kiosks are beginning to replace human workers. But as you go to place your order and the lunch-rush crowd grows behind you, have you experienced increased pr.....»»
Study finds patterns of crop-specific fertilizer-nitrogen losses, opportunities for sustainable mitigation
Nitrogen fertilizers play an essential role in ensuring global food security. However, the applied fertilizer-nitrogen, particularly that exceeding crop demand and soil N retention capacity, can potentially escape into the environment and lead to a v.....»»