Scientists uncover why urchins are mowing down California"s kelp forests
Purple sea urchins are munching their way through California's kelp forests at a speed and scale that have stunned scientists, fishermen and divers alike. But the kelp forests have long been home to red and purple urchins, so it's clear the three spe.....»»
Eight Scientists, a Billion Dollars, and the Moonshot Agency Trying to Make Britain Great Again
The Advanced Research and Invention Agency—ARIA—is the UK's answer to Darpa. But can it put the country back on the scientific map?.....»»
The biodiversity jukebox: How sound can boost beneficial soil microbes to heal nature
In a race against time, scientists are exploring new ways to restore natural systems. Alongside traditional methods such as planting trees, reducing pollution and reintroducing native species, a surprising new tool is emerging: sound. Ecologists can.....»»
Scientists inject bacteria into fungi to study endosymbiosis
Endosymbiosis is a fascinating biological phenomenon in which an organism lives inside another. Such an unusual relationship is often beneficial for both parties. Even in our bodies, we find remnants of such cohabitation: mitochondria evolved from an.....»»
A leap in behavioral modeling: Scientists replicate animal movements with unprecedented accuracy
Scientists have developed a new method to simulate the complex movements of animals with exceptional accuracy. The research team set out to solve a long-standing challenge in biology—how to accurately model the intricate and seemingly unpredictable.....»»
Scientists decode brain mechanisms of stopping in Drosophila
Ever wish you could stop that fruit fly on your kitchen counter in its tracks? Scientists at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience have created flies that halt under red light. In doing so, they discovered the precise neural mechanisms involv.....»»
Scientists use tiny "backpacks" on turtle hatchlings to observe their movements
New research suggests that green turtle hatchlings 'swim' to the surface of the sand, rather than 'dig,' in the period between hatching and emergence. The findings have important implications for conserving a declining turtle population globally......»»
Nanopillars create tiny openings in the nucleus without damaging cells
Imagine trying to poke a hole in the yolk of a raw egg without breaking the egg white. It sounds impossible, but researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed a technology that performs a similarly delicate task in living cells.....»»
How would California"s skyscrapers survive a huge earthquake? LA County is about to find out
Faced with the prospect of an extensive, and expensive, seismic safety retrofit for its 1960s-era downtown headquarters, L.A. County decided to vet an alternative: a far newer building, located just blocks away. Not only was it built under stricter s.....»»
Q&A: Using a new approach to shine a light on hidden plant microbes
Despite there being more microbes on Earth than stars in our galaxy, only a tiny fraction have been discovered. An approach called metagenomics—a type of DNA sequencing—may help scientists learn more about these elusive organisms, according to Pe.....»»
Franklin expedition captain who died in 1848 was cannibalized by survivors
Scientists matched DNA of living descendent to Capt. James Fitzjames of the HMS Erebus. Scientists at the University of Waterloo have identified one of the doomed crew members of.....»»
To build a giant sheep, man spends 10 years smuggling, cloning, and inseminating
He takes his hobbies seriously. Readers of a certain age might remember Dolly, a Finn-Dorset sheep born in 1996 to three mothers and some proud Scottish scientists. Dolly generate.....»»
Smoke from megafires puts orchard trees at risk: Effects last months, reducing nut yields
Long-term smoke exposure from massive wildfires lowers the energy reserves of orchard trees and can cut their nut production by half, researchers at the University of California, Davis, found. The smoke can affect trees for months after a megafire, d.....»»
Fires taking Amazon closer to "point of no return": Expert
A year ago, Carlos Nobre, one of Brazil's top climate scientists, was a rare voice of optimism about the future of the planet......»»
Research highlights global plant diversity "darkspots" where scientific efforts are urgently needed
An ambitious project led by scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, along with global partners, seeks to shed light on the planet's "plant diversity darkspots"—regions teeming with biodiversity but where geographic and taxonomic data remain.....»»
Scientists develop a new model of electric double layer
A new model accounts for a wide range of ion-electrode interactions and predicts a device's ability to store electric charge. The model's theoretical predictions align with the experimental results. Data on the behavior of the electric double layer (.....»»
Scientists find plausible geological setting that may have sparked life on Earth
Researchers have discovered a plausible evolutionary setting in which nucleic acids—the fundamental genetic building blocks of life—could enable their own replication, possibly leading to life on Earth......»»
Southern California study finds high levels of airborne plasticizers
A new study documents how Southern Californians are chronically being exposed to toxic airborne chemicals called plasticizers, including one that's been banned from children's items and beauty products......»»
Most climate scientists foresee temperature rise exceeding Paris Agreement targets, study finds
A new survey of climate experts reveals that a majority believe the Earth to be headed for a rise in global temperatures far higher than the 2015 Paris Agreement targets of 1.5 to well-below 2°C......»»
Research provides new insights into role of mechanical forces in gene expression
The genome inside each of our cells is modeled by tension and torsion—due in part to the activity of proteins that compact, loop, wrap and untwist DNA—but scientists know little about how those forces affect the transcription of genes......»»
Scientists explore microbial diversity in sourdough starters
When millions of people went into lockdown during the pandemic, they went in search of new at-home hobbies to help cure their boredom. Among them was making sourdough bread. In addition to being sustainable for its use of natural ingredients and trad.....»»