Some colleges are mammals, others are cities
Higher education in the United States spans five orders of magnitude, from the tiny institutions like the 26-person Deep Springs College in the high desert of eastern California to behemoths, like Arizona State University's city-sized 130,000. A new.....»»
Microplastics discovered in the body tissues of whales, dolphins and seals, sparking concerns for human health
Marine mammals—animals including whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, sea otters, dugongs and manatees—are threatened by an array of human activities. Species such as the North Atlantic right whale, Rice's whale and Vaquita porpoise have been push.....»»
How scientists are helping cities adapt to extreme heat
Since early July, the Earth has sweltered under record-breaking heat. In the United States, from California and the Desert Southwest to Texas and Florida, a long-lasting heat wave in the triple digits has broken dozens of heat records—and counting......»»
Disease in the dirt: How mange-causing mites decimated a Tasmanian wombat population
More than 80% of Australian mammals are found nowhere else in the world. Many of these unique, iconic creatures are under threat......»»
Living with wildfire: How to protect more homes as fire risk rises in a warming climate
Humans have learned to fear wildfire. It can destroy communities, torch pristine forests and choke even faraway cities with toxic smoke......»»
As urban heat rises, bird diversity declines: 336-city study
Humans aren't the only ones leaving town when city heat becomes unbearable. A study done on 336 cities in China concludes that heat-retaining buildings and paved surfaces are directly related to a loss in bird diversity. These findings from scientist.....»»
Scientists study the evolutionary origins of coronary arteries
Coronary arteries are a vital part of the human heart, providing it with oxygen-rich blood so that it can work. By comparing the hearts of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and frogs, a multi-institutional team of researchers appears to have found evide.....»»
Small urban greening projects can dramatically increase number of insect species in cities
By increasing the diversity of indigenous plants in urban areas, researchers from the University of Melbourne have seen a seven-fold increase in the number of insect species in just three years, confirming the ecological benefits of urban greening pr.....»»
City living may make male song sparrows more doting "super" fathers
]New behavioral traits are often the first response of animals to changing environmental conditions. As cities increasingly become habitats of wildlife, researchers have studied behavioral changes in birds and examined how urbanization impacts parent.....»»
Paper Exams, Chatbot Bans: Colleges Seek to ‘ChatGPT-Proof’ Assignments
Educators are rethinking how to teach courses after ChatGPT and other AI chatbots have become the go-to source for cheating in college. When philosophy professor Darren Hick came across another case of cheating in his classroom at.....»»
Q&A: An asteroid killed the dinosaurs, allowing mammals to dominate Earth, but why?
Almost 66 million years ago, an asteroid struck the Earth, killing all non-avian dinosaurs and allowing mammals to dominate......»»
Self-driving vehicles may reshape transportation, whether the cities that host them like it or not
San Francisco serves as a case study for the rollout of robotaxis, especially as Cruise and Waymo get ready to ramp up their driverless services. Others are taking close note of the friction and complications there......»»
Q&A: Urban doom loop—what it is and how cities can stop it
Recent images of downtown San Francisco—emptied of office workers now dialing in remote and filled with wandering homeless people—has struck fear for the future of urban areas. A Columbia University professor coined the term "urban doom loop" for.....»»
Thousands flee wildfires in Canada"s far north
Thousands ordered to flee wildfires advancing on one of the largest cities in Canada's far north crammed into a local airport on Thursday to board emergency evacuation flights, as convoys snaked south to safety on the only open highway......»»
Natural compound in white button mushrooms could benefit animal, human health
A team of researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has identified a compound in white button mushrooms that could potentially benefit gut health in mammals by activating a protective biological response......»»
Bergstrom Automotive agrees to buy 5 Wisconsin stores
Bergstrom Automotive said it has agreed to buy dealerships in the eastern Wisconsin cities of Green Bay and Manitowoc......»»
It"s not just humans: City life is stressful for coyotes, too
Though cars are the biggest threat to coyotes taking up residence in U.S. cities, a new study suggests urban living poses a different kind of hazard to coyote health—in the form of chronic stress......»»
Study examines role of urban agriculture in food-energy-water nexus policies
A new paper in Landscape and Urban Planning examines policies to advance urban agriculture that address the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus, the complex relationships among the flows of food, energy and water in cities......»»
Cities Aren’t Supposed to Burn Like This Anymore—Especially Lahaina
Humans figured out how to prevent huge fires in urban areas over a century ago. Why have they gotten so bad again?.....»»
Throwing shade: Model maps NYC street trees" cooling benefits
Cornell researchers' "leaf-level" visualization of every tree in New York City—and how much shade each provides—could inform new strategies for mitigating extreme heat there, and in other cities coping with record-breaking temperatures......»»
Creating "sponge cities" to cope with more rainfall need not cost billions—but NZ has to start now
Tune into news from about any part of the planet, and there will likely be a headline about extreme weather. While these stories will be specific to the location, they all tend to include the amplifying effects of climate change......»»