The origins of farming insects
A beetle bores a tree trunk to build a gallery in the wood in order to protect its lay. As it digs the tunnel, it spreads ambrosia fungal spores that will feed the larvae. When these bore another tree, the adult beetles will be the transmission vecto.....»»
Nitrogen footprint: Heavy pollution and resource losses due to liquid manure
Factory farming for meat production is harmful to the environment. In addition to its direct emissions of methane, its use of liquid manure releases climate-damaging nitrogen compounds such as ammonia and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere and pollute.....»»
EA pulls a “reverse Ubisoft,” makes some old BioWare DLC free
Move comes as much-maligned "BioWare Points" system fades into the sunset. Enlarge / Don't worry, my sweet. BioWare Points can't hurt you anymore. Single-player downloadable content for the PC versions of Dragon Age: Origins,.....»»
Lots of Mass Effect and Dragon Age DLC is now free for PC players
EA has made DLC for Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 that required BioWare Points free......»»
"Super-spuds" to the rescue as typical tubers feel the heat
From origins in the cool altitudes of the Andes, the potato is not well suited to the extreme temperatures or flooding brought on by climate change. Plant scientists are breeding "super-spuds" able to endure harsher environmental conditions......»»
Is organic farming always good for the environment? Researchers create strategy to help decide
Ensuring sufficient global food production and supply using sustainable methods is one of the most significant challenges we face this century......»»
Record temperatures in Shanghai as heatwave bakes China
Shanghai roasted under some of its hottest temperatures ever recorded on Wednesday as a searing heatwave in China triggered a flurry of weather alerts and strained the farming and energy sectors......»»
Sonic Origins fan-made mod halted with three words: “Screw this game” [Updated]
Sega has so far left all versions of Origins unpatched since late-June launch. Enlarge / Artist's interpretation of Sonic fans' impatience over a recent game's lack of updates and patches. (credit: Sega / Sam Machkovech) Three.....»»
Sonic Origins fan-made mod halted with three words: “Screw this game”
Sega has so far left all versions of Origins unpatched since late-June launch. Enlarge / Artist's interpretation of Sonic fans' impatience over a recent game's lack of updates and patches. (credit: Sega / Sam Machkovech) Three.....»»
Machine learning identifies crater that ejected famous Martian rock
New Curtin-led research has pinpointed the exact home of the oldest and most famous Martian meteorite for the first time ever, offering critical geological clues about the earliest origins of Mars......»»
Oldest European salamander fossil, discovered in Scotland, informs amphibian origins
Fossils discovered in Scotland represent some of the world's oldest salamanders, according to a new study led by UCL researchers......»»
How stressed-out plants produce their own aspirin
Plants protect themselves from environmental hazards like insects, drought and heat by producing salicylic acid, also known as aspirin. A new understanding of this process may help plants survive increasing stress caused by climate change......»»
In Sri Lanka, Organic Farming Went Catastrophically Wrong
Faced with a deepening economic and humanitarian crisis, Sri Lanka called off an ill-conceived national experiment in organic agriculture this winter. From a report in March: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised in his 2019 election campa.....»»
Intercropping and sustainable farming practices increase soil carbon reserves
The Diverfarming project evaluates the impact of intercropping and agricultural management on the dynamics of soil organic carbon in four climate regions in Spain, Italy, and Finland.....»»
Root-farming gophers might be our closest agricultural relatives
Although you'll probably never see them, you can spot them by the tell-tale mounds of sandy soil dotting a field: pocket gophers. Beneath your feet, the gophers continuously create and remold a labyrinth of winding tunnels hundreds of feet long......»»
Weather extremes to change future farming
The agricultural sector will increasingly need to adopt new technologies and entrepreneurial flair, along with more flexible land use, to provide secondary income and to combat weather extremes such as floods and drought, according to new research......»»
500-million-year-old fossilized brains of Stanleycaris prompt a rethink of the evolution of insects and spiders
Royal Ontario Museum revealed new research based on a cache of fossils that contains the brain and nervous system of a half-billion-year-old marine predator from the Burgess Shale called Stanleycaris. Stanleycaris belonged to an ancient, extinct offs.....»»
Is There Good News for Monarch Butterflies? Scientists Disagree
A recent study suggests that gains during the summer breeding season are making up for losses during migration. But the insects’ fate is far from assured......»»
NASA releases James Webb telescope "teaser" picture
NASA has a provided a tantalizing teaser photo ahead of the highly-anticipated release next week of the first deep-space images from the James Webb Telescope—an instrument so powerful it can peer back into the origins of the universe......»»
Evidence found that insects are possibly able to feel pain
A trio of researchers, two from Queen Mary University of London, the other from the University of Tehran, has found evidence that suggests insects might be able to feel pain. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Matilda Gib.....»»
Coastal fishing and farming at risk from climate change
Coastal communities could face losses of food from both fisheries and agriculture as a result of climate change, a study of five Indo-Pacific countries suggests. The research is published in Nature Communications......»»