The preparation makes the poison: How muscarine in mushrooms becomes toxic
Mushrooms exist in a breathtaking variety of shapes, colors and sizes. Especially in autumn, mushroom hunters go into the forests to find the tastiest of them, prepare them in multiple ways and eat them with relish. However, it is well known that the.....»»
The nuclear arms race"s legacy: Toxic contamination, staggering cleanup costs and a culture of government secrecy
Christopher Nolan's film "Oppenheimer" has focused new attention on the legacies of the Manhattan Project—the World War II program to develop nuclear weapons. As the anniversaries of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945.....»»
Red tide returns to San Francisco Bay, one year after large fish die-off
A toxic red tide has returned to San Francisco Bay, raising fears of a reprise of last summer's unusually large fish die-off......»»
When cheating pays: Survival strategy of insect uncovered
Researchers have revealed the unique 'cheating' strategy a New Zealand insect has developed to avoid being eaten—mimicking a highly toxic species......»»
Dissolving circuit boards in water sounds better than shredding and burning
They're easier to recycle, and chips come right off. Will they take off? Enlarge / 30 minutes in near-boiling water, and those soldered chips come right off, leaving you with something that's non-toxic, compostable, and looking l.....»»
AI-Generated Data Can Poison Future AI Models
As AI-generated content fills the Internet, it’s corrupting the training data for models to come. What happens when AI eats itself?.....»»
Borax is the new Tide Pods, and poison control experts are facepalming
Borax is used in laundry detergent and is not safe to ingest. Enlarge / A box of borax—not for eating. (credit: Getty | Lauren A. Little) In the latest health fad to alarm and exasperate medical experts, people on Tik.....»»
Ariane 6: Launch system tests progressing well
Teams preparing Ariane 6 for its inaugural flight successfully completed for the first time a launcher preparation and countdown sequence, on 18 July at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana......»»
Borax is the new Tide Pods and poison control experts are facepalming
Borax is used in laundry detergent and is not safe to ingest. Enlarge / A box of borax—not for eating. (credit: Getty | Lauren A. Little) In the latest health fad to alarm and exasperate medical experts, people on Tik.....»»
Journal editors weigh in on AI in science publishing
Last week, the Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC) published an editorial to define appropriate and inappropriate uses of artificial intelligence technology in the "preparation and review of manuscripts being considered for publication.".....»»
Proposed PFAS rule would cost companies estimated $1B; Lacks limits and cleanup requirement
A proposed federal rule calls for forcing companies to disclose whether their products contain toxic "forever" chemicals, the government's first attempt at cataloging the pervasiveness of PFAS across the United States......»»
Quantitative analysis of cell organelles with artificial intelligence
BESSY II's high-brilliance X-rays can be used to produce microscopic images with spatial resolution down to a few tens of nanometers. Whole cell volumes can be examined without the need for complex sample preparation as in electron microscopy. Under.....»»
Students admitted to a Brazilian university via affirmative action struggled but ultimately caught up
Affirmative action in higher education can lead to mismatching, with students admitted under such policies struggling academically due to inadequate precollegiate preparation. But although some students face initial challenges, providing access to hi.....»»
Pollution timebombs: Contaminated wetlands are ticking toward ignition
Wetlands across the globe have long served as natural repositories for humanity's toxic legacy, absorbing and retaining hundreds to thousands of years' worth of pollution......»»
Eyes in the skies confirm the end of trash burning in the Maldives
White sand beaches. Crystalline waters. Toxic smoke plumes wafting across a paradise clogged with plastic trash......»»
Toxic foam blights river crucial to Brazil"s biggest city
Not far from Latin America's biggest city, Sao Paulo, a river is covered in a white layer that resembles fresh snow but is in fact a smelly, toxic foam......»»
Researchers explain how mushrooms can live for hundreds of years without getting cancer
The risk of cancer increases with every cell division. As such, you would expect long-lived species like elephants to get cancer more often than short-lived species like mice. In 1975, however, Richard Peto discovered that this is not the case, and t.....»»
As toxic algae sickens sea lions and other marine animals, California wildlife center needs help
A wave of sick and injured sea creatures is pushing the Marine Mammal Care Center to the limit, jeopardizing the San Pedro-based veterinary assistance and food shelter's ability to provide necessary care......»»
How a plant with a toxic past can become a climate-smart crop of tomorrow
Genomic detective work has brought researchers closer to the secret of how and why grass pea produces its notorious toxin, paving the way for this ancient and climate resilient crop to become a food of the future......»»
Scientists enrich nitric oxide-reducing microbes in bioreactor
Nitric oxide (NO) is a fascinating and versatile molecule, important for all living things as well as the environment. It is highly reactive and toxic, organisms use it as a signaling molecule, it depletes the ozone layer in our planet's atmosphere,.....»»
Team finds plastic-associated metalloids in the urban river environments of Mongolia
A team led by researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University studied how microplastics in the environment accumulate heavy metals. As the microplastics spread, so does their toxic cargo. Focusing on polystyrene foam, the team collected particles alon.....»»