The strategy of plants: It"s all about balancing traits
Just like every other organism on Earth, plants' ultimate goal is to survive and reproduce. In order to achieve this, they must make trade-offs between where and how to allocate their finite set of resources. Whether they put their resources and ener.....»»
Nitrogen-fixing plant diversity declines with over-fertilization, study finds
Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition and climate change can reduce the competitive advantage of nitrogen-fixing plants, leading to reduced diversity of these plants in a community. Surprisingly, changes in temperature and aridity do not contribute to th.....»»
New study reveals the effects of lockdowns in shaping socioeconomic behaviors
Monash University research has found that campus-wide lockdowns at universities based in Northern China during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted university students' value of trust, honesty, and creativity—behavioral traits that are crucial for positi.....»»
Loss of "nitrogen fixers" threatens biodiversity, ecosystems, say biologists
Mississippi State University is part of a European-American collaboration studying how human activities, like fertilizer use and pollution, are impacting nitrogen-fixing plants which are crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems by adding nitrogen t.....»»
MechWarrior 5: Clans is supposed to be newbie-friendly, and I put it to the test
All the kit balancing, squad leading, and lore you could want, if you want it. It is a matter of settled law on the Judge John Hodgman podcast that people like what they like, and.....»»
Materials of the future can be extracted from wastewater
A group of researchers is on the way to revolutionizing what biomass from wastewater treatment plants can be used for. Biopolymers from bacteria can be a sustainable alternative to oil-based products, and phosphorus and other minerals can also be har.....»»
New strategy unlocks magnetic switching with hydrogen bonding at molecular level
A research team from Kumamoto University has successfully developed a new approach to create switchable magnetic materials by using hydrogen bonding at the molecular level. Their study shows how certain metal complexes, previously unresponsive to ext.....»»
Q&A: A faster way to identify drought-resistant plants for crop breeding research
Climate change is making droughts more common and more severe—which makes research into developing drought-resistant crops more important than ever. Now researchers have developed a new framework that should expedite this important research......»»
Nonnative plants are a major force behind global insect invasions, study finds
In an article in the journal BioScience, an international team of researchers led by Dr. Cleo Bertelsmeier from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, argues that the global spread of nonnative plants is a key factor driving the growing number of i.....»»
New fabrication strategy enhances graphene aerogel sensitivity and durability for human-machine interfaces
In recent years, researchers have synthesized various new materials that could be used to develop more advanced robotic systems, devices and human-machine interfaces. These materials include graphene aerogels, ultralight, porous and graphene-based ma.....»»
Discovery of key protein for biosynthesis of plant defense steroids could enhance pest control strategies
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology have identified GAME15 as a key protein that regulates the biosynthesis of both steroidal glycoalkaloids and steroidal saponins in plants of the genus Solanum......»»
Stem carbohydrate richness in two cycad species
Terrestrial plants have developed strategies to cope with suboptimal conditions. Storage of nonstructural resources is one of those strategies. Nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) of plants are primarily sugars and starch, and have been studied extens.....»»
Mangrove microbes show potential for breaking down plastics
A way to select a suite of mangrove bacteria that can transform plastic has been developed that potentially offers a new strategy in the global toolkit of plastic waste cleanup. Researchers have assessed the impact of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).....»»
Are you tasty to mosquitoes? Study offers clues into when and why they bite
As mosquitoes and mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue fever spread across the world, researchers say that a key strategy to prevent these illnesses may be dissuading the insects from biting their victims in the first place. But while scientists have.....»»
Trace gas measurements could advance carbon cycle predictions
A novel method for estimating the rate of photosynthesis from land plants reveals that satellite observations—the current gold standard for quantifying terrestrial carbon uptake—underestimate this important metric, a result that could inform and.....»»
Bad news for AMD? Nvidia might fast-track the RTX 50-series
Nvidia might be shifting its strategy with the upcoming RTX 50 series, and that's good news for gamers, but perhaps not for AMD......»»
Tesla bets on AI for autonomous vehicles, humanoid robots in major strategy shift
Tesla is using AI to create potentially lucrative products — autonomous cars and humanoid robots — in a bid by CEO Elon Musk to make it the most valuable company in the world......»»
First mRNA stabilizing substance could aid in development of innovative mRNA therapeutics
Messenger RNA–based therapeutics and vaccines are the new hope in the fight against incurable diseases. A commonly used strategy in the development of messenger RNA (mRNA) medicine is based on the destruction of disease-causing mRNA. Achieving the.....»»
Researchers develop polyurea membranes for lithium recovery from waste batteries
In a study published in the Journal of Membrane Science, a research group led by Prof. Wan Yinhua from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences propose a new zone-regulated interfacial polymerization strategy, aim.....»»
There’s a new Apple Intelligence smart home device and strategy coming in 2025, per report
After years of treating smart home products like a hobby, Apple is reportedly ready to kickstart an aggressive market push. There are new home devices and a fresh strategy on the way, with Apple Intelligence at the center. Here’s what’s coming in.....»»
In a fusion device plasma, a steep ion temperature gradient slows the growth of magnetic islands
Future fusion power plants will require good plasma confinement to sustain reactions and generate energy. One way to contain plasma for fusion reactions is to use a tokamak, a device that applies magnetic fields to "bottle" plasma. However, magnetic.....»»