Tiny plastic particles in the environment
Wherever scientists look, they can spot them: whether in remote mountain lakes, in Arctic sea ice, in the deep-ocean floor or in air samples, even in edible fish—thousands upon thousands of microscopic plastic particles in the micro to millimeter r.....»»
Plastic pollution talks move closer to world-first pact
A fourth and penultimate round of UN-led negotiations to solve global plastic pollution wrapped up in Ottawa early on Tuesday with a world-first pact said to be within reach by year's end but without a cap on the production of polymers......»»
A mathematical bridge between the huge and the tiny
A mathematical link between two key equations—one that deals with the very big and the other, the very small—has been developed by a young mathematician in China......»»
Aggressive wall lizard provides clues to understanding evolution
Body shape, color and behavior often evolve together as species adapt to their environment. Researchers from Lund University in Sweden have studied this phenomenon in a specific type of large, bright green and aggressive common wall lizard found near.....»»
Researchers develop tiny droplets that harness laser light to detect disease markers
A team of researchers led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has created tiny droplets that, when activated by laser light, can detect viral protein biomarkers indicating the presence of certain diseases......»»
Probing the effects of interplanetary space on asteroid Ryugu
Analyzing samples retrieved from the asteroid Ryugu by the Japanese Space Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft has revealed new insights into the magnetic and physical bombardment environment of interplanetary space. The results of the study, carried out by.....»»
If plastic manufacturing goes up 10%, plastic pollution goes up 10%—and we"re set for a huge surge in production
In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon emissions budget......»»
Why Germany ditched nuclear before coal—and why it won’t go back
The past year has seen record renewable power production nationwide. Enlarge / Jürgen Trittin, member of the German Bundestag and former environment minister, stands next to an activist during an action of the environmental orga.....»»
New rock art discoveries in Eastern Sudan tell a tale of ancient cattle, the "green Sahara" and climate catastrophe
The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new research has found rock art over 4,000 years old that depicts cattle......»»
Large Hadron Collider experiment zeroes in on magnetic monopoles
The late physicist Joseph Polchinski once said the existence of magnetic monopoles is "one of the safest bets that one can make about physics not yet seen." In its quest for these particles, which have a magnetic charge and are predicted by several t.....»»
Granting legal "personhood" to nature is a growing movement: Can it stem biodiversity loss?
Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing......»»
Nature degradation could cause a 12% loss to UK GDP, new analysis suggests
The deterioration of the UK's natural environment could lead to an estimated 12% loss to GDP, according to new analysis. In comparison, the financial crisis of 2008 took around 5% off the value of the UK GDP, while the COVID-19 pandemic cost the UK u.....»»
Making sustainable biotechnology a reality: Joined forces aim to improve biocatalysts
Everything biobased: plastic, medicine, and fuel. It seems like a futuristic utopia. But for how long? A collaboration of researchers now proposes an idea to accelerate the development process. By combining machine learning and laboratory automation,.....»»
Demonstration of heralded three-photon entanglement on a photonic chip
Photonic quantum computers are computational tools that leverage quantum physics and utilize particles of light (i.e., photons) as units of information processing. These computers could eventually outperform conventional quantum computers in terms of.....»»
Mechanism of grafting Prunus sp. to control crown gall disease by regulating the rhizosphere environment
Grafting is a traditional and significant strategy to suppress soil-borne diseases, such as the crown gall disease caused by tumorigenic Agrobacterium and Rhizobium. Root exudates and the rhizosphere microbiome play critical roles in controlling crow.....»»
Study suggests that cells possess a hidden communication system
Cells constantly navigate a dynamic environment, facing ever-changing conditions and challenges. But how do cells swiftly adapt to these environmental fluctuations?.....»»
Will the US ban the use of single-use plastics like England, India, Hong Kong and other countries?
Madhavi Venkatesan, associate teaching professor of economics at Northeastern University, is convinced that human convenience is an expense the environment cannot afford......»»
Researchers show it"s possible to teach old magnetic cilia new tricks
Magnetic cilia—artificial hairs whose movement is powered by embedded magnetic particles—have been around for a while, and are of interest for applications in soft robotics, transporting objects and mixing liquids. However, existing magnetic cili.....»»
Ultrasensitive photonic crystal detects single particles down to 50 nanometers
Using an ultrasensitive photonic crystal, TU/e researchers were able to detect single particles down to 50 nanometers in diameter. The new research has just been published in the journal Optica......»»
Scientists tune the entanglement structure in an array of qubits
Entanglement is a form of correlation between quantum objects, such as particles at the atomic scale. The laws of classical physics cannot explain this uniquely quantum phenomenon, yet it is one of the properties that explain the macroscopic behavior.....»»
Diversity and productivity go branch-in-branch: Scientists share which forests can adapt to climate change
Climate change can be characterized as the Grim Reaper or some other harbinger of dire times for humanity and natural environment, including forests. Previous studies reporting a decline in forest productivity due to climate warming and long-term dro.....»»