Urban humans have lost much of their ability to digest plants
Rural populations still have lots of the gut bacteria that break down cellulose. Enlarge (credit: Nathan Devery) Cellulose is the primary component of the cell walls of plants, making it the most common polymer on Earth......»»
How bad are invasive plants for birds? Research suggests large-scale removal may not have intended benefits
A prevailing opinion in land management is that non-native invasive plants are of no ecological value and they significantly diminish habitat quality for wildlife. Conservation practitioners allocate significant resources to invasive plant removal, o.....»»
Service customer arrested at gunpoint after dealership lost paperwork, suit says
A Kia dealership in California is being sued for reporting a vehicle as stolen after it misplaced the agreement loaning it to a customer who was having repair work done......»»
Lost opportunity: We could’ve started fighting climate change in 1971
President Nixon's science advisors recommended building global CO2 monitoring network. Enlarge / A newly revealed research proposal from 1971 shows that Richard Nixon’s science advisors embarked on an extensive analysis of the.....»»
Study details a common bacterial defense against viral infection
One of the many secrets to bacteria's success is their ability to defend themselves from viruses, called phages, that infect bacteria and use their cellular machinery to make copies of themselves......»»
Unveiling a new quantum frontier: Frequency-domain entanglement
Scientists have introduced a form of quantum entanglement known as frequency-domain photon number-path entanglement. This advance in quantum physics involves an innovative tool called a frequency beam splitter, which has the unique ability to alter t.....»»
AI deciphers new gene regulatory code in plants and makes accurate predictions for newly sequenced genomes
Genome sequencing technology provides thousands of new plant genomes annually. In agriculture, researchers merge this genomic information with observational data (measuring various plant traits) to identify correlations between genetic variants and c.....»»
New structures offer insight into how a bacterial motor powers bacterial chemotaxis, a key infectious process
Bacteria existed for millennia before humans and have been infecting us from the beginning. Although we can treat infections through pharmaceuticals, bacteria continue to become resistant to treatment thanks to their rapid evolution. Bacterial infect.....»»
Apple pulls AI image apps from the App Store after learning they could generate nude images
Apple is cracking down on a category of AI image generation apps that “advertised the ability to create nonconsensual nude images.” According to a new report from 404 Media, Apple has removed multiple AI apps from the App Store that claimed they.....»»
The Indian villagers who lost their homes to the sea
The gentle roar of the ocean lulled Indian mother-of-two Banita Behra to sleep each night, until one day the encroaching tide reached her doorstep......»»
Service customer arrested at gunpoint after dealership lost paperwork
A Kia dealership in California is being sued for reporting a vehicle as stolen after it misplaced the agreement loaning it to a customer who was having repair work done......»»
Millions of IPs remain infected by USB worm years after its creators left it for dead
Ability of PlugX worm to live on presents a vexing dilemma: Delete it or leave it be. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) A now-abandoned USB worm that backdoors connected devices has continued to self-replicate for years sin.....»»
Lyme disease in dogs: What dog owners should know
As Lyme disease cases rise in the U.S., humans are not the only ones at risk. Veterinarians with the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine say dogs are increasingly vulnerable to this tick-borne illness......»»
Cichlid fishes" curiosity promotes biodiversity: How exploratory behavior aids in ecological adaptation
Cichlid fishes exhibit differing degrees of curiosity. The cause for this lies in their genes, as reported by researchers from the University of Basel in the journal Science. This trait influences the cichlids' ability to adapt to new habitats......»»
Barley plants fine-tune their root microbial communities through sugary secretions
Different types of barley recruit distinct communities of soil microbes to grow around their roots by releasing a custom mix of sugars and other compounds, according to a new study led by Jacob Malone of the John Innes Center, UK, published in the op.....»»
EPA issues four rules limiting pollution from fossil fuel power plants
Coal to be hit hard, natural gas plants will have to capture carbon emissions. Enlarge (credit: Jose A. Bernat Bacete) Today, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced a suite of rules that target pollution from f.....»»
10 best coming-of-age movies of all time, ranked
The best coming-of-age movies of all time are celebrated for their ability to capture the universal experience of adolescence, from Stand by Me to Moonlight......»»
US announces sweeping cuts to power sector carbon emissions
President Joe Biden's government on Thursday finalized sweeping plans to curb planet-warming emissions from the nation's fossil fuel plants as part of the United States' efforts to confront the climate crisis......»»
In south China, silkworm farmers reel from deadly floods
Hose in hand, 40-year-old Zhu Huangyi cleans a small concrete room once home to his silkworms, two thirds of which were lost in deadly floods hitting southern China this week......»»
Researchers discover mechanism regulating bud dormancy release in tree peony
In perennial woody plants, bud endodormancy is crucial for survival under adverse environmental conditions in winter, such as low temperature (LT) and dehydration stress. To break bud dormancy is essential for the resumption of bud growth and floweri.....»»
Artificial intelligence helps scientists engineer plants to fight climate change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has declared that removing carbon from the atmosphere is now essential to fighting climate change and limiting global temperature rise. To support these efforts, Salk Institute scientists are harne.....»»