ScienceDaily: Earth & Climate News |
| This 5,000-year-old man had the earliest known strain of plague Posted: 29 Jun 2021 01:13 PM PDT The oldest strain of Yersinia pestis -- the bacteria behind the plague that caused the Black Death, which may have killed as much as half of Europe's population in the 1300s -- has been found in the remains of a 5,000-year-old hunter-gatherer. A genetic analysis reveals that this ancient strain was likely less contagious and not as deadly as its medieval version. |
| To understand the future of hurricanes, look to the past Posted: 29 Jun 2021 01:13 PM PDT New research highlights the importance of understanding sea surface temperatures patterns in predicting future hurricane frequency. |
| Paving the way to artificial photosynthesis -- effect of doping on the photocatalyst SrTiO3 Posted: 29 Jun 2021 11:43 AM PDT While the material strontium titanate (SrTiO3) has shown immense potential as a photocatalyst in solar energy conversion, it is unclear whether chemical defects can influence its properties. Now, researchers looked into how doping with niobium affects the charge properties of SrTiO3 crystals. Their findings can help us to increase the efficiency of SrTiO3 photocatalysts, opening doors to a sustainable energy source. |
| Speedy nanorobots could someday clean up soil and water, deliver drugs Posted: 29 Jun 2021 11:43 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that minuscule, self-propelled particles called 'nanoswimmers' can escape from mazes as much as 20 times faster than other, passive particles, paving the way for their use in everything from industrial clean-ups to medication delivery. |
| Hot nights confuse circadian clocks in rice, hurting crop yields Posted: 29 Jun 2021 10:43 AM PDT Rising nighttime temperatures are curbing crop yields for rice, and new research moves us closer to understanding why. The study found that warmer nights alter the rice plant's biological schedule, with hundreds of genes being expressed earlier than usual, while hundreds of other genes are being expressed later than usual. |
| Female fruit flies suppressed: Potential to make pests plummet Posted: 29 Jun 2021 10:43 AM PDT Pest populations plummet in lab experiments as technique using genetically modified fruit flies works more effectively than expected. |
| New 2D alloy combines five metals, breaks down CO2 Posted: 29 Jun 2021 10:43 AM PDT A new, two-dimensional material has been synthesized to act as a catalyst for reducing CO2, into CO, with potential applications in environmental remediation. |
| Scientists mine the rich seam of body wearable motion sensors Posted: 29 Jun 2021 09:08 AM PDT Body movement can be identified through clothing by passing a low voltage through a seam sewn from conductive yarn. Seam-based fitness trackers hold promise for tracking subtle movements (yoga, Pilates, rehabilitation, etc) -- something today's fitness watches struggle with. Stretching conductive seams reduces voltage, and the increase in resistance broadly indicates the level of stretch. Changes in voltage are recorded using a microcontroller. |
| New findings to boost barley yields at higher temperatures Posted: 29 Jun 2021 09:08 AM PDT Researchers have identified a novel mechanism in barley plants, which could help crop growers achieve high yields as temperatures rise. |
| Parasites manipulate praying mantis's polarized-light perception, causing it to jump into water Posted: 29 Jun 2021 09:08 AM PDT Researchers have revealed that praying mantis (mantids) infected with parasitic hairworms are attracted to horizontally polarized light that is strongly reflected off the surface of water, which causes them to enter the water. These results demonstrate that parasites can manipulate the host's specific light perception system to their advantage, causing the host to behave in an abnormal manner. |
| Microbes feast on crushed rock in subglacial lakes beneath Antarctica Posted: 29 Jun 2021 09:07 AM PDT Pioneering research has revealed the erosion of ancient sediments found deep beneath Antarctic ice could be a vital and previously unknown source of nutrients and energy for abundant microbial life. |
| Ground breaking invention on battery recycling Posted: 29 Jun 2021 09:07 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new method to recycle electric vehicle batteries using a ground-breaking new approach that many will have experienced in the dentist's chair. |
| Sustainable mining of raw materials from thermal springs in Chile Posted: 29 Jun 2021 09:07 AM PDT Lithium, cesium, or even gold -- in addition to energy geothermal waters can contain mineral treasures. Researchers want to leverage this potential and support sustainable mining in Chile. Together with their partners, they are developing strategies and methods for extracting mineral resources and even drinking water directly in geothermal power plants. |
| COVID-19's socio-economic fallout threatens global coffee industry, study finds Posted: 29 Jun 2021 07:12 AM PDT COVID-19's socio-economic effects will likely cause another severe production crisis in the coffee industry, according to a new study. |
| How humans brought change to a tropical paradise Posted: 29 Jun 2021 07:12 AM PDT After centuries of human impact on the world's ecosystems, a new study details an example of how a common native bee species has flourished since the very first land clearances by humans on Fiji. |
| Mongoose in the city: How landscape can impact disease transmission in Botswana Posted: 29 Jun 2021 07:12 AM PDT Under a concrete drainage culvert at the edge of a town in Botswana, a troop of banded mongoose is getting ready to leave its den. Moving from shade into light, the cat-sized animals scan the area for signs of danger and for opportunities to find something to eat in an increasingly crowded neighborhood. |
| Air pollution from wildfires impacts ability to observe birds Posted: 29 Jun 2021 07:12 AM PDT Researchers provide a first look at the probability of observing common birds as air pollution worsens during wildfire seasons. They found that smoke affected the ability to detect more than a third of the bird species studied in Washington state over a four-year period. Sometimes smoke made it harder to observe birds, while other species were actually easier to detect when smoke was present. |
| Better way to study reputedly secretive toad Posted: 29 Jun 2021 07:12 AM PDT New research has upended the conventional wisdom that for a century has incorrectly guided the study of a toad listed as endangered in part of its range. |
| New insight into photosynthesis could help grow more resilient plants Posted: 28 Jun 2021 03:07 PM PDT A research team has created a computer model to understand how plants make adjustments to store energy made through photosynthesis. Understanding these adjustments could help develop new plants that can withstand rising temperatures from climate change. |
| Shock find brings 'extinct' mouse 'back from the dead' Posted: 28 Jun 2021 12:29 PM PDT An Australian mammal thought to have been wiped out over 150 years ago can now be crossed off our list of extinct animals, following a new study. |
| Underground fiber optic sensors record sounds of COVID lockdown, reopening Posted: 28 Jun 2021 09:30 AM PDT In March 2020, daily life in the United States changed in an instant as the country locked down to deal with the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. New research reveals how residents in one community returned to their routines as the restrictions lifted. |
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