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ScienceDaily: Top Environment News |
| Iodine in desert dust destroys ozone Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST When winds loft fine desert dust high into the atmosphere, iodine in that dust can trigger chemical reactions that destroy some air pollution, but also let greenhouse gases stick around longer. The finding may force researchers to re-evaluate how particles from land can impact the chemistry of the atmosphere. |
| These fish work together by the hundreds of thousands to make waves Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST In the sports arena, spectators sometimes create a spectacle known as a wave, as successive groups stand up in unison to yell with arms in the air. Now, researchers have shown that small freshwater fish known as sulphur mollies do a similar thing, and for life or death reasons. The collective wave action produced by hundreds of thousands of fish working together helps to protect them from predatory birds. |
| Ancient DNA reveals the world’s oldest family tree Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST Analysis of ancient DNA from one of the best-preserved Neolithic tombs in Britain has revealed that most of the people buried there were from five continuous generations of a single extended family. By analysing DNA extracted from the bones and teeth of 35 individuals entombed at Hazleton North long cairn in the Cotswolds-Severn region, the research team was able to detect that 27 of them were close biological relatives. The group lived approximately 5700 years ago -- around 3700-3600 BC - around 100 years after farming had been introduced to Britain. |
| How do our organs know when to stop growing? Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:30 PM PST The smallest fish in the world, the Paedocypris, measures only 7 millimeters. This is nothing compared to the 9 meters of the whale shark. The small fish shares many of the same genes and the same anatomy with the shark, but the dorsal and caudal fins, gills, stomach and heart, are thousands of times smaller! How do organs and tissues of this miniature fish stop growing very quickly, unlike those of their giant cousin? A multidisciplinary team was able to answer this fundamental question by studying its physics and using mathematical equations. |
| Team succeeds in culturing the pygmy zebra octopus Posted: 22 Dec 2021 07:49 AM PST Researchers report culturing methods for the pygmy zebra octopus, an emerging laboratory research organism. |
| Posted: 22 Dec 2021 07:08 AM PST Scientists predict that continued global warming under current trends could lead to an elevation of the sea level by as much as five meters by the year 3000 CE. |
| For some Greenlanders, eating sugar is healthy Posted: 22 Dec 2021 07:08 AM PST A genetic variation among some Greenlanders makes sugar healthy -- significantly more than for most people. According to a new study, gut bacteria and a unique diet that has nourished Greenlanders for millennia have provided them with a genetic variation that offers an incredible advantage. |
| People with IBD have more microplastics in their feces Posted: 22 Dec 2021 05:40 AM PST Microplastics -- tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in length -- are everywhere, from bottled water to food to air. According to recent estimates, people consume tens of thousands of these particles each year, with unknown health consequences. Now, researchers have found that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have more microplastics in their feces than healthy controls, suggesting that the fragments could be related to the disease process. |
| Wise old elephants keep the young calm Posted: 21 Dec 2021 06:24 PM PST Male elephants are more aggressive when fewer older males are present, new research suggests. |
| Tsunamis’ magnetic fields are detectable before sea level change Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST A new study finds the magnetic field generated by a tsunami can be detected a few minutes earlier than changes in sea level and could improve warnings of these giant waves. |
| Where does the special scent of thyme and oregano come from? Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:27 AM PST Thyme and oregano are not only popular herbs for cooking, but also valuable medicinal plants. Their essential oils contain thymol and carvacrol which impart the typical flavors and are medically important. A team has now fully identified how the plants produce these two substances. The results could simplify the breeding process and improve the pharmaceutical value of thyme and oregano. |
| Trees are important for cleaner air in cities Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:27 AM PST Air pollution levels vary greatly between different places in a city. This is the finding of a new study which concludes that trees contribute to cleaner air in cities. |
| The Hitchhiker’s guide to the soil Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:27 AM PST The interaction of fungi and bacteria in the transport of viruses in the soil ecosystem has been examined in a recent study. The scientists showed a novel mechanism of viral transport by bacterial shuttles traveling along fungal hyphae. Bacteria thereby benefit from taking along viruses on the conquest of new habitats. |
| How transparency in butterflies and moths helps ward off predators Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:27 AM PST Transparent wing patches may do more than allow butterflies and moths to hide -- they may also warn predators to leave them alone, suggests a new study. |
| Fast and durable batteries to come: A promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries Posted: 20 Dec 2021 09:07 AM PST To overcome the slow charging times of conventional lithium-ion batteries, scientists have developed a new anode material that allows for ultrafast charging. Produced via a simple, environmentally sound and efficient approach involving the calcination of a bio-based polymer, this novel material also retained most of its initial capacity over thousands of cycles. The findings of this study will pave the way to fast-charging and durable batteries for electric vehicles. |
| Can a dangerous microbe offer a new way to silence pain? Posted: 20 Dec 2021 09:06 AM PST A new study shows that a toxin from the microbe that causes anthrax can silence multiple types of pain in mice. Researchers found the toxin targets pain-sensing cells to alter signaling and block pain. Building on that finding, researchers engineered an anthrax protein vehicle to deliver different types of treatments into pain receptors and modulate nerve-cell function. The findings can inform the design of therapies that selectively target pain-sensing fibers without the widespread systemic effects of opioids and other pain killers. |
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