Posts

Showing posts from 2022

Gravitational wave hunters will get an ultracool new tool in 2023

We have been detecting gravitational waves since 2015, but there is still much more to learn. The Matter-wave Laser Interferometric Gravitation Antenna will use ultracold atoms to spot ripples in space-time at lower frequencies than ever before from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/Hv5B0jR

Time is running out for countries to agree rules on deep-sea mining

If governments don't meet a July 2023 deadline to draw up regulations governing deep-sea mining, companies may start exploiting the seabed without legal restrictions from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/mOYS2j9

The best science fiction television to watch out for in 2023

From new seasons of The Mandalorian and Severance to a much-anticipated adaptation of The Three-Body Problem, settle in for some stellar shows next year from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/rug4Lm3

Bird flu vaccination may be the only way to have free-range chickens

Tens of millions of poultry are being kept indoors or have been slaughtered because of avian influenza. Without widespread vaccination of birds, free-range chickens and eggs could be off the menu forever in some countries from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/ewZEYGX

Wildcat review: Come for cute animals, stay for nuanced psychology

An unusual nature documentary features a battle-scarred soldier who finds salvation in the Amazon rainforest, caring for an injured ocelot cub and developing a complex relationship with the founder of a wildlife rescue centre from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/gjOQXLp

EU's Artificial Intelligence Act will lead the world on regulating AI

The European Union is set to create the world's first broad standards for regulating or banning certain uses of artificial intelligence in 2023 from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/hANT1Wo

The best science fiction books out in 2023

CERN-inspired stories, a feminist retelling of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and a new deep future from Annalee Newitz: sci-fi fans have a lot to look forward to in 2023 from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/VRKibvw

Eye scratching mechanisms in rats

Researchers investigate the neurological signals behind itchy eyes in rodents and their corresponding scratching behavior. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/JTBvs84

The best films of 2023, from Dune: Part Two to Patrick and the Whale

From blockbuster sci-fi to epic biopics and jaw-dropping documentaries, here are the films we can’t wait to see in 2023 from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/86dZJmg

Why we probably won't get new covid-19 vaccines in 2023

Any new covid-19 vaccine must be better than the ones we already have, setting a high bar for approval that is not expected to be met in 2023 from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/eFUNWjL

The best popular science books out in 2023

Discover a quantum world of numbers, the amazing new science of the human electrome and long views of Earth and its wonders in this look at the best non-fiction coming this year from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/f5JmqIb

Modelling the collective movement of bacteria

A new paper presents a mathematical model for the motion of bacteria that includes cell division and death, the basic ingredients of the cell cycle. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/U7C0R6H

2023 could mark a turning point for the Amazon rainforest

New political leaders in Brazil and Colombia have promised to protect the rainforest, raising hopes of saving the ecosystem from becoming savannah from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/6Xobzke

When our vertical perception gets distorted: Body pitch and translational body motion

Taking Hong Kong's famous Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak offers stunning views of its central business district, Victoria Harbor, and the surrounding islands. But a team of international scientists has recently discovered that the trams winding journey provides a previously unrecognized situation where our vertical perception gets distorted. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/bWAxrj8

How sounds from space are revealing otherwise hidden cosmic phenomena

Turning astrophysical data into audio has led to all sorts of surprising discoveries, from micrometeoroids bombarding spacecraft to lightning on Saturn. Now, there is a push to get more astronomers to use sonification from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/hYIRMzF

Bering Land Bridge formed surprisingly late during last ice age

A new study that reconstructs the history of sea level at the Bering Strait shows that the Bering Land Bridge connecting Asia to North America did not emerge until around 35,700 years ago, less than 10,000 years before the height of the last ice age (known as the Last Glacial Maximum). The findings indicate that the growth of the ice sheets -- and the resulting drop in sea level -- occurred surprisingly quickly and much later in the glacial cycle than previous studies had suggested. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/ITF9qJK

Spacecraft are heading to a metal asteroid and Jupiter's moons in 2023

The JUICE and Psyche mission are set to blast off in 2023, with the aim of studying Jupiter's largest moons and a possible iron core of a planet in the hopes of understanding how worlds become habitable from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/7CU6mTb

Ethereal color variant of mysterious plant is actually a new species

It was thought that there was only one species of the ghost-like Monotropastrum humile plant found in woodlands across East and Southeast Asia. In a major new discovery, botanists reveal that a rosy pink colored variant is actually a distinct new species, shaking up our understanding of this unusual-looking genus of plants. This 20-year study emphasizes the importance of combining various analytical methods to fully understand and protect biodiversity. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/FMAWdr6

AI made it possible to create a picture of almost anything in 2022

The rapid rise of text-to-image generators powered by artificial intelligence has thrilled some people, but left others concerned for the future of art from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/dApLIbj

Microplastics deposited on the seafloor triple in 20 years

The total amount of microplastics deposited on the bottom of oceans has tripled in the past two decades with a progression that corresponds to the type and volume of consumption of plastic products by society. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/7mSfgcO

Plants between light and darkness

How plants optimize photosynthesis under changing light conditions. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/rxKo7if

Scientists enhance recyclability of post-consumer plastic

Scientists have developed a new method for recycling high-density polyethylene (HDPE). from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/fqKrYMA

Rewriting the textbook on gene regulation: It's the big picture that counts

Researchers have shown that changes in gene expression happen almost entirely during the transcription stage while the cells are growing. The researchers have provided a simple quantitative formula linking regulatory control to mRNA and protein levels. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/T5UpabZ

Mediterranean diet linked to lower preeclampsia risk

In a new study evaluating the Mediterranean diet and adverse pregnancy outcomes, investigators from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai found that women who conceived while adhering to the anti-inflammatory diet had a significantly lower risk of developing preeclampsia during pregnancy. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/KCqzWOb

Drying process could be key step in the development of life

New research could help explain crucial early steps on the path of life that led from a pool filled with simple amino acids to bacteria, redwood trees and people. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/x4b0Zfm

Read New Scientist’s 5 best long reads of 2022 for free

To celebrate the end of the year, our editors have picked New Scientist’s very best features of 2022. And as a gift from us to you, they are all free to read until 1 January from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/hkeocv4

Bird diversity increased in severely burned forests of Southern Appalachian mountains

A new study found bird diversity increased in North Carolina mountain forest areas severely burned by wildfire in 2016, reinforcing that while wildfire can pose risks to safety and property, it can be beneficial to wildlife. The study results could help forest managers better predict bird responses to wildfire, and manage forests to benefit birds. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/CJYGq8g

Hunter-gatherer social ties spread pottery-making far and wide

Analysis of more than 1,200 vessels from hunter-gatherer sites has shown that pottery-making techniques spread vast distances over a short period of time through social traditions being passed on. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/prh2PlQ

Gene-replacement therapies are transforming children’s lives

Several therapies to correct severe genetic disorders have been approved by medical regulators in 2022, and others have produced impressive clinical trial results from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/5eECLIT

Sneaking drugs into the brain could treat conditions like Alzheimer's

A method of drug delivery that uses one of the body’s own systems to sneak mRNA molecules past the blood-brain barrier could help treat conditions such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and cancer from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/jNF5Q9B

How is China ending its zero-covid policy affecting cases and deaths?

Covid-19 cases are mounting in China after the government announced it would no longer pursue a zero-covid policy from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/VjwF6QZ

Shedding light on the origin of complex life forms

Researchers have succeeded in cultivating a special archaeon and characterizing it more precisely using microscopic methods. This member of the Asgard archaea exhibits unique cellular characteristics and may represent an evolutionary 'missing link' to more complex life forms such as animals and plants. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/PznsDXe

California's carbon offsetting may actually be increasing emissions

The state's ambitious plan to be carbon-neutral by 2045 relies on carbon offsets through the state’s forests. But scientists say it may be causing more harm than good from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/r2yvRUf

Polar vortex is set to drive record cold temperatures in the US

An intense winter storm is expected to bring wind chills as low as -70°F (-57°C) to parts of the US from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/5m7ocGn

Palau's Rock Islands harbor heat-resistant corals

Ocean warming is driving an increase in the frequency and severity of marine heatwaves, causing untold damage to coral reefs. Tropical corals, which live in symbiosis with tiny single celled algae, are sensitive to high temperatures, and exhibit a stress response called bleaching when the ocean gets too hot. In the last 4 decades, marine heatwaves have caused widespread bleaching, and killed millions of corals. Because of this, a global search is underway for reefs that can withstand the heat stress, survive future warming, and act as sources of heat-tolerant coral larvae to replenish affected areas both naturally and through restoration. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/fqRW6y5

Metabolic hack makes ocean algae more resilient to 21st century climate change

Scientists provide clear evidence that marine phytoplankton are much more resilient to future climate change than previously thought. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/mM0gD5C

Wildfire threats not commonly disclosed by US firms despite risk to economy

U.S. firms rarely report their wildfire risks in required federal filings and instead bury such risks in nonspecific risk disclosures, according to new research. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/rWgn9sy

Stimulating the brainstem may make cochlear implants more effective

In a study in rats, artificially stimulating the locus coeruleus in the animals' brainstem quickly improved their ability to respond to sound following a cochlear implant from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/GUVg7YM

Acids help against airborne viruses

A new study shows that aerosols in indoor air can vary in acidity. This acidity determines how long viruses remain infectious in the air -- with profound implications for virus transmission and strategies to contain it. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/wtEbqA5

Potentially deadly infection has dangerous ally lurking in our guts

New research reveals how microorganisms in our guts can worsen dangerous C. difficile infections. The discovery could help doctors identify patients at risk for severe illness and open the door to new treatments. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/hwqRx7l

Two fungi work together to kill fig trees, study finds

Research finds that fungus carried by ambrosia beetles works together with a second fungus to cause fig wilting disease. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/CRdwjAe

Heat and cold as health hazards

Both hot and cold environments trigger a stress response in the human body and can lead to cardiovascular problems. Physiologists have recently investigated both factors in scientific studies. The results are especially interesting in light of the current multiple global crises. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/tm3xNc9

Early forests did not significantly change the atmospheric CO2

Scientists have discovered that the atmosphere contained far less CO2 than previously thought when forests emerged on our planet, the new study has important implications for understanding how land plants affect the climate. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/08aMCRU

Lyme disease may spread further by helping ticks survive cold winters

Ticks infected with the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease are more likely to survive winter, contributing to the spread of the disease as the world warms from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/MUGxosc

This Venom-like magnetic slime robot was a big hit in 2022

A magnetic slime robot that drew comparisons to the Marvel character Venom could navigate through narrow passages and fix broken circuits from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/RekHlms

New theory on timing for human settlement of some parts of tropical Pacific

Spread across vast distances, the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean are thought to have been populated by humans in two distinct migrations beginning approximately 3,330 years ago. The first followed a northern route out of what is today the Philippines and the second followed a southern route from Taiwan and New Guinea. People arrived on the islands between these routes -- now making up the Federated States of Micronesia -- about 1,000 years later. But a new finding by sea-level researchers suggests that the islands in Micronesia were possibly settled much earlier than supposed and that voyagers on the two routes may have interacted with one another. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/FanNe6q

Do polar bear paws hold the secret to better tire traction?

Traction is important. Humans have been continually interested in discovering how to better move across wet or frozen surfaces safely -- whether to improve shoes for walking on sidewalks or tires to maneuver the roadways. But what makes it possible for some Arctic animals to walk and run across the ice so effortlessly and gracefully without slipping and falling? Researchers took a deep dive into the paws of polar bears to find out. What the team discovered was that all bears (except sun bears) have papillae on their paw pads, but that the papillae on polar bears were taller -- up to 1.5 times. And, that the taller papillae of polar bears help to increase traction on snow relative to shorter ones. Even though polar bears have smaller paw pads compared to the other species (likely because of greater fur coverage for heat conservation), the taller papillae of polar bears compensate for their smaller paw pads, giving them a 30-50% increase in frictional shear stress. from Top Environment...

Diving birds are more prone to extinction, says new study

Diving birds like penguins, puffins and cormorants may be more prone to extinction than non-diving birds, according to a new study. The authors suggest this is because they are highly specialized and therefore less able to adapt to changing environments than other birds. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/dKi0BXY

Male wasps use spiky genitals to defend themselves from predators

Male mason wasps have no sting, but they have spines on their genitals that can cause a pricking pain, and these are effective at deterring some frogs from eating them from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/JUAGFZn

Mars has enough wind to power bases near the poles all year round

An analysis of the wind energy available on Mars finds that one well-placed turbine could enable a group of six people to live near the poles all year round from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/0gFTOJr

Ichthyosaurs used a barren region of the ocean as an ancient nursery

Marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs, which resembled whales and dolphins, seem to have gathered to give birth in a quiet ocean area with no predators from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/4mIj215

We have finally found the land of Punt, where pharaohs got their gifts

The land of Punt, a mysterious place where ancient Egyptians bought gold, incense and other luxury items, has been located using DNA from mummified baboons from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/BrqM1i0

2022: The year of rolling polycrisis, but with a few glimmers of hope

This year, there were the lows of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, soaring prices and extreme weather, and the highs of an accelerating shift to green energy and space wonders from the James Webb Space Telescope from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/B5h9VAO

Wearable skin patch monitors hemoglobin in deep tissues

A team of engineers has developed a photoacoustic patch that can monitor biomolecules in deep tissues, including hemoglobin. It can perform 3D mapping of hemoglobin with a submillimeter spatial resolution in deep tissues, down to centimeters below the skin, versus other wearable electrochemical devices that only sense the biomolecules on the skin surface. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/QUW4sPG

Climate change played key role in dinosaur success story

Climate change, rather than competition, played a key role in the ascendancy of dinosaurs through the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic periods. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/k7ZDj9K

Subnivium: The secret ecosystem hidden beneath the snow

An ephemeral ecosystem of tunnels in the snow is home to insects, frogs, rodents and even flowering plants. But as the climate changes, is it about to collapse? from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/y0Irevh

Subnivium: The secret ecosystem hidden beneath the snow

An ephemeral ecosystem of tunnels in the snow is home to insects, frogs, rodents and even flowering plants. But as the climate changes, is it about to collapse? from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/y0Irevh

Join the Christmas Bird Count and contribute to conservation research

There are plenty of opportunities for birdwatchers to contribute to conservation science this December and January, says Layal Liverpool from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/zk9s6LS

Study examines bacteria living in and on mosquitoes

Avoiding mosquitoes to protect against bites is always a good idea. But a new study shows that the bacteria-ridden exteriors of mosquitoes may be another reason to arm yourself with a swatter. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Qf0NGYW

New study finds logged tropical forests are surprisingly vibrant and need protection

New study examines the flow of ecological energy across old-growth forests, logged forests and oil palm. The study surveys mammal and bird species across these landscapes to calculate food energetic pathways: how photosynthetic energy cascades from sunlight to be distributed among organisms. Relative to energy flow in old-growth forests, study finds 2.5 times more total energy flows in logged forests. The study findings question the use of the word 'degraded' to describe logged tropical forests. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/QK0sVU5

Some individual animals are really lazy. How do they get away with it?

Biologists who track animals often find there is one individual that sits around doing nothing for days at a time. How do these slackers survive? from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/uP0lzjM

COP15: How much money do we need to stop biodiversity loss?

Several high-income countries have made pledges at COP15 to fund programmes to protect biodiversity but so far they amount to a small fraction of what’s needed from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/BnjEHgv

COP15: What is the 30 by 30 biodiversity target and is it enough?

Under the 30 by 30 biodiversity target, countries would pledge to protect 30 per cent of land and sea, but that may not be enough to reduce biodiversity losses from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/MonRqYB

Increasing forest cover in the Eifel region 11,000 years ago resulted in the local loss of megafauna

Sediment cores obtained from Eifel maar sites provide insight into the presence of large Ice Age mammals in Central Europe over the past 60,000 years: Overkill hypothesis not confirmed. Herds of megafauna, such as mammoth and bison, have roamed the prehistoric plains in what is today's Central Europe for several tens of thousands of years. As woodland expanded at the end of the last Ice Age, the numbers of these animals declined and by roughly 11,000 years ago, they had completely vanished from this region. Thus, the growth of forests was the main factor that determined the extinction of such megafauna in Central Europe. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/NknAGbh

The strange physics of absolute zero and what it takes to get there

Weird things happen down at -273°C, the coldest possible temperature. Now we're building quantum fridges, which could make things even weirder from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/wvC9eEs

Drought encouraged Attila's Huns to attack the Roman empire, tree rings suggest

Hunnic peoples migrated westward across Eurasia, switched between farming and herding, and became violent raiders in response to severe drought in the Danube frontier provinces of the Roman empire, a new study argues. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/4fpsjzX

Canada geese return twice as quickly if you try to shoo them away

Geese chased out of a park in Chicago returned to the area twice as quickly on days when they were harassed, compared with days when they left of their own accord from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/ZJ6sNmt

Early humans may have first walked upright in the trees

Human bipedalism -- walking upright on two legs -- may have evolved in trees, and not on the ground as previously thought, according to a new study. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/ulVHG5Z

Read Orris, an exclusive sci-fi short story from Arkady Martine

In a future where climate change has devastated Florence’s iris fields, a perfumer makes a hard choice in the Hugo award-winning novelist Arkady Martine's short story from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/fanpADm

Drinking coffee regularly after pregnancy may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes for women who had diabetes during pregnancy

Drinking coffee regularly may keep type 2 diabetes away from women who had diabetes during pregnancy. Replacing artificially sweetened and sugar-sweetened beverages with caffeinated coffee also reduces the risk, by 10% for a cup of artificially sweetened beverage, and 17% for a cup of sugar-sweetened one. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/KGu03ro

Shaping the sport of kings: Key genes linked to successful racehorses identified by international team

A critical set of genes linked to successful racehorses has been identified by an international research team. Scientists from Asia, Europe, North America compared the genomes of Thoroughbred, Arabian and Mongolian racehorses to horses bred for other sports and leisure, and were able to pinpoint a set of genes that play a significant role in muscle, metabolism, and neurobiology. These genes were found to be clearly different in racing horses, and were common to all racing breeds compared to those animals from non-racing breeds. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/BZ5X9za

Drinking more alcohol after a traumatic event may increase PTSD risk

It has long been believed that PTSD increases the risk for excess drinking, but in some cases it may actually be the other way around from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/MpX0m6h

Gut microbes can boost the motivation to exercise

Some species of gut-dwelling bacteria activate nerves in the gut to promote the desire to exercise, according to a study in mice. The study reveals the gut-to-brain pathway that explains why some bacteria boost exercise performance. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/mkeM312

Drone used to map radioactive vault at former US weapons site

A drone has mapped a vault full of radioactive powder as part of a decades-long project to clean up a former weapons and nuclear energy test site in Idaho from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/B1RJKGf

Flying snakes help scientists design new robots

Researchers explore the lift production mechanism of flying snakes, which undulate side-to-side as they move from the tops of trees to the ground to escape predators or to move around quickly and efficiently. The investigators developed a computational model derived from data obtained through high-speed video of the snakes and considered several features, such as the angle of attack that the snake forms with the oncoming airflow and the frequency of its undulations, to determine which were important in producing glide. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/aKNWo15

Transplants can save dying coral reefs, but genetically diverse donors are key

Study uses lab-grown coral clones to determine why some coral thrive when transplanted onto coral reefs and others die. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/j4Xzplt

A Mediterranean diet not only boosts health, but also improves fertility

With an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and legumes, the Mediterranean diet has long been applauded for its multiple health benefits. Now, new research shows that it may also help overcome infertility, making it a non-intrusive and affordable strategy for couples trying to conceive. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/O7MP1Ki

Nuclear fusion researchers have achieved historic energy milestone

A controlled fusion reaction has generated more energy than was put into the system for the first time, bringing viable fusion power another step closer to reality from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/S3ykZvn

OpenAI is developing a watermark to identify work from its GPT text AI

A cryptographic tool inserts a detectable signature in the words produced by OpenAI’s text-generating artificial intelligence models. It could help teachers stop students using AIs to do their homework from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/KziBxDa

Magnetic tape: The surprisingly retro way big tech stores your data

From family photos to particle physics data, we generate stupendous amounts of digital information - and much of it is stored on old-fashioned plastic cartridges from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/BXFRPZx

Reliance on moose as prey led to rare coyote attack on human

Wildlife researchers have completed a study that may settle the question of why, in October 2009, a group of coyotes launched an unprovoked fatal attack on a young woman who was hiking in a Canadian park. Researchers concluded that the coyotes were forced to rely on moose instead of smaller mammals for the bulk of their diet -- and as a result of adapting to that unusually large food source, perceived a lone hiker as potential prey. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/eDKfFcN

Newly discovered scorpionfly genus with bizarre appearance

Zoologists have described and classified previously unknown species of scorpionflies from Nepal. These species belong to a completely new genus. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/O9NX2h8

Elephant-nose fish do a little dance to help them 'see' in 3D

Pulses of electricity give some fish the ability to identify objects or prey, and a little shimmy helps them take several snapshots that give their underwater world depth from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/u6Nv2Mp

Fossils reveal the dinosaur era's changing insect soundscape

Bush crickets from the Triassic era onwards evolved high-frequency songs to avoid being heard by predators from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/qmoiJDU

Spectacular liquid fractal generated by a submerged spinning top

A spinning top submerged in a liquid mixture generates a fractal – a pattern that repeats itself at smaller scales from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/8aLenVs

Crawling robots will survey ageing US nuclear missile silos

Decades-old US silos holding Minuteman III missiles that have been a key nuclear deterrent since the 1970s will be assessed by robots that can crawl straight up walls from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/Ryvi9OI

The science of self-knowledge is important, even if it is a bit fuzzy

Who you really are is a major question worth pursuing for most people, so research into self-knowledge is important despite the fact it often relies on subjective findings from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/cDxROLy

Paper-thin solar cell can turn any surface into a power source

MIT researchers developed a scalable fabrication technique to produce ultrathin, flexible, durable, lightweight solar cells that can be stuck to any surface. Glued to high-strength fabric, the solar cells are only one-hundredth the weight of conventional cells while producing about 18 times more power-per-kilogram. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/QOapmsy

Primordial germ cells made from northern white rhino stem cells

In its race to advance assisted reproduction and stem cell associated technologies to save the northern white rhinoceros from extinction, researchers announce a major breakthrough: the creation of primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLSs) from induced pluripotent stem cells of the northern white rhino Nabire. Now there is one last step to master for the production of artificial rhino gametes (eggs and sperm) from preserved tissue. If successful, this would boost the availability and genetic diversity of embryos and become a cornerstone for saving the northern white rhinoceros. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/vdwuAUK

Life-saving light beam to detect malaria

A fast, needle-free malaria detection tool could help save hundreds of thousands of lives annually. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/olrgXKC

Assessing El Nino 'flavors' to unravel past variability, future impact

By assessing so-called 'flavors' of El Nino events in past climate records and model simulations, researchers have a clearer picture of El Nino patterns over the past 12,000 years and are able to more accurately project future changes and impacts of this powerful force. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/pDwlz4E

NASA’s Artemis I mission has ended as Orion splashed down on Earth

The Orion capsule splashed down off the coast of California on 11 December, completing the Artemis I mission and setting the stage for NASA astronauts to return to the moon from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/BDSdsMq

Electric car sales drive toward cleaner air, longer lives

Electric cars -- and their continued sales growth -- are expected to have a greener, cleaner influence on air pollution and reduce early human mortality in most, if not all, U.S. metropolitan areas. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/QoREsjU

New way to produce important molecular entity

A team presents a new, direct way to produce unsymmetrically constructed vicinal diamines. These structures are relevant for the function of biologically active molecules, natural products and pharmaceuticals. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/vx0niz4

Learn the secrets of poinsettias to help them thrive

Shop-bought poinsettias produce a stunning display of crimson, and these tropical plants can be coaxed into an encore performance if you have the patience, says Clare Wilson from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/0fVp2et

Experimental CRISPR technique has promise against aggressive leukaemia

A 13-year-old girl whose leukaemia had not responded to other treatments now has no detectable cancer cells after receiving a dose of immune cells that were genetically edited to attack the cancer from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/y6Vutwb

How selfish genes succeed

A new study reveals how a selfish gene in yeast uses a poison-antidote strategy that enables its function and likely has facilitated its long-term evolutionary success. This strategy is an important addition for scientists studying similar systems including teams that are designing synthetic drive systems for pathogenic pest control. Collective and collaborative advancement on understanding drive may one day lead to the eradication of pest populations that harm crops or even humans in the case of vector borne diseases. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/THmwK4l

Stimulating the vagus nerve may reduce symptoms of multiple sclerosis

An implanted device that stimulates the vagus nerve reduced symptoms of multiple sclerosis in rats as effectively as standard medications from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/TRoSDut

How intensive agriculture turned a wild plant into a pervasive weed

Agriculture is driving rapid evolutionary change, not just on farms but also in wild species in surrounding landscapes, new research has found. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/4zkVyUs

Endangered white rhinos' cells turned into sperm and egg stem cells

Researchers hope producing embryos from adult cells in the lab could offer a way to save the northern white rhino, with only two females remaining from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/jpcQFC0

Dinosaur teeth reveal what they didn't eat

Scratches on dinosaur teeth could reveal what they really ate. Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) has now been used to infer the feeding habits of large theropods, including Allosaurus and T. rex. By taking 3D images of individual teeth and analyzing the pattern of marks scratched into them, researchers could reason which dinosaurs may have frequently crunched on hard bone and which may have regularly eaten softer foods and prey. This technique opens up a new avenue of research for paleontology, helping us to better understand not only dinosaurs themselves but also the environment and communities in which they lived. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/dDVTqsE

Warming seas' negative impact on giant kelp starts in early life

Kelp forests are one of the most diverse and productive natural ecosystems on the planet, but in the past 50 to 100 years significant swaths have been lost and many of the remaining systems show a declining trajectory. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/KrpA4iQ

Deepfake detector spots fake videos of Ukraine's president Zelenskyy

A deepfake detector designed to identify unique facial expressions and hand gestures could spot manipulated videos of world leaders such as Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/2iOVsc8

Working in extreme heat puts strain on fetus

The fetuses of women working in the fields in extreme heat can show signs of strain before their mothers are affected, new research has shown. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/hzdvZAa

Your dog's behavior is a product of their genes

From the excitable sheep dog to the aloof Shiba Inu, and all breeds in between, dogs have unique and diverse behavioral traits. By analyzing DNA samples from over 200 dog breeds along with nearly 50,000 pet-owner surveys, researchers have pinpointed many of the genes associated with the behaviors of specific dog breeds. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/WfDlv7m

Americans flocking to fire: National migration study

Americans are leaving many of the U.S. counties hit hardest by hurricanes and heatwaves -- and moving towards dangerous wildfires and warmer temperatures, says one of the largest studies of U.S. migration and natural disasters. These results are concerning, as wildfire and rising temperatures are projected to worsen with climate change. The study was inspired by the increasing number of headlines of record-breaking natural disasters. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/AaJloMp

Dinosaurs were on the up before asteroid downfall

Dinosaurs dominated the world right up until a deadly asteroid hit the earth, leading to their mass extinction, some 66 million years ago, a landmark study reveals. Fresh insights into dinosaurs' ecosystems -- the habitats and food types that supported their lives -- suggests that their environments were robust and thriving, right up until that fateful day, at the end of the Cretaceous period. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/qUciKej

Traveling with friends helps even mixed-up migrators find their way

How do migrating animals travel so far, and reach their destination so precisely? For many animals, the answer is magnetoreception. New computer modeling research shows how sticking together helps migrating animals get to where they need to go, even when their magnetic compass leads them astray. The researchers also found that the strategy breaks down when species decline in number. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/PHX4ZOw

Scientists uncover biological explanation behind why upper respiratory infections are more common in colder temperatures

A newly discovered immune response inside the nose is suppressed by colder temperatures, offering evidence for why colds, flu and COVID-19 are more common in cooler months. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/QKxpO4l

Megadrought: How the current Southwestern North American megadrought is affecting Earth's upper atmosphere

New research, based on two decades' worth of data, shows that in the ten years after its onset in 2000, the Southwestern North American (SWNA) megadrought caused a 30% change in gravity wave activity in Earth's upper atmosphere. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/RXtdI9H

Self-knowledge: How to know your true personality and why it matters

When it comes to knowing yourself, your own perception of your personality doesn’t necessarily align with that of people around you. But which is more accurate? And can discovering your true nature lead to a better life? from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/6KGp0fB

Ankylosaurs battled each other as much as they fought off T. rex

Scientists have found new evidence for how armored dinosaurs used their iconic tail clubs. The exceptional fossil of the ankylosaur Zuul crurivastator has spikes along its flanks that were broken and re-healed while the dinosaur was alive -- injuries that the scientists think were caused from a strike by another Zuul's massive tail club. This suggests ankylosaurs had complex behavior, possibly battling for social and territorial dominance or even engaging in a 'rutting' season for mates. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/ZrUfwpB

Countries bet on forests and soils to reach net-zero

New research highlights the risks of countries relying on nature-based solutions to achieve net-zero. National climate strategies set out how countries plan to reduce emissions, for example by phasing out fossil-fuel use, to get to net-zero in 2050. The study found, once the bulk of emissions have been reduced, countries plan to 'cancel out' the left-over difficult to decarbonise emissions, such as those from agriculture, by using forests and soils to remove carbon from the atmosphere. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/F7mzqnb

Ancient yeast used to brew the first lagers discovered in Ireland

Lager originated in Europe but the wild yeast species that gives the beer its tang hasn’t been found on the continent until now – it was lurking in the soil at an Irish university from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/rJoimft

Rare fossil reveals 'destroyer of shins' dinosaurs fought each other

Damage to the spikes on the back of a fossil of a Zuul crurivastator suggest that these armoured dinosaurs didn’t use their tail clubs to fend off Tyrannosaurs but to fight each other from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/m1GbVrJ

Warming climate spurs harmful oxygen loss in lakes

New research shows a continually warming world is leading to extended, late-summer weeks of water stratification in lakes, which prompts oxygen deprivation in the water -- provoking conditions called hypoxia (low oxygen) and anoxia (no oxygen) -- and negative consequences for fish and other species. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Kx8XGEs

A surprising number of African animals eat beeswax

Honeyguide birds lead humans to bees’ nests and get beeswax as a reward, but camera traps reveal that honey badgers, baboons and mongooses all feed on the leftovers from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/I9a0msr

Developmental genetics: How germ cells cut the cord from their parents

For the first cell to develop into an entire organism, genes, RNA molecules and proteins have to work together in a complex way. At first, this process is indirectly controlled by the mother. At a certain point in time, the protein GRIF-1 ensures that the offspring cut themselves off from this influence and start their own course of development. A research team now details how this process works. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/6eWLIZy

CRISPR insight: How to fine-tune the Cas protein's grip on DNA

At the heart of every CRISPR reaction, whether naturally occurring in bacteria or harnessed by CRIPSR-Cas gene editing technology, is a strong molecular bond of a Cas protein via a guide RNA to its target site on DNA. It's like a nanoscale ski binding. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Rz4uawB

Adélie penguins show signs of self-awareness on the mirror test

When shown their reflection, wild Adélie penguins can tell it isn't another penguin – but they may not fully connect their mirror image to themselves from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/iM1A3OC

How to edit the genes of nature's master manipulators

CRISPR, the Nobel Prize-winning gene editing technology, is poised to have a profound impact on the fields of microbiology and medicine yet again. A team has developed a tool to edit the genomes of bacteria-infecting viruses called bacteriophages using a rare form of CRISPR. The ability to easily engineer custom-designed phages will help researchers treat dangerous drug-resistant infections and control microbiomes without antibiotics or harsh chemicals. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/mQlcCt0

Mars may have a huge plume of hot rocks rising towards its surface

Mars has been viewed as a mostly geologically static world, but the planet may have an enormous underground plume of hot rocks slowly rising towards the surface from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/CuoMA1U

How did so many giant meat-eating dinosaurs co-exist in the Jurassic?

It took a lot of meat to feed even one species of large carnivorous dinosaur, so how did several survive side-by-side in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods without starving? We might finally have the answer from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/4C8IBNV

Low salinity can work to culture popular Florida pompano fish

Less than 10 aquaculture farms in the U.S. have been successful in commercially raising and distributing the popular Florida pompano fish. A new study has determined the optimal salinity required to culture fingerlings (juvenile fish) from hatch to weaning under on-farm conditions. Researchers have shown it's possible to grow this warm water marine species in salinities a low as 10 parts per thousand, which makes it more economic and easier for producers far from the coast to attempt Florida pompano commercial growth. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/jPSxJHq

Post-lockdown auto emissions can't hide in the grass

Scientists have a new way to demonstrate which neighborhoods are most affected by air pollution from vehicle emissions: analyzing wild grass for radiocarbon content, which is a proxy for fossil fuel emissions. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/9Tesj3i

Hundreds of razorbills have been turning up far from home in Italy

Marine seabirds known as razorbills are usually found in cold, northern waters, but hundreds of them have been turning up underfed in Italy, and no one knows why from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/huKUlcY

Growing off-world diversity is making space for everyone

With more groups and organisations exploring space than ever before, we will all benefit from a diverse range of people and views in low Earth orbit and beyond from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/JsQ7DIi

Accelerating pathogen identification in infants and children with bloodstream infections

A collaborative team has re-engineered the process of microbial pathogen identification in blood samples from pediatric sepsis patients using broad-spectrum pathogen capture technology. The advance enables accurate pathogen detection with a combination of unprecedented sensitivity and speed, and could significantly improve clinical outcomes for pediatric and older patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs) and sepsis. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/OBm94HP

Common immune cells can prevent intestinal healing

B cells are critical to the proper functioning of the immune system. However, researchers have shown that they can sometimes do more harm than good, as their numbers greatly increase after bowel damage, preventing the tissue from healing. The results can be of significance to the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/XGtnfov

Synchronized neural oscillations in the right brain induce empathic behavior

A research team has discovered the underlying neural mechanism that allows us to feel empathy. The group's study on mice hinted that empathy is induced by the synchronized neural oscillations in the right hemisphere of the brain, which allows the animals to perceive and share each other's fear. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Kh0A6oL

Large band bending at SnS interface opens door for highly efficient thin-film solar cells

Tin sulfide (SnS) solar cells have shown immense promise in the rush to develop more environmentally friendly thin-film solar cells. Yet for years SnS solar cells have struggled to achieve a high conversion efficiency. To overcome this, a SnS interface exhibiting large band bending was necessary, something a research group has recently achieved. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/1uloqSC

How to see Mars disappear behind the moon this December

A rare lunar occultation of Mars will be visible from parts of the world this month. Abigail Beall explains how to spot it from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/wokiADb

Microplastics could make other pollutants more harmful

Microplastics -- small plastic pieces less than five millimeters in length -- are becoming a ubiquitous ecological contaminant. Studies suggest that on their own, these tiny bits are potentially harmful, and it's unclear what effect they could have on pollutants that latch onto them. Now, researchers show that, when attached to microplastics, UV filters used in products such as sunscreens can make chromium metal more toxic. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/5smJp9F

Reliable planning tool for the emissions path to achieving the Paris temperature goal

Researchers at the University of Bern have developed a new method for the successive calculation of the emission reductions which are necessary for achieving temperature targets, such as the 2°C goal. The calculation method is based solely on observation rather than models and scenarios. According to the study, international climate policy has to become even more ambitious. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/pHzfmw7

mRNA vaccines offer one-two punch to combat malaria

A study shows that the new mRNA technology could help researchers save millions of lives, prevent illness and make progress toward elimination of this ancient disease. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/DZi4hw6

Cheetah marking trees are hotspots for communication also for other species

Marking trees are important hotspots of communication for cheetahs: Here they exchange information with and about other cheetahs via scent marks, urine and scats. A team has now shown that several mammalian species on farmland in Namibia maintain a network for intra- and interspecific communication at cheetah trees. Black-backed jackals, African wildcats and warthogs visited and sniffed the cheetahs' 'places to be' more frequently than control trees, the team concluded from photos and videos recorded by wildlife camera traps. A common prey species of the cheetahs, however, avoided these hotspots. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/yoNUrQE

Most people who threatened to quit Twitter for Mastodon haven't left

Of more than 140,000 Twitter users who announced they were moving to Mastodon, just 1.6 per cent have actually quit Elon Musk’s social media platform from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/BGhzOn8

The 3013 neurons in the brain of a fly larva have been mapped in full

A complete map of the neurons inside the brain of a fruit fly larva is the largest example of a whole-brain "connectome", and is a stepping stone to describing the brains of more complex animals, including mice and humans from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/QOR8TZ9

Step closer to tackling drug resistant parasites in Brazil

Researchers are a step closer to identifying ways to support clinicians in predicting drug treatment outcomes for patients with visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/8TikD5j

Experts present strategies to mitigate methane emissions in dairy cattle

Methane mitigation has been identified as essential for addressing climate change. Intensive research in the past decade has resulted in a better understanding of factors driving enteric methane emissions in dairy cattle. Researchers recently found that dietary changes could decrease emissions with no negative effect on milk production. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/zK0WEDS

JWST has taken pictures of clouds on Saturn’s moon Titan

The James Webb Space Telescope and the Keck Observatory in Hawaii have watched clouds changing shape in the sky of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, which could help us understand its weird atmosphere from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/wb4Oc8u

Yellowstone supervolcano contains twice as much melted rock as thought

There is more melted rock under Yellowstone Caldera – a volcano in Wyoming – than was previously estimated, but that doesn’t change the likelihood of an eruption from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/SUxyCvt

New clues about how carbon dioxide affects bumble bee reproduction

While a beekeeper puffing clouds of carbon dioxide into a hive to calm the insects is a familiar image to many, less is known about its other effects on bees. A recent study revealed clues about how the chemical compound affects bee physiology, including reproduction. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2Emqctb

Flowers show their true colors

A plant common to Japan, Causonis japonica, is the first to show a newly discovered trait. Its flowers can change color depending on the stage of its maturation cycle, and then change back to its original color. Although many flowers have been shown to change color depending on their maturation phase, Causonis japonica is the only known example of bidirectional color change. The pigments involved in the colors are related to nutrient-rich colorful vegetables, so understanding the flowers' color-changing tricks could have downstream applications in improving nutrient yields in certain food crops. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Tsd1u2N

Microfibers in the Mediterranean Sea are floating homes for bacteria

Almost 200 species of bacteria colonize microfibers in the Mediterranean Sea, including one that causes food poisoning in humans, according to a new study. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/nIxG1Hc

Flying squirrels carve nuts to store them securely in tree branches

Buried nuts would quickly rot in the tropical rainforests of Hainan Island, so flying squirrels have taught themselves carpentry instead from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/Yv9dWEq

Mangroves: Environmental guardians of our coastline

They are the salt-tolerant shrubs that thrive in the toughest of conditions, but according to new UniSA research, mangroves are also avid coastal protectors, capable of surviving in heavy metal contaminated environments. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/kTGUnjy

Star ripped up by black hole is one of the brightest things ever seen

A star orbiting a supermassive black hole at the centre of a distant galaxy was ripped apart in a tidal disruption event, the furthest ever observed from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/tTHyF4S

The strange quantum effects of twisted, graphene-like materials

Superconductivity, fractional charges and magnetic vortices are just some of the weird quantum phenomena lurking in materials like graphene when they get skewed from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/jfhsEuG

Fossil overturns more than a century of knowledge about the origin of modern birds

Fossilized fragments of a skeleton, hidden within a rock the size of a grapefruit, have helped upend one of the longest-standing assumptions about the origins of modern birds. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/dz9Hy2O

New quantum computing feat is a modern twist on a 150-year-old thought experiment

New research demonstrates a 20x improvement in resetting a quantum bit to its '0' state, using a modern version of the 'Maxwell's demon'. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/A8xmrCz

The evolution of Asia's mammals was dictated by ancient climate change and rising mountains

A new study compiles data on more than 3,000 species to show how climate and geologic changes across Asia over the last 66 million years have shaped the evolution of the continent's mammals. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/UiSD8NE

Big rains bring big algae blooms ... eventually

A new study shows how soon after a storm phosphorus 'loading' sparks algae explosions, but also describes the many other factors that weigh on when and whether the lake reaches a tipping point. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/q5sThA8

Bats and death metal singers use the same throat structure to growl

Daubenton’s bats use false vocal folds in their throat to produce a lower frequency grunt for communication – the same structure that lets death metal singers growl from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/6znl8pj

How postbiotics could boost your health and even help reverse ageing

Postbiotics are the newest gut health trend promising to improve our skin, boost our strength and even reverse signs of ageing. But what are they and do they live up to the hype? from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/vIWiq0j

Learning from pangolins and peacocks: Researchers explore next-gen structural materials

Scientists report that materials inspired by nature could, one day, lead to new and better solar panels, soft robots and even coatings for hypersonic jets. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/EiKP2FR

Biodiversity in Africa and Latin America at risk from oil palm expansion, new report warns

Zero deforestation commitments may inadvertently leave vital habitats in Latin America and Africa vulnerable to agricultural expansion, a new study has found. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/dnrTqI0

Trends and biases in African large carnivore population assessments

African large carnivores have undergone significant range and population declines over recent decades. Although conservation planning and the management of threatened species requires accurate assessments of population status and monitoring of trends, there is evidence that biodiversity monitoring may not be evenly distributed or occurring where most needed. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/R2cNoKh

Old World flycatchers' family tree mapped

The European robin's closest relatives are found in tropical Africa. The European robin is therefore not closely related to the Japanese robin, despite their close similarity in appearance. This is confirmed by a new study of the Old World flycatcher family, to which these birds belong. The study comprises 92 per cent of the more than 300 species in this family. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/WkNcn0Z

Synthetic fibers discovered in Antarctic air, seawater, sediment and sea ice as the 'pristine' continent becomes a sink for plastic pollution

Microplastic fibers discovered in samples (air, seawater, sediment and sea-ice) from the last remaining pristine environment on Earth. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/EkqvRoH

Japanese firm ispace is racing to put first private lander on the moon

The Japanese Hakuto-R lander is vying to be the first privately funded spacecraft to land on the moon from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/cVQ964z

Ancient predator was one of first vertebrates to grow fast while young

The bones of 2-metre-long tetrapod Whatcheeria reveal that it had an early growth spurt – a trait that was thought to have evolved later from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/9M3cKwx

The ancestral language of half the world reveals our shared culture

The hunt for the prehistoric mother tongue that gave rise to dozens of the languages we speak today reminds us of the scientific case for international identity from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/VgotD3m

Mussel numbers in the river Thames have dropped by up to 99 per cent

Populations of native mussels in the river Thames have dropped massively between 1964 and 2020, possibly because of the effects of pollution and invasive species from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/Z24QHs7

How to hack your macaroni cheese

You won't need to make a flour roux for your macaroni cheese if you cook your pasta in milk rather than water, says Sam Wong from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/DE69S41

Utama review: An unsettling look at climate change in Bolivia

The threat of climate change permeates this visually stunning, memorable film about a couple living through drought in the Bolivian highlands from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/BTxleFA

Drones on strings could puppeteer people in virtual reality

Having drones on strings attached to a person could provide a more realistic simulation of interacting with physical objects in virtual reality from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/K261WJZ

Less intensively managed grasslands have higher plant diversity and better soil health

Researchers have shown -- for the first time -- that less intensively managed British grazed grasslands have on average 50% more plant species and better soil health than intensively managed grassland. The new study could help farmers increase both biodiversity and soil health, including the amount of carbon in the soil of the British countryside. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/SMcIRQE

525-million-year-old fossil defies textbook explanation for brain evolution

According to a new study, fossils of a tiny sea creature with a delicately preserved nervous system solve a century-old debate over how the brain evolved in arthropods, the most species-rich group in the animal kingdom. Combining detailed anatomical studies of the fossilized nervous system with analyses of gene expression patterns in living descendants, they conclude that a shared blueprint of brain organization has been maintained from the Cambrian until today. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/vLBwr53

New catalyst could be key for hydrogen economy

A light-activated catalyst efficiently converts ammonia into clean-burning hydrogen using only inexpensive raw materials. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/sIEmYzi

Genetically modified tobacco plant produces cocaine in its leaves

Researchers have reproduced the entire biochemical pathway for how coca plants make cocaine in another plant, which could help people manufacture the drug for scientific study from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/hMdsxRD

Orchidomania: A history of our obsession with orchids

These images from a new illustrated book chart the long human love affair with orchids, the incredible family of flowering plants that continue to captivate us today from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/1EUXPsz

Good Night Oppy review: Hybrid doc is the best Pixar movie never made

The incredible true story of Mars rover Opportunity turns into a moving, inspirational and downright personal tale of a little machine millions of kilometres from home from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/csCdNht

Low traffic neighbourhood schemes cut air pollution on nearby roads

Schemes that aim to reduce traffic through certain streets have been accused of increasing air pollution on roads at their borders, but a study in London has found that the opposite is true from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/bGiMDhm

World's oldest meal helps unravel mystery of our earliest animal ancestors

The contents of the last meal consumed by the earliest animals known to inhabit Earth more than 550 million years ago has unearthed new clues about the physiology of our earliest animal ancestors, according to scientists. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/z7xgnqh

Dust transport in the upper levels of the atmosphere

Dust particles from central South America were the most important source of iron in the South Pacific during the last two ice ages. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/q6WVlcp

Vaccine to prevent UTIs could be taken as a dissolving tablet

Recurrent UTIs could one day be prevented with a vaccine instead of antibiotics if promising results in mice and rabbits are replicated in clinical trials from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/WPHyJmd

Prosthetic leg can 'change gears' to make going up stairs easier

A robotic leg with a big toe and motors that can "change gear" like a bicycle can enable a wearer to walk up stairs and slopes from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/ojB7Wzr

ESA's new astronauts include former Paralympian runner John McFall

The European Space Agency has chosen an astronaut with a physical disability for the first time, as one of six new trainees for space missions from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/SmW4vRK

Oldest army ant found in 35-million-year-old Baltic amber

An unexpected discovery in a piece of amber stored at Harvard University since the 1930s reveals that army ants once lived in Europe from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/2TxVEp7

Physicists have designed a urinal that drastically reduces splashback

Scientists used observations of the angle at which dogs urinate and laboratory tests with jets of fluid to design a urinal that produces far less splatter than usual from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/mgqOPNU

How do microplastic particles differ across the Atlantic Ocean?

A new study has found that the North Atlantic gyre contains higher levels of polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylic, and polyamide, whereas other offshore locations are more associated with PVC and polystyrene. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/I4UxLyq

Limiting global warming now can preserve valuable freshwater resource

A research team has found that the Andean region of Chile could face noticeable snow loss and roughly 10% less mountain water runoff with a global warming of approximately 2.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels over the next three decades. The study also shows that what happens in the Andes could be a harbinger of what is to come for the California Sierra Nevada mountain range, and highlights the importance of carbon-mitigation strategies to prevent this from occurring. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/KPfeXSL

Earth might be experiencing 7th mass extinction, not 6th

Earth is currently in the midst of a mass extinction, losing thousands of species each year. New research suggests environmental changes caused the first such event in history, which occurred millions of years earlier than scientists previously realized. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/UwOa2F6

Meta's board game-playing AI can pass as a human in game negotiations

An AI developed by researchers at Meta convincingly negotiated with humans while playing an online version of the board game Diplomacy. It was also ranked in the top 10 per cent of players from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/TgMtCuj

Scientists produce 'DNA virus vaccine' to fight DNA viruses

Rutgers scientists have developed a new approach to stopping viral infections: a so-called live-attenuated, replication-defective DNA virus vaccine that uses a compound known as centanamycin to generate an altered virus for vaccine development. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/ujr39EJ

Ray-finned fish survived mass extinction event

Ray-finned fish, now the most diverse group of backboned animals, were not as hard hit by a mass extinction event 360 million years ago as scientists previously thought. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/hXNH1sU

Lab-grown adrenal glands could help treat hormone-related conditions

Functional adrenal glands have been grown in the lab by coaxing a type of stem cell to develop in a certain way by constantly tweaking the mix of chemicals they are bathed in from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/h80sPon

Electric pulses drastically cut number of sharks caught by accident

The first trial of the ‘SharkGuard’ technology reduced the bycatch of blue sharks and pelagic rays by as much as 91 per cent, but didn't impact the tuna that fishers were targeting from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/yXRdDu6

NASA’s flagship Artemis I mission has flown past the moon

After blasting off on the enormous Space Launch System rocket, NASA's Orion capsule has flown within 130 kilometres of the lunar surface as it prepares to enter orbit from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/wdihsky

UK's quantum computing sector is flourishing after early investment

Investment that the UK government started in quantum technologies in 2013 seems to have paid off by enabling the existence of companies at the cutting edge of research from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/KShkosU

Australia’s first rocket is set to launch into space in April 2023

The Eris rocket developed by Australian company Gilmour Space will be the first Australian system to go into orbit if it successfully launches next year from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/c0NPFzK

Countries agree to create climate damage fund in historic COP27 deal

Despite a landmark deal on finance for ‘loss and damage’, the package agreed in Sharm El Sheikh falls short on plans to cut emissions and leaves room for expansion of gas from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/ha5yb0M

Join the hunt for clouds high up in the Martian atmosphere

Cloud gazing isn’t only an Earthly pastime. You can help planetary scientists by cloud spotting on Mars, finds Layal Liverpool from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/TOAaXso

New insights into energy loss open doors for one up-and-coming solar tech

A new method for describing energy loss in organic solar cells has paved the way for building better and more efficient devices. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Vjo2OX1

A Tale of Terroir: Porcini mushrooms have evolved with a preference to local adaptation

A genetic survey of porcini mushrooms across the Northern Hemisphere found that these delicious fungi evolved in surprising ways -- contrary to the expectations of many who think that geographic isolation would be the primary driver for species diversity. In fact, there are regions in the world where porcini maintain their genetic distinctiveness in local ecological niches, even if they are not isolated geographically from other genetic lineages. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/zHpiumt

Mitochondria transmit signals in the immune and nervous systems

Mitochondria are primarily known as the powerhouse of the cell. However, these cellular organelles are required not only for providing energy: Researchers recently discovered that mitochondria play an important role in signal transduction in innate immune pathways. They regulate a signalling pathway that helps to eliminate pathogens, but can cause damage through inflammation upon overactivation. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/1P2Rxap

Tiny clam that was thought to be extinct found alive

The only evidence of a species of centimetre-long white clam was a fossil collected 85 years ago, until a researcher stumbled upon one living on the shores near Santa Barbara, California from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/BoGmZwh

Fruit flies use corrective movements to maintain stability after injury

Fruit flies can quickly compensate for catastrophic wing injuries, researchers found, maintaining the same stability after losing up to 40% of a wing. This finding could inform the design of versatile robots, which face the similar challenge of having to quickly adapt to mishaps in the field. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/qJrkgK5

Dietary change starves cancer cells, overcoming treatment resistance

A dietary change could be a key to enhancing colon cancer treatment, a new study finds. Researchers found in cells and in mice that a low-protein diet blocked the nutrient signaling pathway that fires up a master regulator of cancer growth. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/ocUkF3f

Remote-controlled microscopes bring complex biology education to students worldwide

Researchers have developed a method for using remote-controlled, internet-connected microscopes to enable students anywhere in the world to participate in designing and carrying out biology experiments. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/5gFsfCt

Plant roots change shape and branch out for water

Researchers have discovered how plant roots adapt their shape to maximize their uptake of water, pausing branching when they lose contact with water and only resuming once they reconnect with moisture, ensuring they can survive even in the driest conditions. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/mhF9fcL

US megadrought could upend life as we know it – just look to history

We don't know exactly how the current megadrought in south-western North America will end, but there are examples to learn from throughout history   from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/P8puUqQ

Myopia linked to five genetic variants and going to university

In a study of more than 330,000 people, five genetic variants and being educated to university level were together linked to short-sightedness from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/tA0JSuW

Plants use their epigenetic memories to adapt to climate change

Animals can adapt quickly to survive adverse environmental conditions. Evidence is mounting to show that plants can, too. An article details how plants are rapidly adapting to the adverse effects of climate change, and how they are passing down these adaptations to their offspring. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/BN5AuFt

Sweet: Honey reduces cardiometabolic risks, study shows

Researchers have found that honey improves key measures of cardiometabolic health, including blood sugar and cholesterol levels -- especially if the honey is raw and from a single floral source. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/UWIjTfr

Earth can regulate its own temperature over millennia, new study finds

A new study confirms that the planet harbors a 'stabilizing feedback' mechanism that acts over hundreds of thousands of years to keep global temperatures within a steady, habitable range. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/p54W0ZK

What is pain, how does it work and what happens when it goes wrong?

With a growing number of people living with pain, we desperately need to understand it – but we are still unravelling the mysterious mechanisms behind the phenomenon from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/gbZTdID

Which weather characteristics affect agricultural and food trade the most?

Changing weather patterns have profound impacts on agricultural production around the world. Higher temperatures, severe drought, and other weather events may decrease output in some regions but effects are often volatile and unpredictable. Yet, many countries rely on agricultural and food trade to help alleviate the consequences of local, weather-induced production shifts, a new article suggests. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/hbWXmiv

To prevent the next pandemic, restore wildlife habitats

Preserving and restoring natural habitats could prevent pathogens that originate in wildlife from spilling over into domesticated animals and humans, according to two new companion studies. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/jgWfMq0

How bacteria could help tumors progress and resist treatment

Two new studies reveal how bacteria infiltrate tumors and could be helping tumors progress and spread and suggest a link between oral health and cancer, as microbes in the mouth are associated with cancers elsewhere in the body. The two articles focus on an oral bacterium called Fusobacterium nucleatum, which has been linked to colorectal cancer. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/J1d8gOL

Landslides can be triggered by small changes in atmospheric pressure

We knew earthquakes and heavy rain could initiate landslides, but now it seems alterations in atmospheric pressure can do it too if combined with certain conditions on the ground from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/ajCRYcd

A hard pillbug to swallow: First X-rays of frog feeding show how they consume prey

While it's anatomically impossible for a human to swallow their tongue, a new study shows that cane toads (Rhinella marina) achieve this feat each time they eat. Cane toads swallow prey using a complex pulley system of cartilage and muscle that travels so far down their throat, it butts up against their heart. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/QF1ACpn

New critical period of embryonic sex determination in sea turtles identified

Unlike humans, turtles, lizards and other reptiles -- such as crocodiles -- do not have sex chromosomes. Their sex is determined based on the environment, which makes them especially vulnerable to climate change. An increase in incubation temperatures could jeopardize the production of both sexes. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/epigA0B

Emphysema more common in marijuana smokers than cigarette smokers

Airway inflammation and emphysema are more common in marijuana smokers than cigarette smokers, according to a new study. Researchers said the difference may be due to the way that marijuana is smoked and the fact that marijuana smoke enters the lungs unfiltered. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/fDqNME8

Leprosy bacteria may hold the key to helping the liver regenerate

The bacteria that cause leprosy have been found to reprogram liver cells in armadillos and make the organ regrow, offering clues that could lead to new treatments from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/kWI7x6H

Ancient disease has potential to regenerate livers

Leprosy is one of the world's oldest and most persistent diseases but the bacteria that cause it may also have the surprising ability to grow and regenerate a vital organ. Scientists have discovered that parasites associated with leprosy can reprogram cells to increase the size of a liver in adult animals without causing damage, scarring or tumors. The findings suggest the possibility of adapting this natural process to renew aging livers and increase healthspan -- the length of time living disease-free -- in humans. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/pUrAgPK

Designing and programming living computers

Bringing together concepts from electrical engineering and bioengineering tools, scientists collaborated to produce cells engineered to compute sophisticated functions -- 'biocomputers' of sorts. Researchers worked to create genetic 'devices' designed to perform computations like artificial neural circuits. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/dSETQuB

Researchers produce first-ever 'family tree' for aquarium-bred corals

The first-ever family tree for aquarium-bred corals provides insights for maximizing genetic diversity and adaptability in corals bred for conservation. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/gRGudOS

Fluorescent mouse blood will help us gain knowledge about brain diseases

A fluorescent protein makes it possible to follow disease progression in brain diseases such as Alzheimer's, strokes, and depression. That may lead to better insight into diseases and possible new treatments. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/OKN6nCI

Nuclear fusion reactions create unexpectedly high-energy particles

Burning plasma fusion reactions, which have only recently been created, are producing higher-energy particles than researchers expected from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/LXBCWQx

Early humans may have cooked fish in ovens 780,000 years ago

The remains of fish teeth at an archaeological site in Israel appear to have been cooked with controlled heat rather than directly exposed to fire from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/tMj7S3x

Secretive US space plane X-37B lands after record 908 days in orbit

The X-37B has returned to Earth after more than two years in orbit, breaking its previous record – what has it been doing in orbit for so long? from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/Yd4LSgi

Healthy plant-based diets better for the environment than less healthy plant-based diets

Healthier plant-based dietary patterns were associated with better environmental health, while less healthy plant-based dietary patterns, which are higher in foods like refined grains and sugar-sweetened beverages, required more cropland and fertilizer, according to a new study. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/OAynKTt

What is 'loss and damage' and how is it informed by climate science?

Advances in attribution science mean we can pin the blame for extreme weather on polluting nations, making the argument for climate reparations impossible to ignore from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/wE8nMpI

Australia’s life expectancy has risen to third-highest in the world

A child born in Australia today is expected to live until the age of 84.3, giving the nation the third-highest life expectancy in the world behind Monaco and Japan. The increase is due to its early covid-19 containment and high-performing healthcare system from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/VHgC0ez

Honeybees are living half as long as they were 50 years ago

The lifespan of bees raised in US laboratories is half what it was in the 1970s, suggesting there may be a genetic reason behind increasing rates of colony collapse from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/CV7lfB2

Despite reaching 8 billion people, we must plan for population decline

The number of people on the planet has hit a huge milestone at 8 billion, but fertility rates are falling fast in many countries, which means planning for an older population from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/yR3DeOP

Pandemic terrorism risk is being overlooked, warns leading geneticist

Kevin Esvelt, who created the first artificial gene drive capable of wiping out an entire species, says the threat of a deliberately released virus causing a pandemic is being overlooked from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/4jFJ0oR

How to grow tremendous tulips

Colourful tulips are a great addition to gardens in spring. From planting them at the right time to keeping an eye on water drainage, Clare Wilson has a host of good tips from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/VC8l70d

How JWST could find signs of alien life in exoplanet atmospheres

The James Webb Space Telescope can peer into alien skies like never before. With six potentially habitable planets within its sights, astronomers are entering a new era in the search for biology beyond our solar system from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/yhD6qeg

Voyage to the Edge of Imagination review: A compelling new sci-fi show

A new exhibition at the Science Museum isn't so much about science fiction, as it is about involving you in a journey through the cosmos from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/vqJfysj

Rats bop to the beat

Accurately moving to a musical beat was thought to be a skill innately unique to humans. However, new research now shows that rats also have this ability. The optimal tempo for nodding along was found to depend on the time constant in the brain (the speed at which our brains can respond to something) which is similar across all species. This means that the ability of our auditory and motor systems to interact and move to music may be more widespread among species than previously thought. This new discovery offers not only further insight into the animal mind, but also into the origins of our own music and dance. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/exYDpsj

Biden urges leaders to fight for an equitable world at climate summit

US president Joe Biden called on other nations to produce tougher plans to cut carbon emissions at the COP27 climate summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/ANBpRLH

Previously unknown monumental temple discovered near the Tempio Grande in Vulci

Archeologists have identified one of the largest known sacred buildings of the Etruscans. The temple's strata offer insights into more than 1000 years of development of one of the most important Etruscan cities. The newly discovered temple is roughly the same size and on a similar alignment as the neighboring Tempio Grande, and was built at roughly the same Archaic time. This duplication of monumental buildings in an Etruscan city is rare, and indicates an exceptional finding. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/AWqPxto

Climate change strikes: Lightning patterns change with global warming

New research has shown climate change could alter lightning patterns across Europe. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/124NLQF

The Song of the Cell review: A love letter to life's most basic unit

From the pioneering days of IVF to modern gene editing, Siddhartha Mukherjee's ambitious book explores how far we have come in understanding the cell – and how far we still have to go from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/1IDohQl

Global fossil fuel emissions set to rise by 1 per cent in 2022

This year will see a smaller jump in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels compared with 2021, driven partly by the continuing recovery of aviation following covid-19 travel restrictions from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/CNGQO01

AI-designed invisibility cloak could hide small communication devies

Artificial intelligence has helped design an invisibility cloak. The cloak could hide communication devices from detectors that use microwaves or infrared light from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/JcUY7o4

Quantum trick sees light move forwards and back in time simultaneously

Placing a particle of light in a superposition so that it is travelling both forwards and backwards in time could prove useful for quantum computation from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/tRyzQed

New technology creates carbon neutral chemicals out of thin air

It is possible to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the surrounding atmosphere and repurpose it into useful chemicals usually made from fossil fuels, according to a new study. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Jk0lown

Previously unseen processes reveal path to better rechargeable battery performance

To design better rechargeable ion batteries, engineers and chemists have collaborated to combine a powerful new electron microscopy technique and data mining to visually pinpoint areas of chemical and physical alteration within ion batteries. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/eEBakHf

First sentence ever written in Canaanite language discovered: Plea to eradicate beard lice

Researchers have unearthed an ivory comb from 1700 BCE inscribed with a plea to eradicate lice. The finding provides direct evidence for the use of the Canaanite alphabet in daily activities some 3700 years ago. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/hGpUKec

Pandemic led to 7.5 percent decrease in 2020 U.S. energy consumption

Total energy consumption decreased 7.5 percent nationwide in 2020 compared with 2019 as the COVID-19 pandemic led to lockdowns, business closures and employees working from home, according to a new study. The research is the first to quantify the effects of pandemic disruptions on energy consumption trends across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/9rg7QwW

Octopuses caught on video throwing silt and shells around themselves and at each other

Octopuses appear to deliberately throw debris, sometimes directed at other octopuses, according to a new study. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/KFb3eXf

Air pollution threatens natural pest control methods in sustainable farming

When fields of oilseed rape are exposed to diesel exhaust and/or ozone -- both found in emissions from diesel burning vehicles and industry -- the number of parasitic insects available to control aphids drops significantly, according to research published today. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/rUE02AZ

Zapping specific neurons helps people walk again after spinal injury

Nine people with lower body paralysis improved in their ability to walk after receiving electrical stimulation to the spine, with researchers then mapping the neurons that seemed to have promoted this recovery from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/8Cx9Jmo

Fertilizers limit pollination by changing how bumblebees sense flowers

Pollinators are less likely to land on flowers sprayed with fertilizers or pesticides as they can detect electric field changes around the flower, researchers have found. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/nCQgKlW

Liver disease deaths in England and Wales are up since pandemic began

Deaths from liver disease and diabetes have been higher than expected in England and Wales since the coronavirus pandemic began from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/TmEXN0G

Scientists reveal an unexpected gene in transparent worms

Scientists reveal the homolog of a well-known human protein, Nucleolin, in the tiny, transparent roundworm, C. elegans. Nucleolin is linked to human neurodegenerative disease and cancer. The new research challenges recent theories of the role structures inside the nucleus may play in such disorders -- and surfaces a powerful new tool for studying the function of Nucleolin and how it does contribute to disease. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/EUOdnxa

Ceramics that breathe oxygen at lower temperatures help us breathe cleaner air

With the shift to electric cars a cumbersome process, improvements to exhaust gas purification in petrol or diesel cars are crucial in the fight to reduce emissions. A research group has developed a Cerium-Zirconium-based oxide that boosts the purifying qualities of ceramics inside catalytic converters -- a device attached to conventional cars that converts harmful gases to less-toxic pollutants. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Ah0rkjl

Starved yeast poisons clones

Yeast is not the simple single-celled microorganism we once thought, but a competitive killer. When starved of glucose, yeast releases a toxin that will poison other microorganisms that have entered its surrounding habitat, even its own clones. This venomous phenomenon was previously unknown and contributes to our understanding of unicellular microorganism behavior, the evolution of unicellular to multicellular organisms, as well as having potentially useful applications for the food industry. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/K7zLfBl

Diet high in saturated fat can reprogram immune cells in mice

A new study shows that eating a diet exclusively high in saturated fats can reprogram the mouse immune system, making it better able to fight off infection but more susceptible to systemic inflammatory conditions, including sepsis. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/gnL59mK

Report outlines plans for major research effort on subduction zone geologic hazards

Subduction zones, where one tectonic plate slides beneath another, produce the most devastating seismic, volcanic, and landslide hazards on the planet. A new report presents an ambitious plan to make major advances in understanding subduction zone hazards by bringing together a diverse community of scientists in a long-term collaborative effort, deploying new instrumentation in subduction zones, and developing more sophisticated and accurate models. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/EyjH8AW

Earth's oldest stromatolites and the search for life on Mars

The earliest morphological traces of life on Earth are often highly controversial, both because non-biological processes can produce relatively similar structures and because such fossils have often been subjected to advanced alteration and metamorphism. Stromatolites, layered organo-sedimentary structures reflecting complex interplays between microbial communities and their environment, have long been considered key macrofossils for life detection in ancient sedimentary rocks; however, the biological origin of ancient stromatolites has frequently been criticized. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/i3lCAqO

Understanding rogue waves of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Researchers examined how rogue waves form and analyzed the likelihood that a ship would encounter them while navigating the rough waters of intense storms. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/QkbFYXL

Climate change to impact mountains on a global scale

Under the threat of climate change, mountain landscapes all over the world have the risk of becoming more hazardous to communities surrounding them, while their accelerated evolution may bring further environmental risks to surrounding areas. Research shows climate change will negatively impact mountain landscapes and human activity -- including increasing risks such as avalanches, river floods, landslides, debris flows and lake outburst floods. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/0TCVIz8

Microplastic pollution threats the world's coastal lagoons

Globally, the coastal lagoons of Lagos (Nigeria), Sakumo (Ghana) and Bizerte (Tunisia) -- close to large urban centers and without waste and sewage treatment systems -- are among the most affected water ecosystems of this nature by microplastic pollution. However, the highest concentrations of microplastics have been detected in Barnes Sound and other small lagoons in a protected area in the north of Florida Bay (USA), a particular case that can be explained by the transport of microplastics carried by hurricanes from polluted areas. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/qyPIJFQ

'Divorce' rates are higher in birds that travel long distances

Break-ups are more common in bird species with longer migrations, probably because partners return home at different times and don’t wait for each other to breed from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/awUOzjX

Lianas more likely to infest smaller trees in Southeast Asian forests, transforming knowledge in understudied area

Woody climbing plants, known as lianas, are more likely to infest smaller trees in Malaysian forests and therefore stop them growing to their full potential, which may have implications for climate change. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/fimzcgw

The Paris Agreement -- better measurement methods needed

The Paris Agreement says that we should reduce the emission of greenhouse gases to limit the rise in global temperature to 2 degrees Celsius. But do we have the measurement methods needed to achieve this? This is the question posed by researchers. Their answer is disheartening. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/tGzUura

Egyptology continues to astound 100 years after Tutankhamun was found

The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb was a revelation, but 100 years later new scientific methods are painting an even richer picture of the ancient Egyptians from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/iwV9bNx

Fecal microbial transplants show lack of predictability when no prior antibiotic treatment is given to recipient

Fecal microbial transplants have been given to alter a recipient's metabolism to reduce obesity or alter immunity to fight cancer, and in those transplants recipients are not given suppressive antibiotics to eliminate the microbial community prior to the transplant. Researchers now report there is a lack of predictability for fecal microbial transplants to change the gut microbial community to correspond to that of the donor when there is no preconditioning to reduce the recipient microbe community. This contrasts with the C. difficile fecal microbial transplants after suppressive antibiotic therapy, where stable long-term colonization of donor strains is seen as long as two years post-transplant. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/bunIHaW

Words matter in food freshness, safety messaging

Changing the wording about expiration dates on perishable food items -- which is currently unregulated and widely variable -- could help reduce food waste, according to a new study. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/saYzlvw

How to spot the Hyades, the closest star cluster to Earth

This is the time of year to spot the Hyades, named for weeping nymphs from Greek mythology because its appearance in the night sky marked the start of the rainy season, says Abigail Beall from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/p2lsu85

Does the UK need new nuclear plants like Sizewell C to reach net zero?

With the cost of renewables and batteries plummeting, some academics argue that the UK doesn't need to build new nuclear power stations to achieve its net zero goal from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/ijeXqMH

Monkeypox mutations cause virus to spread rapidly, evade drugs and vaccines, study finds

Researchers have identified the specific mutations in the monkeypox virus that contribute to its continued infectiousness. The findings could lead to several outcomes: modified versions of existing drugs used to treat people suffering from monkeypox or the development of new drugs that account for the current mutations to increase their effectiveness at reducing symptoms and the spread of the virus. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/JjHFXVn

Shining new light on solar cell development

An increase in the efficiency of solar panels may be on the horizon, as new research reduces their current limitations. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/YNLXcS5

'Click' chemistry may help treat dogs with bone cancer

New research shows how click chemistry can be used to more efficiently deliver drugs to treat tumors in large dogs with bone cancer -- a process that had previously only been successful in small mice. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/lCSEAoI

How the Higgs boson could reveal the fate of our universe

It's just over ten years ago that the Higgs boson was first discovered. Physicist Toyoko Orimoto writes that the particle could lead us to more discoveries, such as if there are other spatial dimensions and the eventual fate of the universe from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/m6BXsWl

Searching for the unique genes of a unique hare

Researchers have published seven draft genomes for Nordic hare species. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/l9ZhOcG

The importance of light for grassland plant diversity

Plants need light to grow. However, due to excess nutrients and/or the absence of herbivores less light can reach lower vegetation layers in grasslands. Consequently, few fast-growing species dominate and plant diversity declines. So far, this relationship has been established indirectly through experiments, but never directly by means of experimentally adding light in the field. Now biologists have been able to experimentally demonstrate the dominant role of light competition. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Yj0b1wX

Seeing concentrations of toxins with the naked eye

Researchers have developed a fast and cost-effective method to test liquids for a ubiquitous family of chemical compounds known as amphiphiles, which are used to detect diseases such as early-stage tuberculosis and cancer as well as to detect toxins in drugs, food, medical devices and water supplies. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/94xRs7L

Cane toads fling their tongues so hard the recoil slaps their heart

The first X-ray footage of a toad gulping down a meal reveals that its tongue recoils into its body further than it stretches out to grab prey from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/9UXc8z6

Smartphones can reveal whether bridges are about to fall down

The accelerometers in our smartphones collect information as we travel over bridges, and this can reveal if the structure is weakening and help us know when to fix it to extend its life from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/rB6J3yV

Blind spots in the monitoring of plastic waste

Whether in drinking water, food or even in the air: plastic is a global problem -- and the full extent of this pollution may go beyond of what we know yet. Researchers have reviewed conventional assumptions for the transport of plastic in rivers. The actual amount of plastic waste in rivers could be up to 90 percent greater than previously assumed. The new findings should help improve monitoring and remove plastic from water bodies. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/RLimzTf

Defect in cellular respiration renders sac fungi infertile

The formation of fruiting bodies for sexual reproduction is a central developmental process in fungi. Even though genetic methods have been applied in recent decades to identify a large number of factors involved in this process, we still lack an understanding of how the formation of different cell types is regulated. A research team has gained new insights by studying a mutant sac fungus that is infertile. The mutant is impaired in its respiratory chain, thus lacking the energy to form fruiting bodies. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/685oIQk

A common dietary fiber promotes allergy-like immune responses in preclinical studies

A type of dietary fiber called inulin, commonly used in health supplements and known to have certain anti-inflammatory properties, can also promote an allergy-related type of inflammation in the lung and gut, and other parts of the body, according to a preclinical study. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Tl2rou6

Bumblebees rolling wooden balls may be first evidence of insect play

Buff-tailed bumblebees seem to prefer to play with wooden balls rather than simply bypass them en route to a snack from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/NAMJken

Annual US clock change kills 33 people and 36,500 deer in car crashes

Putting back the clocks in November is linked to a spike in car collisions with deer in the US from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/bcWZeaJ

Bacterial sensors send a jolt of electricity when triggered

Scientists and engineers have developed programmable bacteria that sense contaminants and release an electronic signal in real time. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/vOFqp3R

Cracking the enigma of how plant sperm is compacted

A research team have discovered a mechanism of flowering plant sperm compaction and gathered clues as to why it is required. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/IFMbyp9

Photosynthesis: Auxiliary factor ensures efficient energy production

Biologists demonstrate how the auxiliary factor CGL160 contributes to the synthesis of crucial parts of the photosynthetic machinery. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/6gupfYi

Anthropologists find new ways female bones are permanently altered after giving birth

Reproduction permanently alters females' bones in ways not previously known, a team of anthropologists has found. Its discovery, based on an analysis of primates, sheds new light on how giving birth can permanently change the body. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/yDc13Up

A new method for studying ribosome function

Scientists report a method for stable attachment of peptides to tRNAs, which has allowed them to gain new fundamental insights into ribosome function by determining the atomic-level structures of ribosomes and the shapes that peptides take inside the ribosome. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/UXpsb2N

Better understanding of the development of intestinal diseases

Bacteria in the small intestine adapt dynamically to our nutritional state, with individual species disappearing and reappearing. Researchers have now been able to comprehensively study the bacteria of the small intestine and their unique adaptability for the first time. The findings contribute to a better understanding of intestinal diseases such as Crohn's disease or Celiac disease and to the development of new therapeutic approaches. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/6rNcZxO

Physics of disaster: How mudslides move

A devastating fire followed by an intense rainstorm triggered mudslides in Southern California in 2018 that claimed 23 lives. New findings elucidate the physics behind the deadly disaster that may inform predictive models of future mudslides. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/XMigfpP

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket just launched two Space Force satellites

After a long hiatus, SpaceX’s enormous Falcon Heavy rocket has launched for the fourth time, carrying two secretive satellites from the US Space Force into high orbits from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/P5hM2IH

Scientists uncover new clues about the climate and health impact of atmospheric particles

Peering inside common atmospheric particles is providing important clues to their climate and health effects, according to a new study by chemists. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles are ubiquitous in the atmosphere and play an important role in air quality and climate. They can add to air pollution and damage the lungs, as well as help deflect solar radiation or aid cloud formation. Different types of SOA can mix together in a single particle and their environmental impacts are governed by the new particles' physical and chemical properties, particularly the number of phases --or states-- it can exist in. In a new research letter published in the European Geosciences Union's open access journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, an international team of researchers found that particles with two phases can form when different types of SOA mix. The finding could help improve current models that predict SOA climate and health effects. from Top Environment News -- Science...

Will Ukraine deploy lethal autonomous drones against Russia?

Ukraine has used drones in innovative ways throughout the Russia-Ukraine war, and may now be preparing to deploy machines capable of finding and attacking targets without direct human control from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/r1qn2sP

The three-dimensional structure of PAPP-A has been determined

Researchers have determined the three-dimensional structure of the proteolytic enzyme PAPP-A. The results may allow us to better understand the basic biology that regulates linear growth of vertebrates. The same regulatory mechanisms are also involved in several age-related diseases, and thus, the research is an important step towards the development of novel types of drugs. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/G0keFbM

Inspired by nature: Silencing bacteria

Bacteria love moist surfaces. Once they have settled there, they do not live as solitary organisms but form larger communities that are embedded in a protective film. These biofilms are found on various surfaces and can lead to contact infections. The bacteria are often persistent and defy the body's own immune system or chemical biocides. Current research approaches are therefore trying to prevent bacterial colonization of material surfaces or at least to make it more difficult. A team of researchers has now developed a new approach using ceria nanoparticles. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/XvWlML1

Identity theft the secret of the cat parasite's success

The parasite Toxoplasma is carried by a large portion of the global human population. Now a study shows how this microscopic parasite so successfully spreads in the body, for example to the brain. The parasite infects immune cells and hijacks their identity. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/wkoDJzv

Brazil election: Lula win hailed as victory for the Amazon

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who campaigned to protect the rainforest, narrowly beat Jair Bolsonaro in the Brazilian presidential election from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/THQPXYD

Lamin C facilitates repair of damaged nuclear envelope in human and mouse cells

Using immunofluorescence and live-cell imaging, researchers were recently able to determine the mechanism underlying the repairing mechanism of the nuclear envelope, which play a key role in various physiologically relevant processes. The accidental rupture of the structure poses a hazard to the integrity of the mammalian nucleus. The study found that lamin C and related factors synergistically facilitate the repair process in mammalian cells. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/fIrMNuT

Spicing it up: Pro-drug curcumin shows clinical potential in mice

A prodrug form of curcumin, TBP1901, has shown anti-tumor effects without toxicities. The enzyme GUSB was identified for its key role in TBP1901 conversion to curcumin, which also has essential therapeutic targets. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/biKa6P0

COP27: Causes for concern, and hope, ahead of the big climate summit

A year on from the make-or-break climate conference in Glasgow, nations have failed to make progress of cutting emissions. But there are reasons for optimism from beyond the meeting rooms from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/ZrQI2lt

How to make a sweet potato even sweeter: freeze it before baking

Studies show it is always best to bake your sweet potatoes, rather than boil or microwave them, and there is another trick to take the tubers to the next level of deliciousness, says Sam Wong from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/nq93hwz

The Pentagon, Climate Change, and War review: US military emissions

While the US military appears to take climate change seriously, it is a major polluter. Neta C. Crawford's book explores the Pentagon’s bad habits from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/ousnhyF

Vaccines that prolong the immune response may give better protection

Most vaccines are designed to provoke a quick immune response, but a longer one might allow the most effective immune cells to stick around in the bone marrow from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/hUykL7I

Low-income countries lose almost 7 per cent of their GDP to heatwaves

Short spells of extreme heat can be enough to lower a region’s economic output for an entire year, according to a new analysis showing the unequal impact of global warming from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/u6SiIOt

NASA laser project benefits animal researchers

NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission can provide valuable information about the world's forests for wildlife scientists. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/heSvTHO

Passenger car preheating produces as much particulate emissions as driving dozens of kilometers

A new study measured particulate emissions from passenger car preheating with an auxiliary heater in sub-zero conditions. The preheating emissions were compared to calculated emissions from driving to determine the driving distance corresponding to the preheating emissions under current emissions standards. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/pPBaVkT

Hybrid songbirds found more often in human-altered environments

Hybrids of two common North American songbirds, the black-capped and mountain chickadee, are more likely to be found in places where humans have altered the landscape in some way, finds new research. It's the first study to positively correlate hybridization in any species with landscape changes caused by humans, and the first to examine this relationship across an entire species' range -- spanning almost all of western North America. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/YQzjao9

How many bees can you fit in an X-ray machine? That's not a joke

In a new study, a team of engineers has created 3D scans of honeybee using a CT machine. Their images reveal a surprisingly complex system of organization. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Pstz4XI

Study shows hazardous herbicide chemical goes airborne

"Dicamba drift" -- the movement of the herbicide dicamba off crops through the atmosphere -- can result in unintentional damage to neighboring plants. To prevent dicamba drift, other chemicals, typically amines, are mixed with dicamba to "lock" it in place and prevent it from volatilizing, or turning into a vapor that more easily moves in the atmosphere. Amines can negatively affect human and environmental health. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/sLgNd4W

Meteorite impacts show Mars’s crust is denser than we thought

Shock waves from two meteorites hitting Mars moved faster than expected, hinting they came through dense material, perhaps because of the presence of a water table from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/IK3kRr2

Wastewater treatment plants can 'catch a cold'

The efficient running of wastewater treatment plants is an essential part of modern society. Just like humans, wastewater treatment plants can get sick, due to viral attacks. Now, new research reveals the implications for the surrounding environment in case the plant catches a cold. From the study, the researchers have shown there is a clear relationship between virus concentration and the amount of dissolved organic carbon present in the effluent water. More of this carbon in the effluent water, means increased oxygen consumption in the surrounding bodies of water where the effluent is discharged. This could have potential negative impacts on the aquatic ecosystems nearby. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/sZER37V

Fossil fuel demand expected to peak within 15 years

The International Energy Agency finds that the war in Ukraine has accelerated the world’s transition to cleaner energy sources from New Scientist - Home https://ift.tt/8lwEfsD

'Forever chemicals' persist through wastewater treatment, may enter crops

PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) persist through wastewater treatment at levels that may impact the long-term feasibility of 'beneficial reuse of treated wastewater,' according to a new study. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/ZRVPYE5

Does traffic-related air pollution increase risk of dementia?

Higher exposure to a certain type of traffic-related air pollution called particulate matter may be linked to an increased risk of dementia, according to a meta-analysis. Researchers specifically looked at fine particulate matter, PM2.5, which consists of pollutant particles of less than 2.5 microns in diameter suspended in air. The meta-analysis included all available studies on air pollution and risk of dementia. from Top Environment News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/Oborjsp