Big payoff if Nature ‘restored’ in the right places
Returning wetlands to their natural state would bring the highest return on investment, both in preventing species loss and slowing the pace of global warming Restoring 30 percent of ecosystems long-since converted to agriculture and other human needs could avoid 70 percent of predicted species extinctions and absorb half the CO2 humanity has released into […]
New magnetism found in the world’s strongest material
Graphene, one of the world’s strongest materials, isn’t normally magnetic. But when stacked and twisted, graphene develops a rare form of magnetism, new research finds. The magnetic field isn’t created by the usual spin of electrons within the individual graphene layers, but instead arises from the collective swirling of electrons in all of the three-layers […]
The first room-temperature superconductor has finally been found
It’s here: Scientists have reported the discovery of the first room-temperature superconductor, after more than a century of waiting. The discovery evokes daydreams of futuristic technologies that could reshape electronics and transportation. Superconductors transmit electricity without resistance, allowing current to flow without any energy loss. But all superconductors previously discovered must be cooled, many of […]
Protein that keeps immune system from freaking out could form basis for new therapeutics — ScienceDaily
The immune response to infections is a delicate balance. We need just enough action to clear away the offending bacteria or viruses, but not so much that our own bodies suffer collateral damage. Macrophages are immune cells at the front line, detecting pathogens and kicking off an inflammatory response when needed. Understanding how macrophages determine […]
Industrial Food and Climate Change
by Ronnie Cummins The Climate Emergency is finally getting the attention of the media and the U.S. (and world) body politic, as well as a growing number of politicians, activists and even U.S. farmers. This great awakening has arrived just in time, given the record-breaking temperatures, violent weather, crop failures and massive waves of forced migration […]
Jellies Transfer a Significant Amount of Carbon to the Deep Ocean
New research suggests jellies play a more valuable role in food webs and carbon storage than scientists previously thought. A new study in the AGU journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles estimates how much carbon gelatinous sea creatures store in their bodies and where that carbon goes. The results show that 3.7–6.8 billion metric tons […]
The world’s biggest jet engine, explained
The engine’s fan measures about 11 feet across. (GE Aviation/) Late last month, the Federal Aviation Administration signed off on the biggest commercial jet engine in the world. The huge thrusters that it certified are the GE9X engines, one of which hangs under each wing of Boeing’s new widebody 777x aircraft. That plane flew for […]
Online horse race bettors are less keen to gamble after a losing day
A new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows that a bettor likely stays away from betting for a 27% longer time after a losing day than after a day on which they won or broke even. The study looked at how losing or winning on the previous betting day predicts how long it […]
Recent Atlantic ocean warming unprecedented in nearly 3,000 years
Climate scientists Nicholas Balascio and Francois Lapointe working with an ice auger to drill in the 3.5m thick ice at South Sawtooth Lake, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut Territory, Canada. An ice auger extension is needed because the ice is so thick. Coring lake sediments can only be done after this tedious work, Lapointe notes. Credit: Mark […]
Adorable ancient sea cows once swam through now-bone dry Egyptian desert
About 40 million years ago, a gentle marine giant glided through the water in what is now a bone-dry desert in Egypt, according to new research. The study suggests that during the late Eocene, about 40 million to 35 million years ago, Egypt’s Eastern Desert was home to the ancient relatives of manatees (also endearingly […]
