Showing 20 articles starting at article 641

< Previous 20 articles        Next 20 articles >

Categories: Energy: Technology, Offbeat: Plants and Animals

Return to the site home page

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research helps explain how sharp patterns form on zebras, leopards, tropical fish and other creatures. Their findings could inform the development of new high-tech materials and drugs.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new analysis of lice genetic diversity suggests that lice came to the Americas twice -- once during the first wave of human migration across the Bering Strait, and again during European colonization.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

When animals 'sing' sitting on the ground -- such as when crickets chirp -- their volume and reach increase dramatically, by as much as ten-fold. This result contradicts long-held beliefs in the field of animal communication, which presume the ground is a hindrance to sound transmission.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers show that one of the most promising substances for designing longer lasting lithium batteries form micelle-like structures like they do in soap.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have combined over seven synthetic chromosomes that were made in the lab into a single yeast cell, resulting in a strain with more than 50% synthetic DNA that survives and replicates similarly to wild yeast strains. A global consortium is working to develop the first synthetic eukaryote genome from scratch. The team has now synthesized and debugged all sixteen yeast chromosomes.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The rapid adoption of zero-emission electric vehicles will move the nation close to an 80% or more drop in transportation greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 from the 2019 level according to researchers.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed an automated laboratory robot to run complex electrochemical experiments and analyze data. The Electrolab will be used to explore next-generation energy storage materials and chemical reactions that promote alternative and sustainable energy.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have used fossil evidence to engineer a soft robotic replica of pleurocystitids, a marine organism that existed nearly 450 million years ago and is believed to be one of the first echinoderms capable of movement using a muscular stem.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered several factors that affect field mouse behavior using seeds from dwarf bamboo plants, a plant that flowers once in a century. Their findings not only suggest the previously underappreciated role of mice in the forest ecosystem, but also show that they store small sasa seeds for later use. These challenge a previously held model of mouse behavior.  

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

They say two heads are better than one. But in the world of fish, it appears two fins are better than one. Researchers have produced a theoretical model that demonstrates the underlying mechanisms behind how fish will synchronize their fin movements to ride each other's vortices, thereby saving energy.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

One of the largest studies to date finds the current generation of EV owners drive far fewer miles than owners of gas vehicles, translating to lower emissions savings from EVs.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers found that meeting greenhouse gas emissions goals for light-duty vehicles, which are passenger vehicles such as cars and trucks, is possible, but not just by increasing electric vehicle sales.  

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a novel system to probe a rat's thoughts, finding that animals can control their brain activity to imagine remote locations.  

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Research on neighboring chimpanzee communities in the forests of West Africa suggests a warfare tactic not previously seen beyond humans is regularly used by our closest evolutionary relatives.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of researchers has unveiled a first-of-its-kind stable and fully solid-state thermal transistor that uses an electric field to control a semiconductor device's heat movement.  The group's study details how the device works and its potential applications. With top speed and performance, the transistor could open new frontiers in heat management of computer chips through an atomic-level design and molecular engineering. The advance could also further the understanding of how heat is regulated in the human body.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In the realm of electric vehicles, powered by stored electric energy, the key lies in rechargeable batteries capable of enduring multiple charge cycles. Lithium-ion batteries have been the poster child for this application. However, due to limitations in energy storage capacity and other associated challenges, the focus has shifted to an intriguing alternative known as dual-ion batteries (DIBs).

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Biodegradable waste from plant and animal sources released into freshwater ecosystems is a significant environmental concern. Nonetheless, current methods for assessing water quality seem more or less impractical due to their complexity and high costs. In a promising development, a team of researchers has successfully constructed a self-sustaining and buoyant biosensor using inexpensive carbon-based materials for monitoring water quality at the inlets of freshwater lakes and rivers.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers report that 53% of European freestanding homes could have supplied all their own energy needs in 2020 using only local rooftop solar radiation, and this technical feasibility could increase to 75% in 2050. The study shows that there is no economic advantage for individual households to be fully self-sufficient under current or future conditions, though in some cases the costs are on par with remaining on-grid. The researchers estimate that self-sufficiency will be economically feasible for 5% (two million) of Europe's 41 million freestanding single-family homes in 2050, if households are willing to pay up to 50% more than the cost of remaining fully grid dependent.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study unveils a novel methodology to engineer colloidal quasicrystals using DNA-modified building blocks. The implications of this breakthrough are far-reaching, offering a potential blueprint for the controlled synthesis of other complex structures previously considered beyond reach.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Carnivorous dinosaurs might have evolved to take advantage of giant carcasses, according to a new study.