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Categories: Environmental: Water, Physics: Optics
Published Researchers capture elusive missing step in the final act of photosynthesis
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Photosynthesis plays a crucial role in shaping and sustaining life on Earth, yet many aspects of the process remain a mystery. One such mystery is how Photosystem II, a protein complex in plants, algae and cyanobacteria, harvests energy from sunlight and uses it to split water, producing the oxygen we breathe. Now researchers have succeeded in cracking a key secret of Photosystem II.
Published A stormy, active sun may have kickstarted life on Earth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The first building blocks of life on Earth may have formed thanks to eruptions from our Sun, a new study finds. A series of chemical experiments show how solar particles, colliding with gases in Earth's early atmosphere, can form amino acids and carboxylic acids, the basic building blocks of proteins and organic life.
Published Quantum entanglement of photons doubles microscope resolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using a "spooky" phenomenon of quantum physics, researchers have discovered a way to double the resolution of light microscopes.
Published Researchers discover that the ice cap is teeming with microorganisms
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Greenlandic ice is teeming with life, both on the surface and underneath. There are microscopic organisms that until recently science had no idea existed. There is even evidence to suggest that the tiny creatures color the ice and make it melt faster.
Published The science behind the life and times of the Earth's salt flats
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have characterized two different types of surface water in the hyperarid salars -- or salt flats -- that contain much of the world's lithium deposits. This new characterization represents a leap forward in understanding how water moves through such basins, and will be key to minimizing the environmental impact on such sensitive, critical habitats.
Published West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreated far inland, re-advanced since last Ice Age
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is melting rapidly, raising concerns it could cross a tipping point of irreversible retreat in the next few decades if global temperatures rise 1.5 to 2.0 degrees Celsius (2.7 to 3.8 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels. New research finds that 6,000 years ago, the grounded edge of the ice sheet may have been as far as 250 kilometers (160 miles) inland from its current location, suggesting the ice retreated deep into the continent after the end of the last ice age and re-advanced before modern retreat began.
Published Previously unknown intercellular electricity may power biology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered that the electrical fields and activity that exist through a cell's membrane also exist within and around another type of cellular structure called biological condensates. Like oil droplets floating in water, these structures exist because of differences in density. Their foundational discovery could change the way researchers think about biological chemistry. It could also provide a clue as to how the first life on Earth harnessed the energy needed to arise.
Published The future is foggy for Arctic shipping
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As the Arctic warms and loses sea ice, trans-Arctic shipping has increased, reducing travel time and costs for international trade. However, a new study finds that the Arctic Ocean is getting foggier as ice disappears, reducing visibility and causing costly delays as ships slow to avoid hitting dangerous sea ice.
Published Early-nesting ducks at increased risk due to changes in climate, land use
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Each year approximately 10 million waterfowl fly north to their breeding grounds in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America, but the landscape that greets them has changed. Weather patterns and agricultural practices have significantly transformed the pothole-dotted native grasslands that waterfowl have used for thousands of years.
Published Scientists discover antibiotic resistance genes in clouds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The atmosphere is a large-scale dissemination route for bacteria carrying antibiotic-resistance genes. A research team has shown that these genes can be transported by clouds.
Published Researchers explore techniques to successfully reintroduce captive birds into the wild
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Studies show that some species may require breeding in captivity within the next 200 years to avoid extinction. This reality places heavy importance on the reintroduction practices used to successfully transfer species from captivity to the wild. A new study looks at some of the most popular conservation techniques and identifies which have the highest likelihood of success for the reintroduction of bird species back into the wild.
Published Is the ocean a solution for ushering in the era of environmentally friendly energy?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers confirm the superiority of seawater batteries that use chelating agents.
Published Tunneling electrons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source By superimposing two laser fields of different strengths and frequency, the electron emission of metals can be measured and controlled precisely to a few attoseconds. Physicists have shown that this is the case. The findings could lead to new quantum-mechanical insights and enable electronic circuits that are a million times faster than today.
Published Nifty nanoparticles help 'peel back the curtain' into the world of super small things
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Physicists are using nanoparticles to develop new sources of light that will allow us to 'peel back the curtain' into the world of extremely small objects -- thousands of times smaller than a human hair -- with major gains for medical and other technologies.
Published Humidity may increase heat risk in urban climates
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study investigated the combined effect of temperature and humidity on urban heat stress using observational data and an urban climate model calculation. Researchers found that the heat stress burden is dependent on local climate and a humidifying effect can erase the cooling benefits that would come from trees and vegetation.
Published A healthy but depleted herd: Predators decrease prey disease levels but also population size
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Nature documentaries will tell you that lions, cheetahs, wolves and other top predators target the weakest or slowest animals and that this culling benefits prey herds, whether it's antelope in Africa or elk in Wyoming. This idea has been widely accepted by biologists for many years and was formalized in 2003 as the healthy herds hypothesis. It proposes that predators can help prey populations by picking off the sick and injured and leaving healthy, strong animals to reproduce.
Published Mysterious underwater acoustic world of British ponds revealed in new study
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The previously hidden and diverse underwater acoustic world in British ponds has been uncovered by a team of researchers.
Published CO2 recycling: What is the role of the electrolyte?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The greenhouse gas carbon dioxide can be converted into useful hydrocarbons by electrolysis. The design of the electrolysis cell is crucial in this process. The so-called zero-gap cell is particularly suitable for industrial processes. But there are still problems: The cathodes clog up quickly.
Published Jellyfish-like robots could one day clean up the world's oceans
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Roboticists have developed a jellyfish-inspired underwater robot with which they hope one day to collect waste from the bottom of the ocean. The almost noise-free prototype can trap objects underneath its body without physical contact, thereby enabling safe interactions in delicate environments such as coral reefs. Jellyfish-Bot could become an important tool for environmental remediation.
Published Scientists demonstrate unprecedented sensitivity in measuring time delay between two photons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers has demonstrated the ultimate sensitivity allowed by quantum physics in measuring the time delay between two photons. This breakthrough has significant implications for a range of applications, including more feasible imaging of nanostructures, including biological samples, and nanomaterial surfaces, as well as quantum enhanced estimation based on frequency-resolved boson sampling in optical networks.