Ecology: General Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Protecting surf breaks mitigates climate change, helps coastal communities      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Safeguarding places to hang ten and shoot the curl is an opportunity to simultaneously mitigate climate change, fuel tourism and help surrounding ecosystems, research has shown.

Mathematics: General Mathematics: Modeling
Published

Think fast -- or not: Mathematics behind decision making      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research explains the mathematics behind how initial predispositions and additional information affect decision making.

Mathematics: Modeling Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

AI poses no existential threat to humanity, new study finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Large Language Models (LLMs) are entirely controllable through human prompts and lack 'emergent abilities'; that is, the means to form their own insights or conclusions. Increasing model size does not lead LLMs to gain emergent reasoning abilities, meaning they will not develop hazardous abilities and therefore do not pose an existential threat. A new study sheds light on the (until now unexplained) capabilities and shortcomings of LLMs, including the need for carefully engineered prompts to exhibit good performance.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Mathematics: Modeling
Published

Researchers outline promises, challenges of understanding AI for biological discovery      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Machine learning is a powerful tool in computational biology, enabling the analysis of a wide range of biomedical data such as genomic sequences and biological imaging. But when researchers use machine learning in computational biology, understanding model behavior remains crucial for uncovering the underlying biological mechanisms in health and disease. Researchers now propose guidelines that outline pitfalls and opportunities for using interpretable machine learning methods to tackle computational biology problems.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Biology: Zoology Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

Elephants on the move: Mapping connections across African landscapes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Elephant conservation is a major priority in southern Africa, but habitat loss and urbanization mean the far-ranging pachyderms are increasingly restricted to protected areas like game reserves. The risk? Contained populations could become genetically isolated over time, making elephants more vulnerable to disease and environmental change.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

The race to discover biodiversity: 11 new marine species and a new platform for rapid species description      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new paper describes a ground-breaking experiment that united 25 independent taxonomists from 10 countries. The initiative boasts the discovery of 11 new marine species from all over the globe, occurring at depths from 5.2 to 7081 meters. It also represents a significant step forward in accelerating the pace at which new marine species are described and published.

Biology: General Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Mathematics: Modeling
Published

A new way of thinking about the economy could help protect the Amazon, and help its people thrive      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

To protect the Amazon and support the wellbeing of its people, its economy needs to shift from environmentally harmful production to a model built around the diversity of indigenous and rural communities, and standing forests.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Genetics Mathematics: Modeling
Published

Cracking the code of life: new AI model learns DNA's hidden language      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

With GROVER, a new large language model trained on human DNA, researchers could now attempt to decode the complex information hidden in our genome. GROVER treats human DNA as a text, learning its rules and context to draw functional information about the DNA sequences.

Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Sea level changes shaped early life on Earth, fossil study reveals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Shifts in the Earth's continental plates that drove long-term changes in sea level set the stage for the evolution of the earliest animals on Earth, a study suggests.

Mathematics: Modeling
Published

Method prevents an AI model from being overconfident about wrong answers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Thermometer, a new calibration technique tailored for large language models, can prevent LLMs from being overconfident or underconfident about their predictions. The technique aims to help users know when a model should be trusted.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: General Mathematics: Modeling
Published

Demographics of north African human populations unravelled using genomic data and artificial intelligence      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study places the origin of the Imazighen in the Epipaleolithic, more than twenty thousand years ago. The research concludes that the genetic origin of the current Arab population of north Africa is far more recent than previously believed, placing it in the seventh century AD. The team has designed an innovative demographic model that uses artificial intelligence to analyze the complete genomes of the two populations.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Mathematics: Modeling
Published

Researchers explore the potential of clean energy markets as a hedging tool      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Clean energy investments offer potential stability and growth, especially during volatile market conditions. A recent study explored the relationship between clean energy markets and global stock markets. Significant spillovers were observed from major indices like the SP500 to markets such as Japan's Nikkei225 and Global Clean Energy Index. These interactions suggest opportunities for optimizing investment portfolios and leveraging clean energy assets as hedging tools in volatile market environments.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Zoology Chemistry: Biochemistry Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

North Sea oil and gas extraction spikes pollution by 10,000 percent, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

North Sea oil and gas extraction can cause pollution to spike by more than 10,000 percent within half a kilometer around off-shore sites, a study has found. The research has uncovered the true impact on Britain's seabed life -- with the number of species plummeting nearly 30 percent near platforms.

Mathematics: Modeling Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Breaking MAD: Generative AI could break the internet, researchers find      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have found that training successive generations of generative artificial intelligence models on synthetic data gives rise to self-consuming feedback loops.

Ecology: General Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: General Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

California a botanical and climate change hot spot      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Climate-driven shifts in California's biodiversity call for innovation and continued environmental stewardfship, says a new study. California's 30x30 Initiative and efforts to harmonize biodiversity with renewable energy are promising steps, while wildfire strategies need to further adapt.