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Categories: Chemistry: Thermodynamics, Ecology: General
Published Conserving wildlife can help mitigate climate change


Solving the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis are not separate issues. Animals remove billions of tons of carbon dioxide each year. Restoring species will help limit global warming, new science reveals.
Published Even Sonoran Desert plants aren't immune to climate change


In North America's hottest, driest desert, climate change is causing the decline of plants once thought nearly immortal and replacing them with shorter shrubs that can take advantage of sporadic rainfall and warmer temperatures.
Published Colorful films could help buildings, cars keep their cool


The cold blast of an air conditioner can be a relief as temperatures soar, but 'A/C' units require large amounts of energy and can leak greenhouse gases. Today, scientists report an eco-friendly alternative -- a plant-based film that cools when exposed to sunlight and comes in many textures and bright, iridescent colors. The material could someday keep buildings, cars and other structures cool without requiring power.
Published Surprise effect: Methane cools even as it heats


Most climate models do not yet account for a recent discovery: methane traps a great deal of heat in Earth's atmosphere, but also creates cooling clouds that offset 30% of the heat.
Published Habitat will dictate whether ground beetles win or lose against climate change


The success of North American crops from corn to Christmas trees partly depends on a relatively invisible component of the food web -- ground beetles. Nearly 2,000 species of ground beetle live in North America. New research shows that some of these insects could thrive while others could decline as the climate changes. The team found that the response will largely depend on the species' traits and habitats and could have significant implications for conservation efforts.
Published What really matters in multi-story building design?


The impact of multi-story building design considerations on embodied carbon emissions, cost, and operational energy has been revealed.
Published Robot caterpillar demonstrates new approach to locomotion for soft robotics


Researchers have demonstrated a caterpillar-like soft robot that can move forward, backward and dip under narrow spaces. The caterpillar-bot's movement is driven by a novel pattern of silver nanowires that use heat to control the way the robot bends, allowing users to steer the robot in either direction.
Published Molecular teamwork makes the organic dream work


Molecular engineers have triggered a domino-like structural transition in an organic semiconductor. The energy- and time-saving phenomenon may enhance the performance of smartwatches, solar cells, and other organic electronics.
Published Going beyond English is critical for conservation


Research in languages other than English is critically important for biodiversity conservation and is shockingly under-utilized internationally, according to an international research team.
Published Bushfire safe rooms may save lives


Researchers have built and tested a bushfire safe room that exceeds current Australian standards and could keep people alive or protect valuables when evacuation is no longer an option.
Published Biodiversity amid climate change


Fewer parasites in U.S. waters might be seen by many as a good thing, but a biologist says the trend signals potential danger for fish and other wildlife.
Published Coffee plantations limit birds' diets


A new study explores a record of birds' diets preserved in their feathers and radio tracking of their movements to find that birds eat far fewer invertebrates in coffee plantations than in forests, suggesting that the disturbance of their ecosystem significantly impacts the birds' dietary options.
Published How fishermen benefit from reversing evolution of cod


Intense fishing and over-exploitation have led to evolutionary changes in fish stocks like cod, reducing both their productivity and value on the market. These changes can be reversed by more sustainable and far-sighted fisheries management. A new study shows that reversal of evolutionary change would only slightly reduce the profit of fishing, but would help regain and conserve natural genetic diversity.
Published Activity deep in Earth affects the global magnetic field


Compass readings that do not show the direction of true north and interference with the operations of satellites are a few of the problems caused by peculiarities of the Earth's magnetic field. The magnetic field radiates around the world and far into space, but it is set by processes that happen deep within the Earth's core, where temperatures exceed 5,000-degrees C. New research from geophysicists suggests that the way this super-hot core is cooled is key to understanding the causes of the peculiarities -- or anomalies, as scientists call them -- of the Earth's magnetic field.
Published Bigger flowers, greater rewards: Plants adapt to climate disruptions to lure pollinators


There's been a well-documented shift toward earlier springtime flowering in many plants as the world warms. The trend alarms biologists because it has the potential to disrupt carefully choreographed interactions between plants and the creatures -- butterflies, bees, birds, bats and others -- that pollinate them.
Published Game-changing high-performance semiconductor material could help slash heat emissions


Researchers have engineered a material with the potential to dramatically cut the amount of heat power plants release into the atmosphere.
Published Swan populations grow 30 times faster in nature reserves


Populations of whooper swans grow 30 times faster inside nature reserves, new research shows.
Published Study shows how biodiversity of coral reefs around the world changes with depth


Dramatic differences between shallow and mesophotic reefs stress the importance of studying--and conserving--these vital ecosystems along their entire depth gradient.
Published Thermal conductivity of metal organic frameworks


Metal organic frameworks, or MOFs, are kind of like plastic building block toys. The pieces are simple to connect, yet they're capable of building highly sophisticated structures.
Published Sea temperatures control the distributions of European marine fish


An analysis extending from southern Portugal to northern Norway highlights the importance of temperature in determining where fish species are found.