Showing 20 articles starting at article 1
Categories: Ecology: Research, Mathematics: Modeling
Published Self-improving AI method increases 3D-printing efficiency



An artificial intelligence algorithm can allow researchers to more efficiently use 3D printing to manufacture intricate structures. The development could allow for more seamless use of 3D printing for complex designs in everything from artificial organs to flexible electronics and wearable biosensors. As part of the study, the algorithm learned to identify, and then print, the best versions of kidney and prostate organ models, printing out 60 continually improving versions.
Published Mobile species are 'glue' which connect different habitats together



A groundbreaking study conducted across 30 field sites in the southwest UK has revealed the importance of incorporating varied habitats into the landscape at large.
Published Peering into the mind of artificial intelligence to make better antibiotics



Artificial intelligence (AI) has exploded in popularity as of late. But just like a human, it's hard to read an AI model's mind. Explainable AI (XAI) could help us do just that by providing justification for a model's decisions. And now, researchers are using XAI to scrutinize predictive AI models more closely, which could help make better antibiotics.
Published Forest loss intensifies climate change by increasing temperatures and cloud level, which leads to decrease of water



Researchers report that deforestation during the last two decades induced a higher warming and cloud level rise than that caused by climate change, which threatens biodiversity and water supply in African montane forests.
Published AI model aids early detection of autism



A new machine learning model can predict autism in young children from relatively limited information. The model can facilitate early detection of autism, which is important to provide the right support.
Published It's a rave: Underground acoustics amplify soil health



Barely audible to human ears, healthy soils produce a cacophony of sounds in many forms -- a bit like an underground rave concert of bubble pops and clicks. Special recordings made by ecologists show this chaotic mixture of soundscapes can be a measure of the diversity of tiny living animals in the soil, which create sounds as they move and interact with their environment.
Published Why do researchers often prefer safe over risky projects? Explaining risk aversion in science



A mathematical framework that builds on the economic theory of hidden-action models provides insight into how the unobservable nature of effort and risk shapes investigators' research strategies and the incentive structures within which they work, according to a new study.
Published As human activities expand in Antarctica, scientists identify crucial conservation sites



Establishing Key Biodiversity Areas in the Southern Ocean will be vital for safeguarding the ecosystem from the impact of human activities, researchers say.
Published Nearly 25% of European landscape could be rewilded, researchers say



Europe's abandoned farmlands could find new life through rewilding, a movement to restore ravaged landscapes to their wilderness before human intervention. A quarter of the European continent, 117 million hectares, is primed with rewilding opportunities, researchers report.
Published Warming waters and nutrient overload: A dangerous combination threatening our rivers and lakes



New international research found that food webs are becoming less complex in warmer, nutrient-rich waters.
Published Lake Erie walleye growth is driven by parents' size, experience



Parent size and the conditions in which actively spawning adults lived are the most influential factors affecting growth of Lake Erie walleye, a new study has found.
Published Impact of 700 years of Inuvialuit subsistence hunting on beluga whales



An international team of researchers analyzed beluga whale bones retrieved from archaeological sites in the Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada, to shed light on the sustainability of centuries of Inuvialuit beluga whale subsistence harvests.
Published In subdivided communities cooperative norms evolve more easily



Researchers simulated social norms with a supercomputer. Their findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the evolution of social norms and their role in fostering cooperative behavior.
Published Leading AI models struggle to identify genetic conditions from patient-written descriptions



Researchers discover that while artificial intelligence (AI) tools can make accurate diagnoses from textbook-like descriptions of genetic diseases, the tools are significantly less accurate when analyzing summaries written by patients about their own health. These findings demonstrate the need to improve these AI tools before they can be applied in health care settings to help make diagnoses and answer patient questions.
Published Scientists condition crocodiles to avoid killer cane toads



Scientists have trialled a new way to protect freshwater crocodiles from deadly invasive cane toads spreading across northern Australia.
Published Study reveals urban trees suffer more from heat waves and drought than their rural counterparts



A recent study details how trees in New York City and Boston are more negatively impacted by heat waves and drought than trees of the same species in nearby rural forests. The finding highlights the challenges urban trees face in the context of climate change and underscores the importance of tailored urban forestry management as a tool for protecting tree species and reducing urban heat islands.
Published Pit-building venom mixers



Researchers show that the adaptation of antlions to their ecological niche has also changed their venom. They compared the venom system of antlion and closely related green lacewing larvae. Antlions produce a much more complex venom from three different venom glands than lacewing larvae do. All the venom proteins identified come from the insects themselves, not from symbiotic bacteria. Some of the toxins are new and appear to be unique to antlions. Waiting for their victims in pitfall traps in the sand, antlions can use their venom to immobilize larger prey. The venom therefore plays an important ecological role in adapting to their barren habitat.
Published Think fast -- or not: Mathematics behind decision making



New research explains the mathematics behind how initial predispositions and additional information affect decision making.
Published AI poses no existential threat to humanity, new study finds



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.
Published Forest restoration can boost people, nature and climate simultaneously



Forest restoration can benefit humans, boost biodiversity and help tackle climate change simultaneously, new research suggests.