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Categories: Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry, Ecology: Extinction
Published Fossils of giant sea lizard with dagger-like teeth show how our oceans have fundamentally changed since the dinosaur era



Fossils of a strange new species of marine lizard with dagger-like teeth that lived 66 million years ago, show a dramatically more biodiverse ocean ecosystem to what we see today.
Published Fossil named 'Attenborough's strange bird' was the first in its kind without teeth



A new fossil, named 'Attenborough's strange bird' after naturalist and documentarian Sir David Attenborough, is the first of its kind to evolve a toothless beak. It's from a branch of the bird family tree that went extinct in the mass extinction 66 million years ago, and this strange bird is another puzzle piece that helps explain why some birds -- and their fellow dinosaurs -- went extinct, and others survived to today.
Published 8 in 10 lizards could be at risk due to deforestation



These reptiles move around tree trunks to seek warmth or shade. With trees disappearing, they would have trouble controlling their body temperature, a new study shows.
Published A key to the future of robots could be hiding in liquid crystals



Robots and cameras of the future could be made of liquid crystals, thanks to a new discovery that significantly expands the potential of the chemicals already common in computer displays and digital watches. The findings are a simple and inexpensive way to manipulate the molecular properties of liquid crystals with light exposure.
Published AI-enabled atomic robotic probe to advance quantum material manufacturing



Scientists have pioneered a new methodology of fabricating carbon-based quantum materials at the atomic scale by integrating scanning probe microscopy techniques and deep neural networks. This breakthrough highlights the potential of implementing artificial intelligence at the sub-angstrom scale for enhanced control over atomic manufacturing, benefiting both fundamental research and future applications.
Published It's not only opposites that attract -- new study shows like-charged particles can come together



A study shows that similarly charged particles can sometimes attract, rather than repel. The team found that like-charged particles suspended in liquids can attract one another at long-range, depending on the solvent and the sign of the charge. The study has immediate implications for processes that involve interactions in solution across various length-scales, including self-assembly, crystallization, and phase separation.
Published Turning waste into gold



Researchers have recovered gold from electronic waste. Their highly sustainable new method is based on a protein fibril sponge, which the scientists derive from whey, a food industry byproduct.
Published When the music changes, so does the dance: Controlling cooperative electronic states in Kagome metals



Playing a different sound track is, physically speaking, only a minute change of the vibration spectrum, yet its impact on a dance floor is dramatic. People long for this tiny trigger, and as a salsa changes to a tango completely different collective patterns emerge. For such a tiny stimulus to have an effect, the crowd needs to know more than just one dance. Electrons in metals tend to show only one behavior at zero temperature, when all kinetic energy is quenched.
Published Uncertainty in measuring biodiversity change could hinder progress towards global targets for nature



More than ever before, there is a growing interest in dedicating resources to stop the loss of biodiversity, as recently exemplified by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) decided at COP15 in December 2022. The GBF focuses on understanding why biodiversity is declining and what actions are needed to reverse this trend. However, according to researchers, implementing the plan is challenging because information about biodiversity changes is not evenly available everywhere, and is uncertain in many places.
Published Genetic research revealed several new fern species in tropical America



Researchers have clarified the evolutionary history of a previously poorly known group of ferns from the tropical rainforests of America using DNA methods. The study discovered many new fern species, 18 of which have now been given official names and species descriptions.
Published A bright idea for recycling rare-earth phosphors from used fluorescent bulbs



Recycling facilities collect glass and mercury from thrown away fluorescent bulbs, but discarded lighting could also supply rare-earth metals for reuse. The 17 metals referred to as rare earths aren't all widely available and aren't easily extracted with existing recycling methods. Now, researchers have found a simpler way to collect slightly magnetic particles that contain rare-earth metals from spent fluorescent bulbs.
Published Older African elephants will be most severely affected by the changing climate



Older elephants in East Africa will be most severely impacted by climate change, threatening the long-term survival of this vulnerable African mammal, according to a new study.
Published How molecular 'handedness' emerged in early biology



Chemists fill a major gap in origin-of-life theories.
Published Under pressure: New tool for precise measurement of superconductors



Researchers think they have a foundational tool for the thorny problem of how to measure and image the behavior of hydride superconductors at high pressure. They report creatively integrating quantum sensors into a diamond anvil cell, enabling direct readouts of the pressurized material's electrical and magnetic properties.
Published Researchers develop novel method to photosynthesize hydrogen peroxide using water and air



Researchers have developed a microporous covalent organic framework with dense donor-acceptor lattices and engineered linkages for the efficient and clean production of hydrogen peroxide through the photosynthesis process with water and air.
Published Light stimulates a new twist for synthetic chemistry



Molecules that are induced by light to rotate bulky groups around central bonds could be developed into photo-activated bioactive systems, molecular switches, and more.
Published Counting rays: Aerial surveys reveal ample populations in Southeast Florida



A unique long-term study quantified the abundance of whitespotted eagle and giant manta rays in Southeast Florida. Researchers conducted 120 survey flights between 2014 and 2021 from Miami north to the Jupiter Inlet. One or both species were seen on nearly every flight and both populations appear to be stable in the region. The giant manta rays were more abundant in the south and the whitespotted eagle rays were found all along the coast. Neither species seems to be deterred by the greater human population density in Fort Lauderdale/Miami.
Published Diamonds are a chip's best friend



New technologies aim to produce high-purity synthetic crystals that become excellent semiconductors when doped with impurities as electron donors or acceptors of other elements. Researchers have now determined the magnitude of the spin-orbit interaction in acceptor-bound excitons in a semiconductor. They broke through the energy resolution limit of conventional luminescence measurements by directly observing the fine structure of bound excitons in boron-doped blue diamond, using optical absorption.
Published Extinctions could result as fish change foraging behavior in response to rising temperatures



Fish species respond to temperature increases by going after more readily available prey. Models suggest this behavior could lead to more extinctions.
Published Researchers use Hawk supercomputer and lean into imperfection to improve solar cell efficiency



Solar energy is one of the most promising, widely adopted renewable energy sources, but the solar cells that convert light into electricity remains a challenge. Scientists have turned to the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart to understand how strategically designing imperfections in the system could lead to more efficient energy conversion.