Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

Product that kills agricultural pests also deadly to native Pacific Northwest snail      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A product used to control pest slugs on farms in multiple countries is deadly to least one type of native woodland snail endemic to the Pacific Northwest, according to scientists who say more study is needed before the product gains approval in the United States.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geography
Published

Forest, stream habitats keep energy exchanges in balance, global team finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Forests and streams are separate but linked ecosystems, existing side by side, with energy and nutrients crossing their porous borders and flowing back and forth between them. For example, leaves fall from trees, enter streams, decay and feed aquatic insects. Those insects emerge from the waters and are eaten by birds and bats. An international team has now found that these ecosystems appear to keep the energy exchanges in balance -- a finding that the scientists called surprising.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General
Published

AI can now detect COVID-19 in lung ultrasound images      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Artificial intelligence can spot COVID-19 in lung ultrasound images much like facial recognition software can spot a face in a crowd, new research shows. The findings boost AI-driven medical diagnostics and bring health care professionals closer to being able to quickly diagnose patients with COVID-19 and other pulmonary diseases with algorithms that comb through ultrasound images to identify signs of disease.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Nanotechnology Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Robotic metamaterial: An endless domino effect      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

If it walks like a particle, and talks like a particle... it may still not be a particle. A topological soliton is a special type of wave or dislocation which behaves like a particle: it can move around but cannot spread out and disappear like you would expect from, say, a ripple on the surface of a pond. Researchers now demonstrate the atypical behavior of topological solitons in a robotic metamaterial, something which in the future may be used to control how robots move, sense their surroundings and communicate.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Ecology: Invasive Species
Published

Decoding the Easter Bunny -- an eastern Finnish brown hare to represent the standard for the species' genome      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Biologists have published a chromosomally assembled reference genome for the European brown hare. The genome consists of 2.9 billion base pairs, which form 23 autosomal chromosomes, and X and Y sex chromosomes. The timing of the genome release is very appropriate as the brown hare also represents the original Easter Bunny familiar from European folklore.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Two artificial intelligences talk to each other      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Performing a new task based solely on verbal or written instructions, and then describing it to others so that they can reproduce it, is a cornerstone of human communication that still resists artificial intelligence (AI). A team has succeeded in modelling an artificial neural network capable of this cognitive prowess. After learning and performing a series of basic tasks, this AI was able to provide a linguistic description of them to a 'sister' AI, which in turn performed them.

Biology: Botany Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Why do tree frogs lay their eggs on the ground?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A curious aspect of tree frogs is that they often lay their eggs on the ground where the risk of predation by natural enemies is greater than in the trees where they live. A research team suggested that the reason for this behavior is to protect the eggs from low temperatures. Their findings highlight the challenge faced by tree frogs: Should they attempt to maintain an optimal temperature for their eggs or risk predation?

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Sea Life Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Shark-bitten orcas in the Northeastern Pacific could be a new population of killer whale      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers believe a group of killer whales observed hunting marine mammals including sperm whales, as well as a sea turtle, in the open ocean off California and Oregon could be a new population. Based on available evidence, the researchers posit that the 49 orcas could belong to a subpopulation of transient killer whales or a unique oceanic population found in waters off the coast of California and Oregon.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Invasive Species
Published

Dog-killing flatworm discovered in Southern California      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have confirmed that a potentially fatal dog parasite is present in a portion of the Colorado River that runs through California.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Advanced army robots more likely to be blamed for deaths      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Advanced killer robots are more likely to blamed for civilian deaths than military machines, new research has revealed. The study shows that high-tech bots will be held more responsible for fatalities in identical incidents.

Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Tropical birds could tolerate warming better than expected, study suggests      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

We expect tropical animals to handle a certain degree of heat, but not wild swings in temperature. That seems to be true for tropical ectotherms, or 'cold-blooded' animals such as amphibians, reptiles, and insects. However, in a new study of 'warm-blooded' endotherms, a research team found tropical birds can handle thermal variation just fine.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Robot ANYmal can do parkour and walk across rubble      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The quadrupedal robot ANYmal went back to school and has learned a lot. Researchers used machine learning to teach it new skills: the robot can now climb over obstacles and successfully negotiate pitfalls.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Trees Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science
Published

Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Imported giant sequoia trees are well adapted to the UK, growing at rates close to their native ranges and capturing large amounts of carbon during their long lives, finds a new study.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Exploring arctic plants and lichens: An important conservation baseline for Nunavut's newest and largest territorial park      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A comprehensive study of the floristic diversity of Agguttinni Territorial Park, Nunavut's newest and largest Territorial Park, has documented 141 vascular plant, 69 bryophyte, and 93 lichen species from this unique protected area on northern Baffin Island. Through a combination of extensive fieldwork in 2021 and examination of hundreds of existing herbarium specimens, the authors have documented species newly reported for Baffin Island and have crafted a biodiversity baseline important for park management and conservation.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Geography
Published

Rice paddy snake diversification was driven by geological and environmental factors in Thailand, molecular data suggests      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study of rice paddy snakes in Southeast Asia gives key details to their diversification and natural history, adding molecular evidence that the rise of the Khorat Plateau and subsequent environmental shifts in Thailand may have altered the course of the snakes' evolution some 2.5 million years ago.

Biology: Botany Biology: General Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General
Published

Rainforest's next generation of trees threatened 30 years after logging      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Rainforest seedlings are more likely to survive in natural forests than in places where logging has happened -- even if tree restoration projects have taken place, new research shows.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General Mathematics: Modeling Mathematics: Statistics
Published

How do neural networks learn? A mathematical formula explains how they detect relevant patterns      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Neural networks have been powering breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, including the large language models that are now being used in a wide range of applications, from finance, to human resources to healthcare. But these networks remain a black box whose inner workings engineers and scientists struggle to understand. Now, a team has given neural networks the equivalent of an X-ray to uncover how they actually learn.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Robotic interface masters a soft touch      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a haptic device capable of reproducing the softness of various materials, from a marshmallow to a beating heart, overcoming a deceptively complex challenge that has previously eluded roboticists.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Published

Going top shelf with AI to better track hockey data      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers got a valuable assist from artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help capture and analyze data from professional hockey games faster and more accurately than ever before, with big implications for the business of sports.