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Categories: Geoscience: Environmental Issues, Offbeat: Space
Published Converting wastewater to fertilizer with fungal treatment



Creating fertilizers from organic waste can help reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and promote sustainable production. One way of doing this is through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), which converts biomass into biocrude oil through a high-temperature, high-pressure process. Two studies explore the use of a fungal treatment to convert the leftover wastewater into fertilizer for agricultural crops.
Published How pollution may remain in water after oil spill cleanups



The way oil drops break up at the water's surface means some oil may not get cleaned up after a spill.
Published Rural belts around cities can reduce urban summer temperatures by up to 0.5°C



The key to cooling 'urban heat islands' may lie in the countryside, according to a new study.
Published Study shows new efficiency standards for heavy trucks could boost energy use



A new study suggests that the U.S. government's push to increase heavy-duty trucks' energy efficiency could encourage more shipping by truck instead of rail, reducing the policies' anticipated effectiveness by 20%.
Published Minerals play newly discovered role in Earth's phosphorus cycle



Plants and microbes are known to secrete enzymes to transform organic phosphorus into bioavailable inorganic phosphorus. Now, researchers found that iron oxide in soil performs the same transformation. Discovery is important for food security, which requires phosphorus as a crop fertilizer.
Published Another intermediate-mass black hole discovered at the center of our galaxy



So far, only about ten intermediate-mass black holes have been discovered in the entire universe. The newly identified black hole causes surrounding stars in a cluster to move in an unexpectedly orderly way.
Published Groundcherry gets genetic upgrades: Turning a garden curiosity into an agricultural powerhouse



Imagine a small fruit that tastes like a cross between a tomato and a pineapple, wrapped in its own natural paper lantern. That's the groundcherry (Physalis grisea) -- a little-known relative of tomatoes that's been quietly growing in gardens and small farms across North America for centuries. Now, this humble fruit is getting a 21st-century upgrade thanks to some cutting-edge genetic research.
Published Microbes found to destroy certain 'forever chemicals'



An environmental engineering team has discovered that specific bacterial species can cleave the strong fluorine-to-carbon bond certain kinds of 'forever chemical' water pollutants, offering promise for low-cost treatments of contaminated drinking water.
Published Sea ice's cooling power is waning faster than its area of extent



As sea ice disappears and grows less reflective, the Arctic has lost around a quarter of its cooling power since 1980, and the world has lost up to 15%, according to new research.
Published Diatom surprise could rewrite the global carbon cycle



When it comes to diatoms that live in the ocean, new research suggests that photosynthesis is not the only strategy for accumulating carbon. Instead, these single-celled plankton are also building biomass by feeding directly on organic carbon in wide swaths of the ocean. These new findings could lead to reduced estimates regarding how much carbon dioxide diatoms pull out of the air via photosynthesis, which in turn, could alter our understanding of the global carbon cycle, which is especially relevant given the changing climate.
Published Research tracks 66 million years of mammalian diversity



New research has examined the fossil record going back 66 million years and tracked changes to mammalian ecosystems and species diversity on the North American continent.
Published Want to spot a deepfake? Look for the stars in their eyes



In an era when the creation of artificial intelligence (AI) images is at the fingertips of the masses, the ability to detect fake pictures -- particularly deepfakes of people -- is becoming increasingly important. So what if you could tell just by looking into someone's eyes? That's the compelling finding of new research which suggests that AI-generated fakes can be spotted by analyzing human eyes in the same way that astronomers study pictures of galaxies.
Published Children living in greener neighborhoods show better lung function



A large study of 35,000 children from eight countries has found a 'robust' link between exposure to green spaces in early childhood and better lung function. The study used data from 10 European birth cohorts from 8 countries to conduct a meta-analysis. This assessment of the data was done at the individual level for each participant.
Published Researchers predict fewer, pricier strawberries as temperatures warm



Strawberries could be fewer and more expensive because of higher temperatures caused by climate change, according to new research.
Published Smart soil can water and feed itself



A newly engineered type of soil can capture water out of thin air to keep plants hydrated and manage controlled release of fertilizer for a constant supply of nutrients.
Published Astronomers spot a 'highly eccentric' planet on its way to becoming a hot Jupiter



The newly discovered planet TIC 241249530 b has the most highly elliptical, or eccentric, orbit of any known planet. It appears to be a juvenile planet that is in the midst of becoming a hot Jupiter, and its orbit is providing some answers to how such large, scorching planets evolve.
Published Bridging the 'Valley of Death' in carbon capture



PrISMa is a new platform that uses advanced simulations and machine learning to streamline carbon capture technologies, by taking into account the perspectives of diverse stakeholders early in the research process.
Published Forests endure as carbon sink despite regional pressures



Despite facing regional threats like deforestation and wildfires, the world's forests continue to be a powerful weapon in the fight against climate change. A new study reveals these vital ecosystems have consistently absorbed carbon dioxide for the past three decades, even as disruptions chip away at their capacity. The study, based on long-term ground measurements combined with remote sensing data, found that forests take up an average of 3.5 0.4 billion metric tons of carbon per year, which is nearly half of the carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels between 1990 and 2019.
Published Could intensive farming raise risk of new pandemics?



Industrialized farming is often thought to reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases because of better control, biosecurity and separation of livestock. A new study examines the effect of social and economic factors -- which are often overlooked in traditional assessments.
Published Nature-based solutions to disaster risk from climate change are cost effective



A new global assessment of scientific literature finds that nature-based solutions (NbS) are an economically effective method to mitigate risks from a range of disasters -- from floods and hurricanes to heatwaves and landslides -- which are only expected to intensify as Earth continues to warm.