Showing 20 articles starting at article 421
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Categories: Environmental: Ecosystems, Offbeat: Computers and Math
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.
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.
Published Unique way to track carbon emissions in bodies of water
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Carbon dioxide emissions are not typically associated with water ways, like streams and rivers, but emerging research shows that water bodies play an important role in storing and releasing carbon dioxide. As many states look for cost-effective ways to mitigate climate change, scientists looked at a way to optimize CO2 sensors to better measure carbon dioxide emissions in lotic, or moving, bodies of water offering a new tool that can help provide valuable information for everything from land use to climate action plans.
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.
Published Marine heat waves disrupt the ocean food web in the northeast Pacific Ocean
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Marine heat waves in the northeast Pacific Ocean create ongoing and complex disruptions of the ocean food web that may benefit some species but threaten the future of many others, a new study has shown.
Published New AI technology enables 3D capture and editing of real-life objects
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Imagine performing a sweep around an object with your smartphone and getting a realistic, fully editable 3D model that you can view from any angle -- this is fast becoming reality, thanks to advances in AI. Researchers have unveiled new AI technology for doing exactly this. Soon, rather than merely taking 2D photos, everyday consumers will be able to take 3D captures of real-life objects and edit their shapes and appearance as they wish, just as easily as they would with regular 2D photos today.
Published Drought, soil desiccation cracking, and carbon dioxide emissions: an overlooked feedback loop exacerbating climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Soil stores 80 percent of carbon on earth, yet with increasing cycles of drought, that crucial reservoir is cracking and breaking down, releasing even more greenhouse gases creating an amplified feedback loop that could accelerate climate change.
Published You don't need glue to hold these materials together -- just electricity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Is there a way to stick hard and soft materials together without any tape, glue or epoxy? A new study shows that applying a small voltage to certain objects forms chemical bonds that securely link the objects together. Reversing the direction of electron flow easily separates the two materials. This electro-adhesion effect could help create biohybrid robots, improve biomedical implants and enable new battery technologies.
Published Sonic youth: Healthy reef sounds increase coral settlement
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Healthy coral reefs have rich soundscapes, full of the croaks, purrs, and grunts of various fishes and the crackling of snapping shrimp. Larval coral uses these sounds as cues to identify the best places to settle and grow. The authors found that sound could potentially be a vital tool in the effort to restore coral reefs. Broadcasting the sounds of a healthy reef to a reef that is degraded encourages coral larvae to settle there. This indicates that it's possible that 'acoustic enrichment' can be a key intervention to support imperiled reefs.
Published Summer solstice triggers synchronized beech tree reproduction across Europe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has found that the summer solstice acts as a 'starting gun' to synchronize beech tree reproduction across vast distances in Europe, affecting ecosystem functions.
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.
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.
Published History repeats as Coral Bay faces mass loss of coral and fish life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A perfect storm of environmental factors has seen a monumental loss of fish and coral life at a popular area of Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia's Gascoyne region -- however research into the event shows there is hope it will recover. In March 2022, during the annual coral spawning event, calm weather and limited tidal movement combined to trap the coral's eggs within Bills Bay, at the town of Coral Bay. This led to an excess of nutrients in the water which consumed more oxygen than usual -- causing massive numbers of fish and corals to die from asphyxiation.
Published A coral superhighway in the Indian Ocean
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Despite being scattered across more than a million square kilometers, new research has revealed that remote coral reefs across the Seychelles are closely related. Using genetic analyses and oceanographic modelling, researchers demonstrated for the first time that a network of ocean currents scatter significant numbers of larvae between these distant islands, acting as a 'coral superhighway.'
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.
Published Cicadas' unique urination unlocks new understanding of fluid dynamics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source While most small insects and mammals urinate in droplets, cicadas urinate in jets. Researchers say the finding could be used to create better robots and small nozzles.
Published Study explores impacts of Arctic warming on daily weather patterns in the U.S.
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Arctic sea ice is shrinking as the world continues to warm, and a new study may provide a better understanding of how the loss of this ice may impact daily weather in the middle latitudes, like the United States.
Published AI-generated food images look tastier than real ones
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have announced an intriguing discovery -- consumers generally prefer AI-generated images of food over real food images, especially when they are unaware of their true nature.
Published Good news for coral reef restoration efforts: Study finds 'full recovery' of reef growth within four years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source While the majority of the world's reefs are now under threat or even damaged potentially beyond repair, a new study offers some encouraging news: efforts to restore coral reefs not only increase coral cover, but they can also bring back important ecosystem functions, and surprisingly fast.
Published New technique may help scientists stave off coral reef collapse
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Producing coral skeleton components in the easy-to-use soft-bodied sea anemone Nematostella creates a perfect lab system for studying, and eventually helping, corals threatened by a changing climate.