Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Ecology: Endangered Species Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Now we know, what gets roots to grow: Can help in future droughts      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A biological mechanism familiar to people who fast helps plant roots grow strong. The discovery provides an answer to a long-unanswered question and a deeper understanding of the 'mouths' of plants that can help to develop climate-resilient crops.

Chemistry: General Energy: Nuclear Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Much more than a world first image of radioactive cesium atoms      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Thirteen years after the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), a breakthrough in analysis has permitted a world first: direct imaging of radioactive cesium (Cs) atoms in environmental samples.

Chemistry: General Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Green concrete recycling twice the coal ash is built to last      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New modelling reveals that low-carbon concrete can recycle double the amount of coal ash compared to current standards, halve the amount of cement required and perform exceptionally well over time.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Polyglycerol coating: A breakthrough in safer nanoparticle environmental remediation      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineered nanoparticles (NPs), commonly utilized in environmental remediation, can pose significant toxicity risks upon ingestion by organisms. Researchers have now devised a solution to this challenge by creating a hydrophilic coating, utilizing polyglycerol (PG) functionalization, for NPs. This coating effectively prevents NP aggregation inside organisms' bodies and facilitates easier passage, thereby reducing accumulation. Applicable to various NPs, the novel surface functionalization approach holds promise for addressing concerns about NP toxicity in environmental remediation.

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

Robots' and prosthetic hands' sense of touch could be as fast as humans      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Research could pave the way for a prosthetic hand and robot to be able to feel touch like a human hand. The technology could also be used to help restore lost functionality to patients after a stroke.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Climate change is most prominent threat to pollinators      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new article has found that climate change is the most prominent threat to pollinators -- such as bumblebees, wasps, and butterflies -- who are essential for biodiversity conservation, crop yields and food security. The research suggests that many of the threats to pollinators result from human activities.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

A simple quantum internet with significant possibilities      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

It's one thing to dream up a quantum internet that could send hacker-proof information around the world via photons superimposed in different quantum states. It's quite another to physically show it's possible. That's exactly what physicists have done, using existing Boston-area telecommunication fiber, in a demonstration of the world's longest fiber distance between two quantum memory nodes to date.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Next-generation sustainable electronics are doped with air      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Semiconductors are the foundation of all modern electronics. Now, researchers have developed a new method where organic semiconductors can become more conductive with the help of air as a dopant. The study is a significant step towards future cheap and sustainable organic semiconductors.

Ecology: General Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Penalties for dropping out of ecosystem services incentive programs should equal lost environmental benefits      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

PES programs are currently structured in ways that could limit their participation or create incentives to drop out before the full environmental benefits are realized.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Nuclear Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

The case for sharing carbon storage risk      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Even the most optimistic projections for the rapid build-out of solar, wind, and other low-carbon resources acknowledge that coal, natural gas, and other fossil fuels will dominate the world's energy mix for decades to come. If the vast greenhouse gas emissions from burning these fossil fuels continue to enter the planet's atmosphere, global warming will not be limited to sustainable levels. The capture and geologic sequestration of carbon emissions (CCS) offer a promising solution to the world's carbon conundrum.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Study tallies heatwave deaths over recent decades      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Between 1990 and 2019, more than 150,000 deaths around the globe were associated with heatwaves each year, according to a new study.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Virtual reality becomes more engaging when designers use cinematic tools      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Cinematography techniques can significantly increase user engagement with virtual environments and, in particular, the aesthetic appeal of what users see in virtual reality.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

90% of Floridians believe climate change is happening      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The latest 'Florida Climate Resilience Survey' found that 90% of Floridians believe that climate change is happening. Belief in human-caused climate change has surged among Florida Independents while slipping among Republicans in the state since last fall. But despite these changes, the survey found enduring support among Floridians for increased government action to address the consequences of a warming planet. The survey found 68% of all respondents want state government to do more and 69% want the federal government to do more to address climate change.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Transforming waste carbon dioxide into high-value chemicals with a cost reduction of about 30%      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of scientists has developed a novel technique to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) from treated flue gas directly into high-value chemicals and fuels. This innovation sidesteps the conventional approach of using high-purity CO2 for electrochemical reduction processes, achieving significant cost savings of about 30%.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Avocado pruning residues used to produce more sustainable food packaging      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A prototype of a more durable material increases the biodegradability of food packaging, partially replacing its bioplastic with cellulose fibers extracted from the branches and leaves of the avocado tree.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

GPS stations measure daily ice loss in Greenland      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Monitoring the effects of climate change in Greenland has been made much easier with an innovative method.

Ecology: Nature Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

How wildfires change soil chemistry      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Severe wildfires can drive chemical changes in soil that affect ecosystem recovery and risks to human health. A new study finds broader surveillance and modeling of these changes could inform strategies for protecting lives, property and natural resources, and managing wildlife.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Young whale's journey highlights threats facing ocean animals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A young whale's journey across the Mediterranean highlights the many threats facing ocean animals, researchers say.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

2023 was the hottest summer in two thousand years      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have found that 2023 was the hottest summer in the Northern Hemisphere in the past two thousand years, almost four degrees warmer than the coldest summer during the same period.

Computer Science: General Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Coming out to a chatbot?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Today, there are dozens of large language model (LLM) chatbots aimed at mental health care -- addressing everything from loneliness among seniors to anxiety and depression in teens. But the efficacy of these apps is unclear. Even more unclear is how well these apps work in supporting specific, marginalized groups like LGBTQ+ communities.