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Categories: Environmental: Water, Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published Innovative material for sustainable building



Researchers introduce a polymer-based material with unique properties. This material allows sunlight to enter, maintains a more comfortable indoor climate without additional energy, and cleans itself like a lotus leaf. The new development could replace glass components in walls and roofs in the future.
Published Renewable grid: Recovering electricity from heat storage hits 44% efficiency



Closing in on the theoretical maximum efficiency, devices for turning heat into electricity are edging closer to being practical for use on the grid, according to new research.
Published Key role of plant-bacteria communication for the assembly of a healthy plant microbiome supporting sustainable plant nutrition



In an interdisciplinary study, researchers discovered that symbiotic bacteria communicate with legume plants through specific molecules and that this communication influences which bacteria grow near the plant roots. The findings provide insights into how plants and soil bacteria form beneficial partnerships for nutrient uptake and resilience. These results are a step towards understanding how communication between plants and soil bacteria can lead to specific beneficial associations providing plants with nutrients.
Published Psychedelic drug-induced hyperconnectivity in the brain helps clarify altered subjective experiences



A new study shows that the use of psilocybin, a compound found in the widely known 'magic mushrooms,' initiates a pattern of hyperconnectivity in the brain linked to the ego-modifying effects and feelings of oceanic boundlessness. The findings help explain the so-called mystical experiences people report during the use of psychedelics and are pertinent to the psychotherapeutic applications of psychedelic drugs to treat psychiatric disorders such as depression.
Published The global clean water crisis looms large



Water scarcity will intensify with climate and socioeconomic change, disproportionately impacting populations located in the Global South.
Published Bigger is better: Male proboscis monkeys' enhanced noses evolved to attract mates



When it comes to the animal kingdom, bigger is better. Well, at least for proboscis monkeys, famously known for their long, large and droopy noses. Researchers have provided a world-first explanation for why male proboscis monkeys have larger and 'enhanced' nasal structures.
Published Constantly on the hunt for food: Harbor porpoises more vulnerable than previously thought



Constantly on the hunt for food: Harbor porpoises more vulnerable than previously thought to the disturbances from humans. The small whales spend more than 60 percent of their day hunting small fish to stay warm in the cold waters. New research shows that harbor porpoises spend little energy on this hunting strategy, but that it makes them vulnerable to human disturbance.
Published Foraging ants navigate more efficiently when given energy-drink-like doses of caffeine



Ants who receive a caffeine-laced sugary reward become more efficient at navigating back to the reward's location compared to ants that only receive sugar. Caffeinated ants move toward the reward via a more direct path but do not increase their speed, suggesting that caffeine improved their ability to learn. The study was conducted on Argentine ants (Linepithema humile), a globally invasive species, and the researchers say that incorporating caffeine into ant baits could aid efforts to control the ants by improving bait uptake.
Published Sexual parasitism helped anglerfish invade the deep sea during a time of global warming



Members of the vertebrate group including anglerfishes are unique in possessing a characteristic known as sexual parasitism, in which males temporarily attach or permanently fuse with females to mate. Now, researchers show that sexual parasitism arose during a time of major global warming and rapid transition for anglerfishes from the ocean floor to the deep, open sea.
Published Rising temperatures will significantly reduce streamflow in the upper Colorado river basin as groundwater levels fall



The Colorado River makes life possible in many Western cities and supports agriculture that sustains people throughout the country. Most of the river's water begins as snowmelt from the mountainous watersheds of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, and a warming climate will drastically reduce these streamflows, new research finds.
Published Beach erosion will make Southern California coastal living five times more expensive by 2050, study predicts



Southern California's iconic sandy coastlines are vanishing at an alarming rate, and it's a warning sign for coastal communities worldwide, new research suggests.
Published Australian study proves 'humans are planet's most frightening predator'



A new study demonstrates that kangaroos, wallabies and other Australian marsupials fear humans far more than any other predator.
Published Cement recycling method could help solve one of the world's biggest climate challenges



Researchers have developed a method to produce very low emission concrete at scale -- an innovation that could be transformative in the transition to net zero. The method, which the researchers say is 'an absolute miracle', uses the electrically-powered arc furnaces used for steel recycling to simultaneously recycle cement, the carbon-hungry component of concrete.
Published New AI accurately predicts fly behavior



Researchers trained an AI model to accurately predict male fruit flies' courtship behavior in response to any sight of a female. This breakthrough offers new insight into how the brain processes visual data and may someday pave the way for artificial vision technology.
Published Smoke covered 70% of California during biggest wildfire years



As much as 70 percent of California was covered by wildfire smoke during parts of 2020 and 2021, according to a new study.
Published 'Fossilizing' cracks in infrastructure creates sealing that can even survive earthquakes



In a new study, a team of researchers used research on fossilizing techniques to create a new method for sealing cracks and fractures in rocks and bedrock using a 'concretion-forming resin'. This innovative technique has applications in a wide range of industries, from tunnel construction to long-term underground storage of hazardous materials.
Published Cuddled cows who work as therapy animals showed a strong preference for women compared to men, study finds



A new study reveals that cows who are cuddled as therapy animals showed a strong preference for interactions with women when compared to men. In turn, the research, which opens a new era on whether some therapies may be initially stronger based upon gender and not procedure, highlighted that the women also reported greater attachment behaviors towards the steers.
Published Sewage overflows linked to increase in gastrointestinal illnesses



A new study has found that residents living in the downstream communities that border the Merrimack River are at a substantially increased risk of developing acute gastrointestinal illnesses (AGI) in the four days following large-volume combined sewer overflows (CSOs).
Published Study finds widespread 'cell cannibalism,' related phenomena across tree of life



Researchers describe cell-in-cell phenomena in which one cell engulfs and sometimes consumes another. The study shows that cases of this behavior, including cell cannibalism, are widespread across the tree of life. The findings challenge the common perception that cell-in-cell events are largely restricted to cancer cells. Rather, these events appear to be common across diverse organisms, from single-celled amoebas to complex multicellular animals.
Published Alaska's rusting waters: Pristine rivers and streams turning orange



Dozens of Alaska's rivers and streams are turning orange. The staining could be the result of minerals exposed by thawing permafrost and climate change, finds a new study.