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Categories: Geoscience: Geography, Offbeat: General
Published Expansion of agricultural land threatens climate and biodiversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Food, feed, fiber, and bioenergy: The demand for agricultural raw materials is rising. How can additional cultivation areas be reconciled with nature conservation? Researchers have developed a land-use model that provides answers.
Published Rewriting the evolutionary history of critical components of the nervous system
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has rewritten the conventionally understood evolutionary history of certain ion channels -- proteins critical for electrical signaling in the nervous system. The study shows that the Shaker family of ion channels were present in microscopic single cell organisms well before the common ancestor of all animals and thus before the origin of the nervous system.
Published Reduce, reuse, 're-fly-cle'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Black soldier flies are now commercially used to consume organic waste -- but genetic modifications proposed by bioscientists could see the insects digesting a wider variety of refuse, while also creating raw ingredients for industry.
Published The mother of all motion sensors
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have used silicon photonic microchip components to perform a quantum sensing technique called atom interferometry, an ultra-precise way of measuring acceleration. It is the latest milestone toward developing a kind of quantum compass for navigation when GPS signals are unavailable.
Published Ships now spew less sulfur, but warming has sped up
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New findings document fewer ship tracks, reduced cloud cover, and boosted warming after ship emissions regulations took effect in 2020.
Published Engineers make tunable, shape-changing metamaterial inspired by vintage toys
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Common push puppet toys in the shapes of animals and popular figures can move or collapse with the push of a button at the bottom of the toys' base. Now, a team of engineers has created a new class of tunable dynamic material that mimics the inner workings of push puppets, with applications for soft robotics, reconfigurable architectures and space engineering.
Published New study unveils 16,000 years of climate history in the tropical Andes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers highlight the roles of carbon dioxide and ocean currents as key drivers of temperature fluctuations in the tropical Andes over a 16,000 year period.
Published AI poses no existential threat to humanity, new study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Large Language Models (LLMs) are entirely controllable through human prompts and lack 'emergent abilities'; that is, the means to form their own insights or conclusions. Increasing model size does not lead LLMs to gain emergent reasoning abilities, meaning they will not develop hazardous abilities and therefore do not pose an existential threat. A new study sheds light on the (until now unexplained) capabilities and shortcomings of LLMs, including the need for carefully engineered prompts to exhibit good performance.
Published Scientists find oceans of water on Mars: It's just too deep to tap
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Quakes and meteor impacts on Mars generate seismic waves that can help map the interior. A new study analyzed seismic waves detected by the Insight lander and concludes that 11-20 kilometers beneath the surface, a zone of pores and fractures is filled with liquid water -- more than was thought to fill Mars' surface oceans before they disappeared 3 billion years ago. Though too deep to drill, the reservoir is a possible refuge for life.
Published Balancing technology and governance are key to achieving climate goals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Despite advancements in clean energy, global CO2 emissions continue to rise. IIASA researchers contributed to a new international study that underscores the importance of integrating technological advancements with robust institutional capacities to formulate effective climate policies.
Published Just say 'climate change' -- not 'climate emergency'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The familiar terms 'climate change' and 'global warming' are more likely to resonate with people than other commonly used phrases.
Published Engineers bring efficient optical neural networks into focus
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have published a programmable framework that overcomes a key computational bottleneck of optics-based artificial intelligence systems. In a series of image classification experiments, they used scattered light from a low-power laser to perform accurate, scalable computations using a fraction of the energy of electronics.
Published Long-distance relationship revealed in the seemingly random behavior of bowhead whales
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Applying chaos theory to the movement of iconic arctic whales uncovered a 24-hour diving cycle and a long-range (~100 km) synchronization.
Published Researchers find unexpectedly large methane source in overlooked landscape
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers reported that upland landscapes were releasing some of the highest methane emissions yet documented among northern terrestrial ecosystems. The research was sparked when a potent greenhouse gas began ballooning under lawns in Fairbanks.
Published Greenland mega-tsunami led to week-long oscillating fjord wave
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In September 2023, a megatsunami in remote eastern Greenland sent seismic waves around the world, piquing the interest of the global research community. The event created a week-long oscillating wave in Dickson Fjord, according to a new report in The Seismic Record.
Published Achieving quantum memory in the hard X-ray range
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Physicists have used Doppler-shifted nuclear resonant absorbers to form a nuclear frequency comb, enabling a quantum memory in the notoriously difficult X-ray range.
Published New technology uses light to engrave erasable 3D images
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers invented a technique that uses a specialized light projector and a photosensitive chemical additive to imprint two- and three-dimensional images inside any polymer. The light-based engraving remains in the polymer until heat or light are applied, which erases the image and makes it ready to use again. The technology is intended for any situation where having detailed, precise visual data in a compact and easily customizable format could be critical, such as planning surgeries and developing architectural designs.
Published Record-breaking recovery of rocks that originated in Earth's mantle could reveal secrets of planet's history
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have recovered the first long section of rocks that originated in the Earth's mantle, the layer below the crust and the planet's largest component. The rocks will help unravel the mantle's role in the origins of life on Earth, the volcanic activity generated when it melts, and how it drives the global cycles of important elements such as carbon and hydrogen.
Published Artificial compound eye to revolutionize robotic vision at lower cost but higher sensitivity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has recently developed a novel artificial compound eye system that is not only more cost-effective, but demonstrates a sensitivity at least twice that of existing market products in small areas. The system promises to revolutionize robotic vision, enhance robots' abilities in navigation, perception and decision-making, while promoting commercial application and further development in human-robot collaboration.
Published Detecting climate change using aerosols
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers analyzed long-term aerosol satellite observation big data focusing on the Pacific Ocean downwind of China. Using a newly developed metric that considered aerosols as tracers, they detected altered atmospheric transport patterns associated with climate change. They observed that the distance of transboundary air pollution moving east from China had shortened. Thus, long-term satellite-based Earth observations are crucial for early climate change detection and accurate evaluation of this trend.