The best case scenario for the climate crisis is looking increasingly disastrous for much of the world, especially when it comes to rising seas. Even if we can limit global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, in line with the Paris Climate Accord, by 2100 many coastal regions could be experiencing once-in-a-century sea level threats, such
Month: August 2021
We think of DNA as the vitally important molecules that carry genetic instructions for most living things, including ourselves. But not all DNA actually codes proteins; now, we’re finding more and more functions involving the non-coding DNA scientists used to think of as ‘junk’. A new study suggests that satellite DNA – a type of non-coding
A newborn star system 1,400 light-years from Earth is revealed in all its dynamic glory in a new photo from the Hubble Space Telescope. The system is called IRAS 05491+0247, and it’s at the center of a particularly rare and gorgeous cosmic interaction, known as a Herbig-Haro object. This particular Herbig-Haro object, called HH 111,
When it comes to getting rid of an annoying pest, sometimes subtlety just won’t cut it. Sometimes you just have to throw everything or anything within reach, pelting the offender with shells and debris until they scuttle off back to their hole. OK, that approach probably isn’t great for humans. But for octopuses, it seems
Russian cosmonauts discovered cracks on the Zarya module of the International Space Station (ISS) and are concerned that the fissures could spread over time, a senior space official reported on Monday (Aug. 30). “Superficial fissures have been found in some places on the Zarya module,” Vladimir Solovyov, chief engineer of rocket and space corporation Energia,
The use of leaded petrol has been eradicated from the globe, a milestone that will prevent more than 1.2 million premature deaths and save world economies over US$2.4 trillion annually, the UN Environment Program (UNEP) said Monday. Nearly a century after doctors first issued warnings about the toxic effects of leaded petrol, Algeria – the
Saturn – or Kronos – may be the one with a horrifying reputation for filial cannibalism in mythology, but when it comes to cosmic giants eating their own children, it turns out Sun-like stars have a lot to answer for. According to a new study, at least a quarter of all stars like the Sun have
Nobody would ever have thought that farming the Atacama Desert would be easy. Yet, even so, the brutal challenges of living off the land in one of the driest, harshest environments on Earth (and the driest non-polar desert) proved deadly to many, and not all of the dangers were imposed by the desert. Some of the
Tardigrades are undoubtedly weird. Dehydrate them into glass, then fire them out of a gun, and once you rehydrate them you can still have a living creature. Their outsides aren’t the only thing that’s tough either, with scientists finding last year that they also have special DNA armor proteins. But if we take a step
Snakes living in the Fukushima Exclusion Zone can be used to track radioactive contamination, scientists have learnt. Ten years after one of the biggest anthropogenic radioactive disasters in history, a new study describes how the radionuclides accumulated by Japanese rat snakes (Elaphe climacophora and E. quadrivirgata) are uniquely positioned to help map varying levels of
As anyone who has ever lived with a dog will know, it often feels like we don’t get enough time with our furry friends. Most dogs only live around ten to 14 years on average – though some may naturally live longer, while others may be predisposed to certain diseases that can limit their lifespan.
Scientists say a rare shark “virgin birth” may be the first of its kind after a baby shark was born in an all-female tank in an Italian aquarium. The baby smoothhound shark, named Ispera, which means hope in Sardianian, was born at the Acquario di Cala Gonone in Sardinia, Italy, according to Italian outlet AGI. Its
Are people in your culture are mindful of others, even if they’re total strangers? Social mindfulness differs from individual mindfulness in that money isn’t involved – there’s no reward to consider, leaving the characteristics of being friendly and helpful towards others to stand on their own. Small-scale, low-cost cooperation – the sort that’s essential to
Most life needs oxygen to thrive, and science shows that O2 began to show up in Earth’s atmosphere in serious amounts some 2.4 billion years ago. However, there was also a small injection of oxygen around 100 million years earlier than that – and the origin of that earlier breath has so far been a
More Americans are coming to accept Charles Darwin’s “dangerous idea” of evolution, according to thirty years’ worth of national surveys. Researchers have found that public acceptance of biological evolution has increased substantially in the last decade alone, following twenty years of relative stagnancy. Between 1985 and 2010, roughly 40 percent of surveyed adults in the
Scientists have discovered what is believed to be the world’s northernmost landmass – a yet-to-be-named island north of Greenland that could soon be swallowed up by seawaters. Researchers came upon the landmass on an expedition in July, and initially thought they had reached Oodaaq, up until now the northernmost island on the planet. “We were
Figuring out what’s going on underneath a kilometer (over half a mile) of solid Greenland ice isn’t easy for scientists, but the rise and fall of ‘water blisters’ could offer some vital insights into the deep flow of water and ice, according to a new study. These blisters form between the ice sheet and the
Tropical forests in Africa don’t receive nearly as much attention as the Amazon rainforest or the jungles of southeast Asia, but that says nothing of their overall importance in the global carbon cycle. New research has shown the highest mountain forests in Africa can store more carbon per hectare than even the Amazon – far
Roughly a century ago, scientists began to realize that some of the radiation we detect in Earth’s atmosphere is not local in origin. This eventually gave rise to the discovery of cosmic rays, high-energy protons, and atomic nuclei that have been stripped of their electrons and accelerated to relativistic speeds (close to the speed of
Travel back in time 56 million years, and you’d arrive during a period of heightened volcanic activity on Earth. The activity triggered significant shifts in the planet’s climate, effectively turning some parts of the far north into a tropical paradise. The outpouring of carbon dioxide is one cause for this warming, but it seems there’s
Cookiecutter sharks are elusive deep-sea fish, seemingly only coming to the surface at night. As a result, we don’t know much about them. Yet if there’s one thing we can say for certain, it’s that they like to bite. Over the years, scientists have found tiny, cookiecutter-shaped chunks taken out of the bodies of dolphins,
While no one enjoys seeing carefully nurtured crops destroyed by hordes of hungry insects, the most common way to prevent it – the use of insecticides – is causing massive ecological problems. Some are wreaking havoc on bee populations globally, killing birds and piling onto the challenges already faced by endangered species. Thankfully, insecticides are
Scientists have bridged a missing link in the reptile tree of life. That link is the tiny skull of a lizard-like creature “profusely ornamented” with features that suggest it gave rise to all living lizards, snakes, and the sole survivor of another reptile group found only in New Zealand. Named Taytalura alcoberi, the fossilized skull
When it comes to birds, sexual dimorphism can be very pronounced indeed. Males may announce their presence with flashy feathers, while females of the same species are much more sedate – an adaptation thought to be related to sexual selection and reproduction. While not universal for all birds, such was thought to be the case
Since their introduction to Australia in 1935, cane toads (Rhinella marina) have been rapidly devouring their way across the northern part of the continent. Their feasting bonanza, unchecked by predators or parasites evolved to deal with their toxicity, has seen their numbers explode. There are now so many cane toads, natural selection has favored more
There’s a storm in your teacup of the likes we barely understand. Water molecules flipping about madly, reaching out to one another, grabbing hold and letting go in unique ways that defy easy study. While physicists know the phenomenon of hydrogen bonding plays a key role in water’s many weird and wonderful configurations, certain details
Up to 95 percent of Earth’s ocean surface will have changed by the end of the century unless humanity reins in its carbon emissions, according to research published Thursday. Ocean surface climates, defined by surface water temperature, acidity and the concentration of the mineral aragonite – which many marine animals use to form bones and
The bones of victims of the 79 CE eruption of Vesuvius in the nearby town of Herculaneum have revealed fascinating differences in the diets of the local men and women. According to an analysis of isotopes in the bones, men ate more cereals and seafood, and women ate more eggs, dairy, and meat from terrestrial
A police raid in Brazil has saved our scientific knowledge of an incredibly well-preserved flying lizard that sported a ridiculously large head crest. The police had been investigating illegal fossil trade, and in 2013 found the pterosaur Tupandactylus navigans fossil amongst 3,000 other specimens. University of São Paulo paleontologist Victor Beccari and colleagues realized they had the
After taking new radio observations, astronomers have ruled out a leading explanation for the cyclic nature of a particularly curious repeating space signal. The signal in question is FRB 20180916B, which repeats with a 16.35-day periodicity. According to existing models, this could result from interactions between closely orbiting stars; however, the new detections – which
Picturing how our species might appear in the far future often invites wild speculation over stand-out features such as height, brain size, and skin complexion. Yet subtle shifts in our anatomy today demonstrate how unpredictable evolution can be. Take something as mundane as an extra blood vessel in our arms, which going by current trends could be
Nearly 2,000 years ago, the ancient people of Teotihuacan wrapped bunches of flowers into beautiful bouquets, laid them beneath a jumble of wood and set the pile ablaze. Now, archaeologists have found the remains of those surprisingly well-preserved flowers in a tunnel snaking beneath a pyramid of the ancient city, located northeast of what is now Mexico
Winter has cleared the air of dust on Mars, allowing the Curiosity Rover to take a stunning panorama of its alien surroundings. On July 3, while rolling up the slope of Mount Sharp, a tall mountain in the center of the Gale Crater, Curiosity stopped to let its cameras sweep the scene. The rover has
Protected areas will only help species migrating to escape a warming climate if enough of them, strategically located, allow for reproduction, a study of the English countryside showed Wednesday. With humanity’s numbers set to pass 9 billion by mid-century, many animals and plants on our crowded planet are severely threatened by shrinking habitat. Carving out
When we search for life out there in the galaxy, we base our efforts on what we know. So far, we know only one planet that has yielded life – ours – so we look for Earth-like, rocky worlds at a specific distance range from the host star for livable temperatures. That doesn’t mean life
The skeleton of an ancient woman, discovered in an Indonesian cave in 2015, appears to have ancestry unlike any other human found to date. Her remains have now provided archaeologists with a rare glimpse of the earliest settlers to leave mainland Asia and begin the journey to New Guinea and Australia. The roughly 7,200-year-old human,
The skeletal remains of two lovers, buried together more than 1,500 years ago in northern China, were recently discovered locked in an eternal embrace, a new study finds. It’s possible that the woman, who wore a metal ring on her left ring finger, sacrificed herself so that she could be buried with her husband, the
Recently, we’ve been learning that the world is a much… glowier place than we ever suspected. More and more terrestrial organisms have been found exhibiting biofluorescence – a soft, eerie, beautiful glow that we can see under ultraviolet light. Now the glow has been found somewhere even more unexpected – the segmented nests of several
What makes a ‘good’ life? And how do we measure it? These are questions as old as humanity itself – with many potential answers – but a new study places the emphasis on living in a way that’s ‘psychologically rich’. That richness is defined by experiences that are out of the ordinary, varied, complex and
With rising temperatures and significant climate shifts predicted for Antarctica in the years to come, the icy continent could use a break. Well, now it’s had one, as it just had a near miss with a giant iceberg double the size of Chicago. The iceberg in question is A-74. Having originally been attached to Antarctica,
Politicians, business leaders, YouTubers and celebrities are calling for the planting of millions, billions or even trillions of trees to slow climate change. There are currently almost 8 billion people on Earth. If every single person planted a tree each year for the next 20 years, that would mean roughly 160 billion new trees. Could
A newly discovered asteroid has the second-shortest orbit that we know in the entire Solar System, pipped only by Mercury. It’s named 2021 PH27, and it takes just 113 days to complete a circuit around the Sun, on an unstable elliptical orbit that crosses the orbital paths of both Venus and Mercury. This means that
Millions of years ago, an ancient sperm whale had a very, very bad day when a megatoothed shark – possibly the fearsome Otodus megalodon or its ancestor Otodus chubutensis, the largest predatory sharks that ever lived – viciously attacked it in what is now North Carolina, a new study suggests. Marks from the attack, preserved as gouges out of the sperm
A powerful radio telescope staring at a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way has detected thousands of hitherto unknown radio sources. In the direction of the Large Magellanic Cloud, thousands of nearby stars, supernovae, and distant galaxies have been detected in radio wavelengths for the first time, data that could yield new information about the
In what amounts to perhaps the most unhurried act of animal predation ever caught on camera, researchers have filmed for the first time a giant tortoise slowly – ever so slowly – closing in for the kill. This drawn-out encounter – between a lumbering, almost leisurely giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) and its grounded bird prey
Despite humanity’s intense fascination with sparkly pieces of carbon, it seems there is still plenty to learn about how diamonds form deep within our planet. New research has discovered that two different types of rare diamonds share a common origin story – the recycling of once-living organisms over 400 kilometers (250 miles) below the surface.
Supermassive black holes tend to sit, more or less stationary, at the centers of galaxies. But not all of these awesome cosmic objects stay put; some may be knocked askew, wobbling around galaxies like cosmic nomads. We call such black holes ‘wanderers’, and they’re largely theoretical, because they are difficult (but not impossible) to observe,
New measurements from scientists in Sweden reveal that Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest mountain, is sweltering and transforming in the face of unrelenting global warming. In further evidence that climate change has the power to move mountains – and to bring their greatness low – researchers say Kebnekaise’s southern peak, long famous for being the highest point
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