The guardian angels of the source of the Seine
The river Seine, the centerpiece of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony in July, starts with a few drops of water in a mossy grotto deep in the woods of central France. ⌘ Read more

Heatstroke kills 30 in Thailand this year as kingdom bakes
Thailand issued fresh warnings about scorching hot weather on Thursday as the government said heatstroke has already killed at least 30 people this year. ⌘ Read more

Ultrasensitive photonic crystal detects single particles down to 50 nanometers
Using an ultrasensitive photonic crystal, TU/e researchers were able to detect single particles down to 50 nanometers in diameter. The new research has just been published in the journal Optica. ⌘ Read more

Giant virus discovered in wastewater treatment plant infects deadly parasite
The single-celled organism Naegleria fowleri ranks among the deadliest human parasites. Researchers around Matthias Horn and Patrick Arthofer from the Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science at the University of Vienna, in an international collaboration, have discovered viruses that infect this harmful microbe. ⌘ Read more

Lunar landforms indicate geologically recent seismic activity on the moon
The moon’s steadfast illumination of our night sky has been a source of wonder and inspiration for millennia. Since the first satellite images of its surface were taken in the 1960s, our understanding of Earth’s companion through time has developed immeasurably. A complex interplay of cosmic interactions and planetary systems, the moon’s surface displays a plethora of landforms evidencing its history. ⌘ Read more

Future hurricanes could compromise New England forests’ ability to store and sequester carbon
Nature-based climate solutions can help mitigate climate change, especially in forested regions capable of storing and sequestering vast amounts of carbon. New research published in Global Change Biology indicates that a single hurricane in New England, one of the most heavily forested regions in the United States, can down 4.6–9.4% of the total above-ground forest carbon, an amount much greater … ⌘ Read more

Study compares Salmonella rates in backyard, commercial poultry farm samples
In a comparison of differently sized poultry farms, researchers at North Carolina State University found that rates of Salmonella in fecal and environmental samples were more prevalent on larger commercial farms than on smaller backyard farms. ⌘ Read more

Researchers develop forest extent map for Mexico
To properly protect forests and evaluate the state of natural resources, conservation practices and environmental policies, it is important to have accurate information on an area’s forest extent. ⌘ Read more

Researchers create artificial cells that act like living cells
In a new study published in Nature Chemistry, UNC-Chapel Hill researcher Ronit Freeman and her colleagues describe the steps they took to manipulate DNA and proteins—essential building blocks of life—to create cells that look and act like cells from the body. This accomplishment, a first in the field, has implications for efforts in regenerative medicine, drug delivery systems, and diagnostic tools. ⌘ Read more

NASA to overhaul mission returning samples from Mars—here’s why it must and will go ahead
NASA recently announced that it is seeking new ways to complete the return to Earth of rock cores drilled by the Perseverance Rover in the Jezero Crater on Mars. This has led to some anxiety among space scientists, who view the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission as a cornerstone of plans to explore the solar system. ⌘ Read more

Manipulating the geometry of the ‘electron universe’ in magnets
Researchers at Tohoku University and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency have developed fundamental experiments and theories to manipulate the geometry of the “electron universe,” which describes the structure of electronic quantum states in a manner mathematically similar to the actual universe, within a magnetic material under ambient conditions. ⌘ Read more

Supercomputer simulation reveals new mechanism for membrane fusion
An intricate simulation performed by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers using one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers sheds new light on how proteins called SNAREs cause biological membranes to fuse. ⌘ Read more

To accelerate biosphere science, researchers say reconnect three scientific cultures
Researchers who study Earth’s biosphere tend to operate from one of three scientific cultures, each with distinct ways of conducting science, and which have been operating mostly independently from one another, find the authors of a Perspective published in PNAS on April 19, 2024. SFI Professors Christopher Kempes and Geoffrey West, together with External Professor Brian Enquist (University of Arizona) … ⌘ Read more

Tunable quantum anomalous Hall effects in van der Waals heterostructures
The quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) has unique advantages in topotronic applications, but realizing the QAHE with tunable magnetic and topological properties for building functional devices is still a key scientific challenge. Through first-principles calculations, researchers have predicted a candidate material that meets these requirements. ⌘ Read more

Mitochondrial DNA copy number contributes to growth diversity in allopolyploid fish
Understanding the relationship between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and animal growth could provide valuable information for selective breeding in aquaculture. However, the complex interactions between genetics and environmental factors often hinders progress in this field. To that end, a recent study published in Reproduction and Breeding investigated the cross-sectional diameter of skeletal muscle fibers … ⌘ Read more

Research suggests historically redlined areas see more modern-day gun violence
In the 1930s, the United States government introduced redlining, a discriminatory practice that categorized neighborhoods based on people’s race or ethnicity and denied financial services to residents in certain areas—redlining disproportionately affected marginalized communities. While redlining was officially outlawed in 1968, new research from Boston Children’s Hospital suggests a relationship between historic red … ⌘ Read more

Novel graphene oxide spray coating advances antiviral protection of face masks
In the relentless battle against airborne viruses, researchers have developed a new spray coating to improve the antiviral efficacy of personal protective equipment, notably face masks. The study is published in the journal ACS Applied Nano Materials. ⌘ Read more

Researchers uncover details of how bacteria build protective barriers, may inform new antibiotics
Yale researchers have uncovered new details on how bacteria like E. coli build their protective barriers, which will inform new antibiotic development. ⌘ Read more

Astronomers offer new model for formation of recently discovered ‘free-floating’ planets
The recent discovery of a potential new class of distant and mysterious “free-floating” planets has intrigued astronomers since stunning new images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope were shared late last year. ⌘ Read more

In Ecuadoran Amazon, butterflies provide a gauge of climate change
Biologists on a trail in the Ecuadoran Amazon hold their breath as they distribute a foul-smelling delicacy to lure butterflies, critical pollinators increasingly threatened by climate change. ⌘ Read more

Everest mountaineer’s letters digitized for the first time
Letters written by the famous mountaineer George Mallory have been made available to a global audience for the first time, in the centenary year of his fatal attempt to scale Everest. ⌘ Read more

Scientists find common genes defending coffee plants against devastating disease
Arabica coffee is the most economically important coffee globally and accounts for 60% of coffee products worldwide. But the plants it hails from are vulnerable to a disease that, in the 1800s, devastated Sri Lanka’s coffee empire. ⌘ Read more

Q&A: B.C.’s 2024 wildfire season has started—here’s what to know
Last year’s wildfire season marked B.C.’s most destructive on record: 2.8 million hectares burned, more than double any previous year. UBC researchers Dr. Lori Daniels and Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais actively work on projects enhancing wildfire resilience, collaborating with community, government, private-sector and academic partners, and First Nations. ⌘ Read more

Malians struggle to cope after deadly heat wave
In Mali’s capital Bamako, Aboubacar Pamateck runs a scarf under a trickle of water and wraps it around his head to cope with the West African nation’s soaring heat. ⌘ Read more

This ancient snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a ton
A ancient giant snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a ton, researchers reported Thursday. ⌘ Read more