Ocean density identified as a key driver of carbon capture by marine plankton
New findings, published in Royal Society Open Science, have revealed that changes in ocean density have a significant impact on the rate at which marine plankton incorporate carbon into their shells. This has profound implications for carbon cycling and the ocean’s ability to absorb atmospheric CO2 in response to climate change. ⌘ Read more

Personal AI assistants could help astronauts on long missions
How can artificial intelligence (AI) help astronauts on long-term space missions? This is what a recent study presented at the 2024 International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy, hopes to address. ⌘ Read more

Planning autonomous surface missions on ocean worlds
Through advanced autonomy testbed programs, NASA is setting the groundwork for one of its top priorities—the search for signs of life and potentially habitable bodies in our solar system and beyond. The prime destinations for such exploration are bodies containing liquid water, such as Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Enceladus. ⌘ Read more

Approaching the unexplored ‘plasma phase-space’ with data science
Fusion energy is being researched and developed as a new source of electric power that will contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society. At the National Institute for Fusion Science, research on magnetically confined plasma is being conducted using the Large Helical Device (LHD). The major difference between plasma and other gases is its low density. ⌘ Read more

Death toll rises to 29 in southern Thailand floods
More than 30,000 people have been forced to flee their homes due to severe flooding in southern Thailand, where the death toll climbed to 29, officials said Wednesday. ⌘ Read more

Hiring people with disabilities positively influences hotel guest perceptions, finds study
Employing people with disabilities (PWD) in hotels not only enhances social responsibility but also significantly boosts customer intentions to recommend and revisit hotels, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. This pivotal study challenges long-standing misconceptions about hiring PWD in the hospitality industry and demonstrates that inclusivity can also benefit business outcomes. ⌘ Read more

Multinational enterprises are failing the world’s sustainability goals, says study
Multinational enterprises (MNEs) are not just falling short of global sustainability targets but are actively contributing to the very problems they claim to address, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. This study argues that there is an urgent need for MNEs to reassess their innovation strategies to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ⌘ Read more

Multimodal machine learning model increases accuracy of catalyst screening
Identifying optimal catalyst materials for specific reactions is crucial to advance energy storage technologies and sustainable chemical processes. To screen catalysts, scientists must understand systems’ adsorption energy, something that machine learning (ML) models, particularly graph neural networks (GNNs), have been successful at predicting. ⌘ Read more

The role masculinity is playing in the climate crisis
Now that the COP16 biodiversity and COP29 climate change summits have come to an end, one thing that is glaringly clear—as photos of world leaders notoriously show—is just how much these crucial conferences continue to be dominated by men. ⌘ Read more

The ‘donut effect’ persists: Major US cities may never again look like they did before the pandemic
What is the shelf life of a freshly baked donut? Two days, tops. But when it comes to an entirely different kind of donut—one that Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom described early in the pandemic when he measured the exodus of people from city centers to city suburbs—there appears to be no expiration date. ⌘ Read more

Japan witnesses warmest autumn on record
Japan has recorded its warmest autumn since records began 126 years ago, the weather agency said, delaying the country’s popular displays of seasonal foliage into December. ⌘ Read more

Physics-based modeling identifies cross-pollination vulnerabilities for hemp farms
Just how far can grains of pollen travel and how much unintended damage can these miniscule particles inflict? For growers in the hemp industry, this has become a million-dollar question. ⌘ Read more

New book suggests milestones of adulthood have always been out of many people’s reach
While some young people today feel they’re not ready to reach the “traditional” markers of maturity, a new book reveals adulthood has always been out of many people’s reach. ⌘ Read more

Report: Almost 1 in 10 UK workers increasingly trapped in precarious work
It is concerning that 8% of UK workers are “increasingly precarious”—likely to be stuck in low-paid, insecure or otherwise uncertain work—say researchers from UCL in a new report on the UK labor market. ⌘ Read more

Brief scientific literacy interventions may quash new conspiracy theories
The more time you spend on social media, the likelier you are to have come across a viral post that seems too strange to be true. Brief scientific literacy interventions, especially those that focus on critical thinking skills, may help to undermine conspiracy beliefs and behaviors before the conspiracy theories have a chance to take root, according to a team led by Penn State researchers. ⌘ Read more

Experiment realizes quantum advantage in data storage with a photonic quantum processor
In recent years, quantum physicists and engineers have been trying to develop quantum computer processors that perform better than classical computers on some tasks. Yet conclusive demonstrations proving that quantum systems perform better than their classical counterparts (i.e., realizations of a quantum advantage) remain scarce, due to various experimental challenges. ⌘ Read more

Scientists gather to decode puzzle of the world’s rarest whale in ‘extraordinary’ New Zealand study
It is the world’s rarest whale, with only seven of its kind ever spotted. Almost nothing is known about the enigmatic species. But on Monday a small group of scientists and cultural experts in New Zealand clustered around a near-perfectly preserved spade-toothed whale hoping to decode decades of mystery. ⌘ Read more

Cyclone Fengal toll rises to 20 in South Asia
The death toll from Cyclone Fengal’s fierce push through Sri Lanka and southern India reached 20 on Monday as downpours and flooding followed the storm’s wake after its winds calmed. ⌘ Read more

New approach uses observed local supervoid to give expansion of the universe an extra push and solve the Hubble tension
Astronomers have known for a century that the universe is expanding. We can now trace this expansion over much of its almost 14 billion year history, with important constraints going back to just one second after the Big Bang! The expansion rate today is known as the Hubble constant (H0). ⌘ Read more

Philippine Eagle hatchling dies in conservation setback
A Philippine Eagle chick hatched via artificial insemination has died, an avian conservation foundation has announced, in a fresh setback for one of the world’s largest and most critically endangered raptors. ⌘ Read more

The farm fires helping to fuel India’s deadly air
Blazing flames light the sky as Indian farmer Ali Sher burns his fields to clear them for new crops, a common but illegal practice that is fueling deadly pollution killing millions. ⌘ Read more

Calls for extension as plastic treaty negotiations falter
Delegates seeking the world’s first deal to curb plastic pollution began openly advocating for an extension of talks on Sunday, accusing a handful of nations of obstructing an ambitious agreement. ⌘ Read more

How our public spaces can be safer and more welcoming for children
A Georgia mother was recently arrested for reckless endangerment after her 10-year-old son was seen walking outside alone. The warrant for her arrest claimed she “willingly and knowingly” endangered her son’s safety. ⌘ Read more

Evidence of silk found in Bronze Age sacrificial pits
China National Silk Museum and the Sichuan Research Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology have confirmed the use of silk in sacrificial rituals by a Bronze Age civilization in the Yangtze River Basin. The findings provide direct archaeological evidence that silk was used as a material during rituals at the Sanxingdui site in Sichuan, China. ⌘ Read more

‘I am exhausted’: Australian teachers speak about how compassion fatigue is harming them and their work
Teachers’ jobs involve more than just teaching the required curriculum. A significant part of their role includes providing emotional support to their students ⌘ Read more

Biochemists uncover a new enzyme subclass in antimicrobial lanthipeptide biosynthesis
Biochemists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered a new subclass of trifunctional enzymes in gram-positive bacteria, which play a critical role in the biosynthesis of an antimicrobial lanthipeptide. ⌘ Read more

Archaeologists reveal musical instruments depicted in Zimbabwe’s ancient rock art
A study published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa by archaeologists Dr. Joshua Kumbani and Prof. Margarita Díaz-Andreu explores the intriguing relationship between Zimbabwean rock art and musical instruments. ⌘ Read more

Unique killer whale pod may have acquired special skills to hunt whale sharks
Killer whales can feed on marine mammals, turtles, and fish. In the Gulf of California, a pod might have picked up new skills that help them hunt whale sharks—the world’s largest fish, growing up to 18 meters long. ⌘ Read more

Plastic in the ocean and on our plates: What are the risks to human health?
It’s no secret: when we savor a delicious piece of fish or a platter of seafood, we’re not just consuming valuable omega-3s and vitamin D. Alongside these benefits come less appetizing elements—countless micro- and nano-plastics. ⌘ Read more

Contentious COP29 deal casts doubt over climate plans
A bitterly-fought climate finance deal reached at COP29 risks weakening emissions-cutting plans from developing countries, observers say, further raising the stakes for new national commitments due early next year. ⌘ Read more

Evidence found of only known familial practice of long-term embalming in Early Modern France
A team of bioarchaeologists from the Austrian Archaeological Institute at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Université de Bordeaux, and Aix-Marseille Université has found evidence of an aristocratic family in France embalming their loved ones after death for nearly two centuries. In their paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, the group describes the find as the first of its kind. ⌘ Read more

Scientists reveal possible role of iron sulfides in creating life in terrestrial hot springs
An international team of scientists has published a study highlighting the potential role of iron sulfides in the formation of life in early Earth’s terrestrial hot springs. According to the researchers, the sulfides may have catalyzed the reduction of gaseous carbon dioxide into prebiotic organic molecules via nonenzymatic pathways. ⌘ Read more

Chemical replacement of TNT explosive more harmful to plants, study shows
The increased use of a chemical compound to replace TNT in explosive devices has a damaging and long lasting effect on plants, new research has shown. ⌘ Read more

Scientists quantify aerosols based on sea state
A research team led by EPFL scientists has developed a system that provides key insight into the relationship between sea spray aerosols, sea state and atmospheric conditions. The system was mounted on an icebreaker and carried across vast regions of the Arctic to collect and analyze valuable data. ⌘ Read more

Is there enough land on Earth to fight climate change and feed the world?
Capping global warming at 1.5°C is a tall order. Achieving that goal will not only require a massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, but also a substantial reallocation of land to support that effort and sustain the biosphere, including humans. More land will be needed to accommodate a growing demand for bioenergy and nature-based carbon sequestration while ensuring sufficient acreage for food production and eco … ⌘ Read more

Thailand to return nearly 1,000 trafficked lemurs, tortoises to Madagascar
Thailand is sending almost 1,000 highly endangered lemurs and tortoises back to their home in Madagascar, in what both countries called their biggest ever operation against wildlife trafficking. ⌘ Read more

Better habitats for forest farming wild leeks could help future foraging demands
Ramps, also known as wild leeks, and their unique garlic-onion flavor profile, are a popular foraged seasonal food but that demand could drive overharvesting of the native forest plant. ⌘ Read more

Thermal photonics advances enable efficient subambient daytime radiative cooling for vertical surfaces
Radiative heat transfer is one of the most critical energy transfer mechanisms in nature. However, traditional blackbody radiation, due to its inherent characteristics, such as its non-directional, incoherent, broad-spectrum, and unpolarized nature, results in energy exchange between the radiating body and all surrounding objects, significantly limiting heat transfer efficiency and therma … ⌘ Read more

Study highlights trade-off between soil organic carbon formation and stability
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the largest carbon pool in terrestrial ecosystems, playing a vital role in climate regulation and ecosystem sustainability. SOC accumulation involves two fundamental processes: SOC formation and stability. ⌘ Read more

Researchers develop lysosomal ‘TRAP’ for clearance of viruses and variants
Researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have recently developed a neotype lysosomal trap for clearing viruses and variants. This lysosomal “TRAP” (lysoTRAP) shows efficient viruses and variants infection inhibition potential in cell, mouse, hamster, and human lung organoid models. ⌘ Read more

How insects react to virtual reality gaming
Humans get a real buzz from the virtual world of gaming and augmented reality, but now scientists have trialed the use of these new-age technologies on small animals, to test the reactions of tiny hoverflies and even crabs. ⌘ Read more

The engine of Japan’s flagship new small rocket explodes during a test for a second time
The engine for a flagship new small Japanese rocket burst into flames Tuesday during a combustion test, but there was no injury or damage to the outside, officials said. ⌘ Read more

New model can predict marine heat waves, extreme ocean acidity months in advance
In the 21st century, the Earth’s oceans are growing warmer and more acidic. This change is happening slowly over the long-term, but it can also cause short-term, local spikes. ⌘ Read more

Decoding the cellular basis of floral fragrance
Floral fragrances are nature’s allure, enticing pollinators and helping plants adapt to environmental challenges. These scents, primarily generated in petals, consist of complex compounds such as terpenoids and benzenoids/phenylpropanoids, which hold immense ornamental and commercial value. ⌘ Read more

‘Existential challenge’: plastic pollution treaty talks begin
A final round of talks on a treaty to curb plastic pollution opened on Monday, with deep differences between nations emerging almost immediately. ⌘ Read more

Wildlife monitoring technologies used to intimidate and spy on women, study finds
Remotely operated camera traps, sound recorders and drones are increasingly being used in conservation science to monitor wildlife and natural habitats, and to keep watch on protected natural areas. But Cambridge researchers studying a forest in northern India have found that the technologies are being deliberately misused by local governments and male villagers to keep watch on women without their consent. ⌘ Read more

Five common misconceptions about women and entrepreneurship
Women entrepreneurs are essential for the Canadian economy, a fact recognized by the government’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy. This strategy was launched in 2018 and has seen nearly $7 billion be put toward supporting women-owned businesses in Canada. ⌘ Read more

Main points of the $300 billion climate deal
The deal reached at UN climate talks in Azerbaijan ramps up the money that wealthy historic emitters will provide to help poorer nations transition to cleaner energy and adapt to global warming. ⌘ Read more

Extending classical black hole inequalities into the quantum realm
A recent study in Physical Review Letters explores quantum effects on black hole thermodynamics and geometry, focusing on extending two classical inequalities into the quantum regime. ⌘ Read more

COP29 braces for new deal after poorer nations reject climate offer
Fierce bargaining at UN climate talks in Azerbaijan dragged into Saturday after a $250 billion a year offer from rich nations was flatly refused by developing countries hardest hit by Earth’s rapid warming. ⌘ Read more