Science
Scientific discoveries and research
A tool lets residents track Texas power outages and aids in disaster response
Texas is known nationwide for its grueling hot summers. However, hurricanes and occasional winter weather can have a harsher impact on citizens and infrastructu...
Radiocarbon dating rewrites angiosperm trees' lifespan records worldwide
For decades, scientists have relied on tree rings to estimate how long trees can live. But new research suggests that this widely used method may have been unde...
Planting big native trees early can simplify forest restoration in Aotearoa
Native forest restoration usually starts with faster growing "nurse plants" that provide shelter under which to plant bigger trees—but new research suggests som...
Poking a nanostring: Scientists uncover energy cascades in tiny resonators
Scientists at TU Delft have designed a nanostring that, when poked, doesn't lose its energy to the environment immediately. Instead, the energy leaks out within...
Ancient plant-eater with a twisted jaw and sideways-facing teeth was a 'living fossil' in its own time
In a dry riverbed in Brazil, in a dense forest near the Amazon, a team of paleontologists found a fossilized jawbone from an ancient animal. Over the course of...
Jackdaw chicks listen to adults to learn about predators
Jackdaw chicks learn about predators by listening to adults, new research shows. Scientists played recordings of predator calls to chicks in their nests—and pai...
Four decades of data give unique insight into the sun's inner life
Scientists have analyzed more than 40 years of astronomical data to uncover evidence that the sun's internal structure subtly changes from one solar cycle minim...
Bacterial abundance drives dissolved organic carbon distribution in North Atlantic gyre, model suggests
In the ocean, a haze made from tiny bits of dead plants, animals, and microbes hangs in the upper reaches of the water. Each particle is just a fraction of a mi...
'Mismatched' plant water isotopes vanish with better sampling: Study points to better drought forecasts
For decades, scientists have relied on a chemical fingerprint inside water molecules to determine where plants get their moisture. The method shaped our underst...
The 'Bloom cycle' is a newly described biochemical pathway that explains key plant processes
For decades, the basics of plant growth have been taught in grade school: Plants make their food out of water from the soil, light from the sun and carbon dioxi...
Paternal mitochondria in plants can rescue defective maternal DNA, study reveals
In most plants and animals, including humans, mitochondria are inherited exclusively, or nearly exclusively, from the mother. By contrast, paternal transmission...
Pollen exposure linked to poorer exam results taken at the end of secondary school
Pollen exposure is linked to poorer exam results taken at the end of secondary (high) school (matriculation), with the effects especially noticeable in subjects...