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What’s behind Wall Street’s flip-flop on climate?
Political and legal risks are mounting for banks and asset managers.
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'The future is fungal': New research finds that fungi that live in healthy plants are sensitive to climate change
Spruce, pine, fir and other trees tower across the frigid swaths of land that span North America, northern Europe and Russia in a great ring around the world. These boreal forests constitute the largest land ecosystem and the northernmost forests on Earth.
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Throwing lithography a curve: Research introduces mask wafer co-optimization method
At the heart of advancing semiconductor chip technology lies a critical challenge: creating smaller, more efficient electronic components. This challenge is particularly evident in the field of lithography, the process used to create intricate patterns on semiconductor materials (called wafers) for the production of chips.
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Study finds anti-piracy messages backfire, especially for men
Threatening messages aimed to prevent digital piracy have the opposite effect if you're a man, a new study from the University of Portsmouth has found. According to the research, women tend to respond positively to this kind of messaging, but men typically increase their piracy behaviors by 18%.
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James Webb telescope finds ancient galaxy larger than our Milky Way, and it's threatening to upend cosmology
Astronomers believe the first galaxies formed around giant halos of dark matter. But a newly discovered galaxy dating to roughly 13 billion years ago mysteriously appeared long before that process should have occurred.
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More frequent extreme droughts result in significant crop losses, say researchers
Climate change has resulted in increasingly extreme weather events worldwide. NIBIO research scientist Pål Thorvaldsen is among the many scientists who participated in a large international drought experiment initiated by the University of Michigan, U.S. He explains that climate change may lead to more frequent occurrences of short-term extreme drought.
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Coordination polymer crystals show promise as new generation of light sources for industry, medicine
New forms of the light-emitting materials called phosphors, with enhanced versatility relative to existing options, are being developed by researchers at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan, with colleagues at Tokyo University of Science and Hokkaido University. Their work is published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.
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Physicists develop new solar cell design for better efficiency
Physicists at Paderborn University have used complex computer simulations to develop a new design for significantly more efficient solar cells than previously available. A thin layer of organic material, known as tetracene, is responsible for the increase in efficiency. The results have now been published in Physical Review Letters.
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FDA approves 1st-of-its-kind treatment for severe food allergies
The FDA has approved the first drug that can reduce the severity of multiple food allergies at once.
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The 400-year-old story of oaks: From cultural icons to invaders and victims
The nearly 400-year-old history of oaks in South Africa may be coming to an end, forever changing the treescape of towns and cities such as Cape Town, George, Paarl, Stellenbosch, and Swellendam.
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Developing doubly sustainable quantum computers
In the future, the use of quantum computers could make a significant contribution to promoting greater sustainability in global developments. This was shown in a white paper, which was recently presented at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai and included contributions from the HPCQS consortium.
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Research provides genetic insights into Nara's sacred deer while exploring conservation challenges
In a world where human activities have left an indelible mark on ecosystems, the preservation of species and natural landscapes has become an urgent global concern. Despite such trends, Traditional taboos rooted in religious beliefs have sometimes served as influential mechanisms for species conservation.
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Artificial reefs help preserve coral reefs by shifting divers away from the natural ones, says study
Divers are essentially tourists who love coral reefs and invest a lot of time and effort in watching them. Unfortunately, divers also cause damage to corals, often unintentionally, by disturbing and resuspending sand, touching them, hitting them with their equipment, and scaring fish away. Artificial reefs have been proposed as a means of diverting diving pressure from the natural reef to alternative sites, thus preserving both dive tourism and the coral reef.
-
What’s behind Wall Street’s flip-flop on climate?
Political and legal risks are mounting for banks and asset managers.
-
Study reveals molecular mechanisms behind hibernation in mammals
Researchers have shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying hibernation, publishing their findings today as a Reviewed Preprint in eLife.
-
'The future is fungal': New research finds that fungi that live in healthy plants are sensitive to climate change
Spruce, pine, fir and other trees tower across the frigid swaths of land that span North America, northern Europe and Russia in a great ring around the world. These boreal forests constitute the largest land ecosystem and the northernmost forests on Earth.
-
Nature's checkup: Surveying biodiversity with environmental DNA sequencing
A thousand kilometers south of Tokyo, far into the largest ocean on Earth, lies a chain of small, volcanic islands—the Ogasawara Islands. Nature has been able to develop on its own terms here, far from both humans and the warm Kuroshio current, which acts like a shuttle, moving marine species from Taiwan, over the Ryukyu Islands, and up the Pacific coast of mainland Japan.
-
Throwing lithography a curve: Research introduces mask wafer co-optimization method
At the heart of advancing semiconductor chip technology lies a critical challenge: creating smaller, more efficient electronic components. This challenge is particularly evident in the field of lithography, the process used to create intricate patterns on semiconductor materials (called wafers) for the production of chips.
-
Physically impaired primates find ways to modify their behaviors to compensate for disabilities, find researchers
Primates show a remarkable ability to modify their behaviors to accommodate their physical disabilities and impairments according to a new literature review by Concordia researchers.
-
Study finds anti-piracy messages backfire, especially for men
Threatening messages aimed to prevent digital piracy have the opposite effect if you're a man, a new study from the University of Portsmouth has found. According to the research, women tend to respond positively to this kind of messaging, but men typically increase their piracy behaviors by 18%.
-
Examining a century of change in a New York City urban forest
There haven't been many long-term studies on urban forests, but data collected from the Thain Family Forest, which the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) has been stewarding for more than a century, has provided an opportunity for scientists from The Forest School at YSE to study a century of changes of its composition.
-
James Webb telescope finds ancient galaxy larger than our Milky Way, and it's threatening to upend cosmology
Astronomers believe the first galaxies formed around giant halos of dark matter. But a newly discovered galaxy dating to roughly 13 billion years ago mysteriously appeared long before that process should have occurred.
-
Generating 'buzz' about new products can influence their success
The way companies announce new products or build up hype can often influence their success once those new products hit the market, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. Whether it's an upcoming blockbuster movie or a new rollout from major companies like Coca-Cola or Apple, the new research shows how companies might use this type of preannouncement marketing to their advantage.
-
More frequent extreme droughts result in significant crop losses, say researchers
Climate change has resulted in increasingly extreme weather events worldwide. NIBIO research scientist Pål Thorvaldsen is among the many scientists who participated in a large international drought experiment initiated by the University of Michigan, U.S. He explains that climate change may lead to more frequent occurrences of short-term extreme drought.
-
Scientists may have cracked the 'aging process' in species
New research from the University of Kansas might resolve a mystery in the "aging process" in species—or, how a species' risk of going extinct changes after that species appears on the scene.
-
Coordination polymer crystals show promise as new generation of light sources for industry, medicine
New forms of the light-emitting materials called phosphors, with enhanced versatility relative to existing options, are being developed by researchers at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan, with colleagues at Tokyo University of Science and Hokkaido University. Their work is published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.
-
Bat 'nightclubs' may be the key to solving the next pandemic
Bats carry some of the deadliest zoonotic diseases that can infect both humans and animals, such as Ebola and COVID-19. In a recently-published article in the journal Cell Genomics, a Texas A&M research team has revealed that some species of bats are protected against the viruses they carry because they commonly exchange immune genes during seasonal mating swarms.
-
Physicists develop new solar cell design for better efficiency
Physicists at Paderborn University have used complex computer simulations to develop a new design for significantly more efficient solar cells than previously available. A thin layer of organic material, known as tetracene, is responsible for the increase in efficiency. The results have now been published in Physical Review Letters.
-
Research team introduces new non-toxic method for producing high-quality graphene oxide
Researchers from Umeå University in Sweden have found a new way to synthesize graphene oxide, which has significantly fewer defects compared to materials produced by the most common method. Similarly good graphene oxide could be synthesized previously only by using a rather dangerous method involving extremely toxic fuming nitric acid.
-
FDA approves 1st-of-its-kind treatment for severe food allergies
The FDA has approved the first drug that can reduce the severity of multiple food allergies at once.
-
Ancient language found on 2,100-year-old bronze hand may be related to Basque
Researchers think the inscription is written in a Vasconic language spoken in northeastern Spain before the arrival of the Romans.
-
The 400-year-old story of oaks: From cultural icons to invaders and victims
The nearly 400-year-old history of oaks in South Africa may be coming to an end, forever changing the treescape of towns and cities such as Cape Town, George, Paarl, Stellenbosch, and Swellendam.
-
Using metabolomics for assessing safety of chemicals may reduce the use of lab rats
Scientists have discovered a more robust way of grouping chemicals and using read-across for toxicological data to meet regulatory requirements, which could greatly reduce animal testing.
-
Developing doubly sustainable quantum computers
In the future, the use of quantum computers could make a significant contribution to promoting greater sustainability in global developments. This was shown in a white paper, which was recently presented at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai and included contributions from the HPCQS consortium.
-
A new species of rare pseudoscorpion has been named after the Slovak president
There are about 25,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The most remote of them are in North and East Polynesia, the Hawaiian Islands, and French Polynesia. Biologists have been attracted to these regions since the 18th century, but French Polynesia has received much less attention compared to the Hawaiian Islands.
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Research provides genetic insights into Nara's sacred deer while exploring conservation challenges
In a world where human activities have left an indelible mark on ecosystems, the preservation of species and natural landscapes has become an urgent global concern. Despite such trends, Traditional taboos rooted in religious beliefs have sometimes served as influential mechanisms for species conservation.
-
College students appear resistant to using 988 crisis phone line
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched across the U.S. nearly 2 years ago. But college students—who are particularly vulnerable to substance use problems and related mental health crises—appear disinclined to use it, according to new research published in the Journal of Addiction & Offender Counseling.
-
Artificial reefs help preserve coral reefs by shifting divers away from the natural ones, says study
Divers are essentially tourists who love coral reefs and invest a lot of time and effort in watching them. Unfortunately, divers also cause damage to corals, often unintentionally, by disturbing and resuspending sand, touching them, hitting them with their equipment, and scaring fish away. Artificial reefs have been proposed as a means of diverting diving pressure from the natural reef to alternative sites, thus preserving both dive tourism and the coral reef.
-
Study reveals molecular mechanisms behind hibernation in mammals
Researchers have shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying hibernation, publishing their findings today as a Reviewed Preprint in eLife.
-
Nature's checkup: Surveying biodiversity with environmental DNA sequencing
A thousand kilometers south of Tokyo, far into the largest ocean on Earth, lies a chain of small, volcanic islands—the Ogasawara Islands. Nature has been able to develop on its own terms here, far from both humans and the warm Kuroshio current, which acts like a shuttle, moving marine species from Taiwan, over the Ryukyu Islands, and up the Pacific coast of mainland Japan.
-
Physically impaired primates find ways to modify their behaviors to compensate for disabilities, find researchers
Primates show a remarkable ability to modify their behaviors to accommodate their physical disabilities and impairments according to a new literature review by Concordia researchers.
-
Examining a century of change in a New York City urban forest
There haven't been many long-term studies on urban forests, but data collected from the Thain Family Forest, which the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) has been stewarding for more than a century, has provided an opportunity for scientists from The Forest School at YSE to study a century of changes of its composition.
-
Generating 'buzz' about new products can influence their success
The way companies announce new products or build up hype can often influence their success once those new products hit the market, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. Whether it's an upcoming blockbuster movie or a new rollout from major companies like Coca-Cola or Apple, the new research shows how companies might use this type of preannouncement marketing to their advantage.
-
Scientists may have cracked the 'aging process' in species
New research from the University of Kansas might resolve a mystery in the "aging process" in species—or, how a species' risk of going extinct changes after that species appears on the scene.
-
Bat 'nightclubs' may be the key to solving the next pandemic
Bats carry some of the deadliest zoonotic diseases that can infect both humans and animals, such as Ebola and COVID-19. In a recently-published article in the journal Cell Genomics, a Texas A&M research team has revealed that some species of bats are protected against the viruses they carry because they commonly exchange immune genes during seasonal mating swarms.
-
Research team introduces new non-toxic method for producing high-quality graphene oxide
Researchers from Umeå University in Sweden have found a new way to synthesize graphene oxide, which has significantly fewer defects compared to materials produced by the most common method. Similarly good graphene oxide could be synthesized previously only by using a rather dangerous method involving extremely toxic fuming nitric acid.
-
Ancient language found on 2,100-year-old bronze hand may be related to Basque
Researchers think the inscription is written in a Vasconic language spoken in northeastern Spain before the arrival of the Romans.
-
Using metabolomics for assessing safety of chemicals may reduce the use of lab rats
Scientists have discovered a more robust way of grouping chemicals and using read-across for toxicological data to meet regulatory requirements, which could greatly reduce animal testing.
-
A new species of rare pseudoscorpion has been named after the Slovak president
There are about 25,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The most remote of them are in North and East Polynesia, the Hawaiian Islands, and French Polynesia. Biologists have been attracted to these regions since the 18th century, but French Polynesia has received much less attention compared to the Hawaiian Islands.
-
College students appear resistant to using 988 crisis phone line
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched across the U.S. nearly 2 years ago. But college students—who are particularly vulnerable to substance use problems and related mental health crises—appear disinclined to use it, according to new research published in the Journal of Addiction & Offender Counseling.
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Begoña Benito, cardióloga: “Ahora sí que se investiga con perspectiva de género”
La científica, primera directora del Vall d’Hebron Instituto de Investigación en sus 30 años de historia, asegura que los tratamientos avanzados de inmunología y la terapia génica serán “fundamentales” para tratar las enfermedades
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Neuroderechos: aterriza en el Congreso el peligro de los implantes cerebrales y las tecnologías para leer la mente
Los diputados escucharán al neurocientífico español Rafael Yuste, que pretende impulsar una normativa que proteja la privacidad de los pensamientos como ha conseguido en Chile, Brasil y EE UU
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Begoña Benito, cardióloga: “Ahora sí que se investiga con perspectiva de género”
La científica, primera directora del Vall d’Hebron Instituto de Investigación en sus 30 años de historia, asegura que los tratamientos avanzados de inmunología y la terapia génica serán “fundamentales” para tratar las enfermedades
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Neuroderechos: aterriza en el Congreso el peligro de los implantes cerebrales y las tecnologías para leer la mente
Los diputados escucharán al neurocientífico español Rafael Yuste, que pretende impulsar una normativa que proteja la privacidad de los pensamientos como ha conseguido en Chile, Brasil y EE UU
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New data can help better understand glaciers
On February 20, a dedicated team of researchers presented a new high-resolution calving front dataset from 149 glaciers in Svalbard, spanning from 1985 to 2023. This innovative dataset, featured in Earth System Science Data, offers an important tool to understand better the mechanisms behind glacier calving, or the breakup of icebergs, which can help to enhance our understanding of the climatic drivers behind glacier loss in Svalbard and the Arctic.
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Pharmacists propose ways to increase the activity of levofloxacin and overcome bacterial resistance
The antibacterial drug levofloxacin is used to treat pneumonia, sinusitis, genitourinary infections, and other diseases. It is included in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines. In terms of its chemical structure, it is a third-generation fluoroquinolone—a completely synthetic substance of the quinolone type.
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VPNVax: Crafting enhanced viral structure in vaccines through polymer restructuring
Generally speaking, the higher the degree of information restoration of a vaccine to a virus, the greater its potential efficacy. The virus itself is the most authentic vaccine, such as the varicella-zoster virus, which provides lifelong immunity after a single infection. However, viruses also evolve mechanisms to evade immune surveillance during their long evolutionary history, such as evading the immune system's pursuit by frequently changing disguises through high mutability.
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Study: Replacing plastics with biodegradable alternatives would lead to significant carbon emissions reduction
Plastic pollution and its impact on the environment have become critical global issues in recent years. In response, the research teams have conducted a study to evaluate the carbon emissions associated with both traditional plastic products and biodegradable plastic products (BPPs). Their findings demonstrate a substantial reduction in carbon emissions by replacing traditional plastics with biodegradable alternatives, highlighting the potential for a more sustainable future.
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New approach to carbon-14 dating corrects the age of a prehistoric burial site
How old are these bones? This standard question in archaeology can be answered quite precisely in many cases with the help of the carbon isotope 14C. But there are exceptions. Certain living habits, such as that of prehistoric hunter-gatherer-fisher communities, can distort 14C dating, because carbon in aquatic ecosystems typically contains less 14C than carbon from terrestrial plants and animals.
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Researchers develop molecules for a new class of antibiotics that can overcome drug resistant bacteria
About a decade ago, researchers in UC Santa Barbara chemistry professor Guillermo Bazan's lab began to observe a recurring challenge in their research: Some of the compounds they were developing to harness energy from bacteria were instead killing the microbes. Not good if the objective of the project was to harness the metabolism of living bacteria to produce electricity.
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How Americans really feel about the teaching of controversial topics in schools
While Americans overwhelmingly agree on the fundamental value of public education, a new study by researchers at USC reveals deep partisan divides on sensitive topics like LGBTQ+ inclusion and racial justice in K-12 curricula.
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Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats has long been in flux, new research finds
It has been long assumed that Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats was formed as its ancient namesake lake dried up 13,000 years ago. But new research from the University of Utah has gutted that narrative, determining these crusts did not form until several thousand years after Lake Bonneville disappeared, which could have important implications for managing this feature that has been shrinking for decades to the dismay of the racing community and others who revere the saline pan 100 miles west of Salt Lake City.
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A 500-year-old law laid the foundation for how Norwegians understand—and trust—the law today
In 1274, King Magnus VI, the Law Mender, united the entire Norwegian kingdom under one common law. The Norwegian Code of the Realm remained in force for over 400 years, and in it lie the seeds that would grow into Norway's rule of law and the idea of popular co-determination.
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Study explores perceptions of US Veterans Treatment Courts
A new study by researchers at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Lowell, San Diego State University, and Penn State Harrisburg has examined perceptions of team members who work with a U.S. program called Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs) regarding the viability and longevity of the program. The study identified team members' expectations and hopes for the future, including the importance of expansion of and continued funding for a program that considers the unique and ongoing needs of U.S. veterans.
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New tool helps users track fruit-plant readiness for growing season
Purdue University's Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC) has launched its new interactive chilling hours tool. Growers now can more closely monitor accumulated chilling hours, an important factor that tracks how long fruit plants have been exposed to an ideal range of cool temperatures throughout the dormant season.
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U.S. Moon Landing: How to Watch and What to Know About the Odysseus Mission
If all goes as planned, Odysseus, a private spacecraft, will touch down on the lunar surface on Thursday. It will be the first U.S. moon landing in more than 50 years.
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High resolution techniques reveal clues in 3.5 billion-year-old biomass
To learn about the first organisms on our planet, researchers have to analyze the rocks of the early Earth. These can only be found in a few places on the surface of Earth. The Pilbara Craton in Western Australia is one of these rare sites; there are rocks there that are around 3.5 billion years old containing traces of the microorganisms that lived at that time.
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Physicists discover a quantum state with a new type of emergent particles: Six-flux composite fermions
If the fractional quantum Hall regime were a series of highways, these highways would have either two or four lanes. The flow of the two-flux or four-flux composite fermions, like automobiles in this two- to four-flux composite fermion traffic scenario, naturally explains the more than 90 fractional quantum Hall states that form in a large variety of host materials. Physicists at Purdue University have recently discovered, though, that fractional quantum Hall regimes are not limited to two-flux or four-flux and have discovered the existence of a new type of emergent particle, which they are...
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A new RNA editing tool could enhance cancer treatment
Cell therapies for cancer can be potentially enhanced using a CRISPR RNA-editing platform, according to a new study published Feb. 21 in Cell.
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Research team develops nanoscale device for brain chemistry analysis
Longstanding challenges in biomedical research such as monitoring brain chemistry and tracking the spread of drugs through the body require much smaller and more precise sensors. A new nanoscale sensor that can monitor areas 1,000 times smaller than current technology and can track subtle changes in the chemical content of biological tissue with sub-second resolution, greatly outperforming standard technologies.
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How bats survive Norwegian winter nights
You have probably seen bats flying at dusk. They suddenly appear on summer evenings, when other flying creatures have settled down for the night. However, they are not a common sight in Norway, because there aren't that many of them. In addition, bats are not so easy to spot, seeing as they only emerge from their hiding places once darkness descends.
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Study finds home heating fuel is direct source of sulfate in Fairbanks's winter air
Use of residential heating fuel is the main contributor of primary sulfate pollution in Fairbanks's wintertime air, according to research conducted during an international science program in the community in 2022.
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Accurate quantitative analysis of information loss from digital metasurfaces caused by mutual coupling
Research by Dr. Ruiwen Shao and Prof. Junwei Wu (Institute of Electromagnetic Space, Southeast University, Nanjing, China) teaches us about how digital metasurfaces lose information.
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Can't stand gossip? New research suggests that gabbing about others is 'not always a bad thing'
Rumormongers, blabbermouths, busybodies—no matter what you call them, gossipers get a bad rap. But new theoretical research conducted by University of Maryland and Stanford University researchers argues that gossipers aren't all that bad. In fact, they might even be good for social circles.
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5,000-pound European satellite burns up over Pacific Ocean after 30 years in orbit
Europe's ERS-2 climate satellite has burnt up over the Pacific Ocean in an uncontrolled reentry after 30 years in orbit. No damage from falling debris has been reported.
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Einstein telescope E-TEST prototype passes its first series of tests
The Einstein telescope project has reached a new stage, with the E-TEST prototype—developed in the ULiège and CSL laboratories—being sent to the Liège Space Centre to undergo a battery of cryogenic and vibration tests. To function optimally, the future mirror of the Einstein telescope has to withstand being cooled to extreme temperatures and be subjected to almost no vibration.
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Quality scores for forestry carbon credit types reveal complex landscape of integrity risks, transparency issues
The Carbon Credit Quality Initiative (CCQI) released new scores for two types of forestry carbon credits: improved forest management (IFM) and commercial afforestation. Together, these project types comprise approximately 10% of recent credit issuances in the voluntary carbon market.
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Uncontrolled European satellite falls to Earth after 30 years in orbit
ERS-2 breaks up into pieces and plummets into the ocean after reentering Earth’s atmosphereAn uncontrolled satellite re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere somewhere between Alaska and Hawaii on Wednesday, astronomers confirmed.The pioneering European satellite, known as ERS-2, entered the atmosphere at 17.16pm on Wednesday after almost 30 years in orbit, the European Space Agency said. It is thought to have broken into pieces, with the majority burning up and the remains plummeting into the ocean below. Continue reading...
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'Completely surreal': Metal detectorist unearths 1,500-year-old gold ring in Denmark
A metal detectorist unearthed an ornately decorated gold ring in Denmark.
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New data can help better understand glaciers
On February 20, a dedicated team of researchers presented a new high-resolution calving front dataset from 149 glaciers in Svalbard, spanning from 1985 to 2023. This innovative dataset, featured in Earth System Science Data, offers an important tool to understand better the mechanisms behind glacier calving, or the breakup of icebergs, which can help to enhance our understanding of the climatic drivers behind glacier loss in Svalbard and the Arctic.
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