Over half of global commutes are by car, says study

Over half of global commutes are by car, says study

Find out how your city compares to others around the world by checking out the map of global mobility patterns based on the data: https://vis.csh.ac.at/citiesmoving/. Credit: CSH What is the extent of car dependency around the world? Why should the best places to live be car-free? What are the best public transportation cities? A new … Read more

Elephant calves have been found buried. What does that mean?

Elephant calves have been found buried. What does that mean?

Credit: AI-generated image The myth of elephant graveyards has pervaded popular culture, and recent observations of buried Asian elephant calves may finally give that legend some credence. In the research published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, two scientists describe five instances where elephant calves have been found buried in a legs-upright position within irrigation … Read more

Scientists publish novel research on how individual cells respond to viral infection

Scientists publish novel research on how individual cells respond to viral infection

A neuron grown in a micro gel infected with HSV-1 that expresses a yellow fluorescent protein. Credit: Matthew Taylor A team of scientists from Montana State University recently published unique research examining how individual cells respond to viral infection. The work used state-of-the-art technology to culture cells and track infection in real time; it is … Read more

The spring equinox is here. What does that mean?

The spring equinox is here. What does that mean?

Visitors hold their hands out to receive the sun’s energy as they celebrate the Spring equinox atop the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico, Thursday, March 21, 2019. Spring gets its official start Tuesday, March 19, 2024, in the Northern Hemisphere. On the equinoxes, the Earth’s axis and orbit line up so both hemispheres … Read more

a powerful gas heating the planet

a powerful gas heating the planet

Graphic on methane’s contribution to global warming, emissions by sector and increase in concentration in the atmosphere since 1984. Climate talks often revolve around reducing the most dangerous greenhouse gas CO2. But other powerful heat-trapping emissions—of methane—will be in the crosshairs at a global forum in Geneva this week. Methane—which is potent but relatively short-lived—is … Read more

Vietnam faces $3bn annual crop losses from rising saltwater levels

Vietnam faces bn annual crop losses from rising saltwater levels

Vietnam’s Mekong Delta provides food and livelihoods for tens of millions of people. Vietnam faces nearly $3 billion a year in crop losses as more saltwater seeps into arable land, state media reported Sunday, citing new research. The damage would likely center on the Mekong Delta region, known as “Vietnam’s rice bowl” because it provides … Read more

Acclaimed primatologist Frans de Waal dies at 75: Emory

Acclaimed primatologist Frans de Waal dies at 75: Emory

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Primatologist Frans de Waal, whose study of chimpanzees and apes helped reveal the reconciliatory and empathic nature of primates—including humans—has died at age 75, said the university where he worked for decades. De Waal, who won multiple awards over his long career, wrote several popular books and in 2007 made Time … Read more

Investigating the many flavors of edible ants

Investigating the many flavors of edible ants

Chicatana ants have a nutty, fatty flavor and are commonly consumed in parts of Mexico to add texture and flavor to dishes and sauces. Credit: Changqi Liu Insects are typically unwelcome visitors to a picnic, but they could be a flavorful, nutritious and sustainable addition to the menu. Eating insects is common in some parts … Read more

Animal hair structure changes from summer to winter to fend off freezing weather, researchers show

Animal hair structure changes from summer to winter to fend off freezing weather, researchers show

Air pockets inside pronghorn antelope hairs are smaller in summer (left) than in winter (right). Credit: Taylor Millett Unique adaptations allow wild animals to survive temperature extremes that would quickly kill an unprotected human. For example, certain animals can withstand bitterly cold weather, thanks to the insulating properties of the hollow hairs that make up … Read more

Better kombucha brewing through chemistry

Better kombucha brewing through chemistry

In a glass jar, a kombucha pellicle—the rubbery puck of cellulose that holds most of the bacteria and yeast culture—forms at the surface (top). With the silicone bags, however, the researchers noticed that the pellicle formed all the way around the inside (bottom). The increased surface area of the culture in the silicone bag may … Read more