A historic potato plant specimen collected by David Moore from the National Botanic Garden in Glasnevin, Ireland showing late-blight disease. Credit: Jean Ristaino, NC State University. In an examination of the genetic material found in historic potato leaves, North Carolina State University researchers reveal more about the tit-for-tat evolutionary changes occurring in both potato plants … Read more
Credit: CC0 Public Domain Caltech researchers have developed a new method to measure soil moisture in the shallow subterranean region between the surface and underground aquifers. This region, called the vadose zone, is crucial for plants and crops to obtain water through their roots. However, measuring how this underground moisture fluctuates over time and between … Read more
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Light pollution disrupts circadian rhythms and ecosystems worldwide—but for plants, dependent on light for photosynthesis, its effects could be profound. Now scientists writing in Frontiers in Plant Science have found that exposure to high levels of artificial light at night makes tree leaves grow tougher and harder for insects to eat, … Read more
British dormice have declined by a shocking 70% between 2000 and 2022, according to the latest report by the national dormouse monitoring program. But my research indicates that this decline might not be that catastrophic. Dormice are small mammals that spend the late spring and summer mostly in the tree canopy, then hibernating at ground … Read more
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Over the past 25 years, the world has lived through major shocks from the 9/11 terror attacks to the global financial crisis to COVID. More recently, the UK—like many other countries—has faced a rising cost of living and stagnant growth. Against this backdrop, we have analyzed the past 25 years of … Read more
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain It’s been a rainy winter in many parts of Australia, wreaking havoc on kids’ sporting competitions. As mums, it has been frustrating to see so many of our kids’ sports matches (and training sessions) canceled because of waterlogged grounds. When footy, rugby, league tag, soccer or netball get canceled because of … Read more
Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology reported a ‘lava fountain’ gushing from the volcano Sunday morning. Sicily’s Catania Airport resumed service Sunday after volcanic activity from Mount Etna temporarily limited incoming flights, but it warned passengers of possible delays and cancellations. Earlier in the day, the airport announced that due to volcanic activity Sunday … Read more
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain In Canada, more than 34,000 cases of sexual assault were reported to police in 2022, representing a 38% increase from 2017. However, it is estimated that only about 6% of sexual assaults are reported to police, making the actual number of sexual assaults in Canada much higher. In a recent study … Read more
Credit: Renan Rezende from Pexels When Sky Brown won the bronze medal in women’s skateboarding at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she became Great Britain’s youngest ever medalist. More young women than ever are choosing to take up the sport, but are still significantly outnumbered by young men. Brown is competing again in Paris, along with … Read more
Analyzing Microplastic Bioactivity from Lake Ontario. Credit: Eco-Environment & Health A new study reveals the bioactivity of microplastics in Lake Ontario using cutting-edge nanomembrane filtering technology. Researchers found all samples contained microplastics ranging between 8 and 20 µm. The study is published in the journal Eco-Environment & Health. The study highlights varying bioactivity levels, such … Read more
