Researchers have finally assigned a strange 3.4-million-year-old foot to Australopithecus deyiremeda, confirming that Lucy’s species wasn’t alone in ancient Ethiopia. This hominin had an opposable big toe for climbing but still walked upright in a distinct style. Isotope tests show it ate different foods from A. afarensis, revealing clear ecological...
Bird flu’s surprising heat tolerance has scientists worried
Researchers discovered why bird flu can survive temperatures that stop human flu in its tracks. A key gene, PB1, gives avian viruses the ability to replicate even at fever-level heat. Mice experiments confirmed that fever cripples human-origin flu but not avian strains, especially those with avian-like PB1. These findings highlight...
Polluted air quietly erases the benefits of exercise
Long-term inhalation of toxic air appears to dull the protective power of regular workouts, according to a massive global study spanning more than a decade and over a million adults. While exercise still helps people live longer, its benefits shrink dramatically in regions with heavy fine particle pollution—especially above key...
How Warming Winters Could Reshape B.C.’s Christmas Tree Choices
As British Columbians prepare for the holiday season, climate change is reshaping the Christmas tree industry in unexpected ways.
Unlocking Ammonia as a Fuel Source for Heavy Industry
At a high level, ammonia seems like a dream fuel: It’s carbon-free, energy-dense, and easier to move and store than hydrogen.
Ancient Rocks Reveal Themselves as ‘Carbon Sponges’
Sixty-million-year-old rock samples from deep under the ocean have revealed how huge amounts of carbon dioxide are stored for millennia in piles of lava rubble that accumulate on the seafloor.
Scientists warn half the world’s beaches could disappear
Human development and climate-driven sea level rise are accelerating global beach erosion and undermining the natural processes that sustain coastal ecosystems. Studies reveal that urban activity on the sand harms biodiversity in every connected zone, magnifying worldwide erosion risks.
Mining Waste Used in Concrete
Flinders University researchers are turning mining waste into a powerful tool for sustainable construction – proving that superior construction materials can be developed from unlikely sources.
Over Half of Global Coastal Settlements are Retreating Inland Due to Intensifying Climate Risks
For centuries, coastlines have attracted dense human settlement and economic activity.
Old Air Samples Hint at Effects of Climate Change
Through the DNA analysis of old air samples collected by the Swedish Armed Forces, researchers at Lund University in Sweden can show that spore dispersal of northern mosses has shifted over the past 35 years.