Running, cycling, or swimming – if you regularly exercise, you’re well on track for a long and healthy life, as groundbreaking new research from the University of South Australia finds that an increased cardio fitness level will reduce your risk of death from any cause by 11-17%.
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Firefly Populations at Risk Due to Climate Change, Urban Development
Catching fireflies is an iconic summer experience for many people living in North America, but the flickering beetles are on the decline.
Planning at Multiple Scales for Healthy Corals and Communities
Governments in the Mesoamerican Reef region are exploring the use of nature-based solutions to strengthen coral health and societal benefits for coastal communities.
Biodegradable ‘Living Plastic’ Houses Bacterial Spores That Help It Break Down
A new type of bioplastic could help reduce the plastic industry’s environmental footprint.
A virus could help save billions of gallons of wastewater produced by fracking
An estimated 168 billion gallons of wastewater -- or produced water -- is generated annually by the Permian Basin fracking industry, according to a 2022 report. The major waste stream has proved both difficult and costly to treat because of the chemical complexity of the water.
New technology makes 3D microscopes easier to use, less expensive to manufacture
3D microscopes are used in applications from the life sciences to semiconductor manufacturing. Now engineers are developing patented and patent-pending innovations making them work faster to capture even more 3D images and less expensive to manufacture.
Trotting robots reveal emergence of animal gait transitions
A four-legged robot trained with machine learning has learned to avoid falls by spontaneously switching between walking, trotting, and pronking -- a milestone for roboticists as well as biologists interested in animal locomotion.
Long snouts protect foxes when diving headfirst in snow
When hunting for mice in winter, red and arctic fox are known to plunge headfirst at speeds of 2-4 meters per second, but their sharp noses reduce the impact force in snow and protect them from injury, according to a new study.
Possible alternative to antibiotics produced by bacteria
Many bacteria produce substances to gain an advantage over competitors in their highly competitive natural environment. Researchers have discovered a new so-called lantibiotic, namely epilancin A37. It is produced by staphylococci that colonize the skin and acts specifically against their main competitors there, the corynebacteria. This specificity is presumably mediated...
More plants on the menu of ancient hunter-gatherers
It has long been thought that meat played an important role in the diet of hunter-gatherers before the Neolithic transition. However, due to the scarcity of well-preserved human remains from Paleolithic sites, little information exists about the dietary habits of pre-agricultural human groups. A new study challenges this notion by...