Just as avalanches on snowy mountains start with the movement of a small quantity of snow, the ESA-led Solar Orbiter spacecraft has discovered that a solar flare is triggered by initially weak disturbances that quickly become more violent.
Blog
New Technology Enters the Race to Decarbonise Commercial Buildings
University of Birmingham researchers have designed a novel energy storage system that could pave the way for decarbonisation of commercial buildings by charging from surplus renewable power that would otherwise be wasted, and delivering heat or cooling when required.
World-Leading Rare Earth Magnet Recycling Facility Launches in West Midlands
The University of Birmingham today (15 Jan) launched a new West Midlands-based facility for separating and recycling rare earth magnets that will help to reduce the UK’s reliance on imports of rare earth metals, alloys, and magnets.
How Social Animals Can Spread Diseases
Whales, dolphins and other marine mammals are highly social, but those social ties can also help diseases spread through populations of rare or threatened species.
This new building material pulls carbon out of the air
A new building material developed by engineers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute could change how the world builds. Made using an enzyme that turns carbon dioxide into solid minerals, the material cures in hours and locks away carbon instead of releasing it. It’s strong, repairable, recyclable, and far cleaner than concrete....
The world’s mountains are warming faster than anyone expected
Mountain regions around the world are heating up faster than the lands below them, triggering dramatic shifts in snow, rain, and water supply that could affect over a billion people. A major global review finds that rising temperatures are turning snowfall into rain, shrinking glaciers, and making mountain weather more...
Exposure to Wildfire Smoke Late in Pregnancy May Raise Autism Risk in Children
Exposure to wildfire smoke during the final months of pregnancy may raise the risk that a child is later diagnosed with autism, according to a new study led by Tulane University researchers.
Air Pollution May Increase the Risk of ALS
Prolonged exposure to air pollution can be linked to an elevated risk for serious neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and seems to speed up the pathological process, report researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.
New Method Predicts Asthma Attacks up to Five Years in Advance
Researchers at Mass General Brigham and Karolinska Institutet have identified a new method to predict asthma exacerbations with a high degree of accuracy.
The overlooked survival strategy that made us human
Long before humans became master hunters, our ancestors were already thriving by making the most of what nature left behind. New research suggests that scavenging animal carcasses wasn’t a desperate last resort, but a smart, reliable survival strategy that shaped human evolution. Carrion provided calorie-rich food with far less effort...