New research suggests that a common parasite associated with cats turns Yellowstone National Park wolves into risk takers, who when infected are much more likely to disperse across the landscape and become pack leaders.
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Feline genetics help pinpoint first-ever domestication of cats
Nearly 10,000 years ago, humans settling in the Fertile Crescent, the areas of the Middle East surrounding the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, made the first switch from hunter-gatherers to farmers. They developed close bonds with the rodent-eating cats that conveniently served as ancient pest-control in society's first civilizations. A new...
New manufacturing process produces better, cheaper cathodes for lithium-ion batteries
Researchers have developed a new method for producing a key component of lithium-ion batteries. The result is a more affordable battery from a faster, less wasteful process that uses less toxic material.
Post-lockdown auto emissions can’t hide in the grass
Scientists have a new way to demonstrate which neighborhoods are most affected by air pollution from vehicle emissions: analyzing wild grass for radiocarbon content, which is a proxy for fossil fuel emissions.
Accelerating pathogen identification in infants and children with bloodstream infections
A collaborative team has re-engineered the process of microbial pathogen identification in blood samples from pediatric sepsis patients using broad-spectrum pathogen capture technology. The advance enables accurate pathogen detection with a combination of unprecedented sensitivity and speed, and could significantly improve clinical outcomes for pediatric and older patients with bloodstream...
Fires in Northwest Argentina
In November 2022, several months into Argentina’s fire season, burning was evident in the country’s northwest.
Vibrant Aurora Over Hudson Bay
In late November 2022, a minor geomagnetic storm in Earth’s magnetosphere led to a vibrant display of the aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights.
Oregon State University-Led Effort to Find Earth’s Oldest Ice Begins This Month in Antarctica
A team of 22 scientists from the Oregon State University-led Center for Oldest Ice Exploration, or COLDEX, is headed to Antarctica for the first field season in its pursuit of the Earth’s oldest ice and the climate records preserved in it.
SARS-CoV-2 variants are still transmissible between species, study indicates
Scientists believe bats first transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to humans in December 2019, and while the virus has since evolved into several variants such as delta and omicron, a new study indicates the virus is still highly transmissible between mammals.
Health benefits of using wind energy instead of fossil fuels
A new study finds that the health benefits associated with wind power could more than quadruple if operators turned down output from the most polluting fossil-fuel-based power plants when energy from wind is available. However, compared to wealthier communities, disadvantaged communities would reap a smaller share of these benefits.