Increasing greenhouse gas emissions will reduce the atmosphere’s ability to burn up old space junk, MIT scientists report.
Is red wine a healthier choice than white wine? Uncorking the cancer risks
Researchers have conducted a study that scours 'the vast and often contradictory literature on the carcinogenicity of red and white wine' to assess whether this assumption holds up, and to compare the cancer risks associated with wine type.
Are volcanoes behind the oxygen we breathe?
It is widely believed that Earth's atmosphere has been rich in oxygen for about 2.5 billion years due to a relatively rapid increase in microorganisms capable of performing photosynthesis. Researchers provide a mechanism to explain precursor oxygenation events, or 'whiffs,' which may have opened the door for this to occur....
Discovery: The great whale pee funnel moves vital nutrients
Scientists have discovered that whales move nutrients thousands of miles -- in their urine -- from as far as Alaska to Hawaii. These tons of nitrogen support the health of tropical ecosystems and fish, where nitrogen can be limited. They call this movement of nutrients a 'conveyor belt' or 'the...
Tropical Forests in the Americas Are Struggling to Keep Pace With Climate Change
Tropical rainforests play a vital role in global climate regulation and biodiversity conservation.
AI Has ‘Great Potential’ for Detecting Wildfires, New Study of the Amazon Rainforest Suggests
Integrating this new technology with current AI systems could help detect wildfires, such as the devastating LA blazes, to enhance earlier warning strategies – experts believe.
Study Warns of Deadly Future Marine Heat Waves in East Coast Estuaries
A first-of-its-kind study led by William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS is predicting estuaries along the East Coast of the U.S. will experience marine heat wave conditions up to a third of the year by the end of the century.
A longer, sleeker super predator: Megalodon’s true form
The megalodon has long been imagined as an enormous great white shark, but new research suggests that perception is all wrong. The study finds the prehistoric hunter had a much longer body -- closer in shape to a lemon shark or even a large whale.
Bacterial ‘jumping genes’ can target and control chromosome ends
Transposons, or 'jumping genes' -- DNA segments that can move from one part of the genome to another -- are key to bacterial evolution and the development of antibiotic resistance. Researchers have discovered a new mechanism these genes use to survive and propagate in bacteria with linear DNA, with applications...
The unforseen effects of melting glaciers on Arctic coastal ecosystems
Researchers found that climate change induced glacial melt increases the heavy metal content and changes the microbiome of habitat-forming brown algae in Arctic fjords. As algae are at the basis of the food web, this will likely have cascading ecological and economic consequences.