Researchers used a computer model to understand how African swine fever (ASF) might spread among swine farms in the southeastern U.S. -- and examined the effectiveness of existing response plans. They found that although control actions would help, an outbreak could still prove persistent and costly.
21st century economic growth will be slower than we thought
The global economy will grow slower in the 21st century than economists have expected, a finding that has implications for our ability to adapt to climate change in the coming decades, according to new research.
Ecological ‘Doom Loops’ Edging Closer
Extreme weather events combined with rising environmental stress levels are increasing the likelihood of ecosystem collapse, according to new research involving the University of Southampton.
An App Can Transform Smartphones Into Thermometers That Accurately Detect Fevers
If you’ve ever thought you may be running a temperature yet couldn’t find a thermometer, you aren’t alone.
Effect of Volcanic Eruptions Significantly Underestimated in Climate Projections
While this effect is far from enough to offset the effects of global temperature rise caused by human activity, the researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, say that small-magnitude eruptions are responsible for as much as half of all the sulphur gases emitted into the upper atmosphere by volcanoes.
Surprise! Weaker Bonds Can Make Polymers Stronger
A team of chemists from MIT and Duke University has discovered a counterintuitive way to make polymers stronger: introduce a few weaker bonds into the material.
The clue is in the glue — Nature’s secret for holding it together
An obscure aquatic plant has helped to explain how plants avoid cracking up under the stresses and strains of growth.
Traditional Methods Cannot Give Us the Insights We Need to Understand Changing Ecosystems
In a recent study, published in Science Advances Dr. Federico Riva, Dr. Caio Graco-Roza et al. lay out a path to make this happen, and they're hopeful about the potential for breakthroughs in ecology and conservation biology.
El Niño Returns
After three consecutive years of La Niña, spring 2023 saw the return of El Niño—a natural climate phenomenon characterized by the presence of warmer than normal sea surface temperatures (and higher sea levels) in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
Webb Rules Out Thick Carbon Dioxide Atmosphere for Rocky Exoplanet
With a dayside temperature of roughly 380 kelvins (about 225 degrees Fahrenheit), TRAPPIST-1 c is now the coolest rocky exoplanet ever characterized based on thermal emission.