Researchers are leading an international team whose goal is to create a framework to help governments in the U.S. and around the world assess and prioritize remediation strategies for orphaned oil and gas wells. These inactive wells represent environmental risks since they have the potential to contaminate water supplies, degrade...
Scientists discover new embryonic cell type that self-destructs to protect the developing embryo
Scientists have uncovered a new quality control system that removes damaged cells from early developing embryos.
Scientists unearth 20 million years of ‘hot spot’ magmatism under Cocos plate
A team of scientists has observed past episodic intraplate magmatism and corroborated the existence of a partial melt channel at the base of the Cocos Plate. Situated 60 kilometers beneath the Pacific Ocean floor, the magma channel covers more than 100,000 square kilometers, and originated from the Galápagos Plume more...
When a rat smells a rat
Some animals release chemical pheromones which can trigger behavioral or hormonal changes in other animals. It is known that calm rats can reduce the fear of nearby rats, but the exact mechanism was unknown. Researchers have found the pheromone responsible and demonstrated its effect both on lab rats and rats...
The speed of life: A zoo of cells to study developmental time
Researchers have used an unprecedented stem cell zoo to compare six different mammalian species and their developmental time.
Pangolin, the inspiration for a medical robot
Scientists have developed a magnetically controlled soft medical robot with a unique, flexible structure inspired by the body of a pangolin. The robot is freely movable despite built-in hard metal components. Thus, depending on the magnetic field, it can adapt its shape to be able to move and can emit...
Supersized fruit eater database on climate change frontline
To conserve precious and fragile biodiversity hotspots, a crucial step is knowing how the fruit eaters are doing. To assist in that, scientists and students have supersized a database to keep track of such animals and birds.
New research reveals the impact of different species and their traits on human wellbeing
New research has revealed that well-functioning ecosystems are crucial to human health and wellbeing, with human-biodiversity interactions delivering wellbeing gains equating to substantial healthcare cost-savings, when scaled-up across populations.
Alps: Lightning Activity Doubled in a Few Decades
In the high altitudes of the European Eastern Alps, the number of detected lightning strikes has doubled in the course of the last 40 years.
Mechanical Engineers Lend Fresh Insight Into Battery-Based Desalination Technology
To achieve more effective saltwater desalination, mechanical engineers focused on fluid movement rather than new materials in a new study.