A total knee replacement can greatly improve a patient’s quality of life, but first the procedure itself will create nearly 30 pounds of waste, about half of which presents a biohazard and requires energy-intensive treatment for safe disposal.
Including all types of emissions shortens timeline to reach Paris Agreement temperature targets
Looking beyond carbon dioxide emissions to include other human-generated pollutants, like methane, nitrogen oxide and particulate pollution, changes the picture for how much warming is already 'baked in' to the climate system. Earth will continue to warm even if all emissions cease, and Earth will be committed to reaching peak...
Indigenous Borneans knew a tree was two distinct species — genetic analysis confirms they were right
Over 200 years ago, a Spanish botanist described Artocarpus odoratissimus, a species of fruit-bearing tree found in Borneo and the Philippines. The Iban people, who are Indigenous to Borneo, know the tree to have two different varieties, which they call lumok and pingan, distinguished by their fruit size and shape....
Vocal non-native songbird could change Britain’s dawn chorus as we know it
A tiny but loud, brightly colored songbird from subtropical Asia could be emerging as a new invasive species in Britain, threatening to dominate the dawn chorus of native Robins, Blackbirds and warblers. A new study warns the Red-billed Leiothrix could become as familiar in gardens, parks and woodland as Ring-necked...
Power up: New polymer property could boost accessible solar power
Researchers have observed structural chirality, a biological property important to photosynthesis, emerging in achiral conjugated polymers. Their discovery could help enhance flexible solar cell design and increase access to affordable renewable energy.
Nanostructured fibers can impersonate human muscles
Researchers have created a new type of fiber that can perform like a muscle actuator, in many ways better than other options that exist today. And, most importantly, these muscle-like fibers are simple to make and recycle.
Managing Habitat for Flowering Plants May Mitigate Climate Effects on Bee Health
Warm, wet weather conditions and changing climate negatively influence the nectar intake and nutritional health of honey bees, but maintaining large tracts of grassy natural habitat with flowering plants around apiaries may help to mitigate the detrimental effects of climate, according to a new study by an international team of...
Great Timing, Supercomputer Upgrade Lead to Successful Forecast of Volcanic Eruption
In the fall of 2017, geology professor Patricia Gregg and her team had just set up a new volcanic forecasting modeling program on the Blue Waters and iForge supercomputers.
New research shows long-term personality traits influence problem-solving in zebra finches
Zebra finches innovate solutions to novel foraging tasks, where sometimes success is related to personality type.
Feeling the Heat
Personal exposure to heat is an environmental hazard that might not make the same headlines as hurricanes or wildfires. But its effects are devastating.