Over 500 million years ago, the Cambrian Period sparked an explosion of skeletal creativity. Salterella, a peculiar fossil, defied conventions by combining two different mineral-building methods. After decades of confusion, scientists have linked it to the cnidarian family. The find deepens our understanding of how animals first learned to build...
Scientists shocked as bumblebees learn to read simple “Morse code”
In a first-of-its-kind study, scientists found that bumblebees can tell the difference between short and long light flashes, much like recognizing Morse code. The insects learned which signal led to a sweet reward, demonstrating an unexpected sense of timing. This ability may stem from a fundamental neural process, suggesting that...
Earth is slowly peeling its continents from below, fueling ocean volcanoes
Researchers discovered that continents don’t just split at the surface—they also peel from below, feeding volcanic activity in the oceans. Simulations reveal that slow mantle waves strip continental roots and push them deep into the oceanic mantle. Data from the Indian Ocean confirms this hidden recycling process, which can last...
Climate Change Expands Wildfire Danger Worldwide: New Study Warns of Unprecedented Risks in the Coming Decades
A new study, led by CMCC and Coventry University, reveals that climate change will dramatically expand wildfire danger across the globe, with up to 91% of fire-prone regions experiencing heightened risk by the end of this century.
Heatwave Predictions Months in Advance With Machine Learning: A New Study Delivers Improved Accuracy and Efficiency
With heatwaves among Europe’s deadliest climate hazards, a team of scientists led by CMCC has developed a prediction system capable of providing helpful information 4 to 7 weeks before summer, which gives valuable time to improve preparedness.
Tiny Diatoms, Big Climate Impact: How Microscopic Skeletons Rapidly Shape Ocean Chemistry
If you know what diatoms are, it’s probably for their beauty.
Island Reptiles Face Extinction Before They Are Even Studied, Warns New Global Review
Although islands make up less than 7% of the Earth’s surface, they harbour a disproportionate share of the planet’s biodiversity.
Polar Climate Change Could Amplify Global Health Risks, Study Warns
Climate change in Earth’s polar regions is emerging as an under-recognised driver of global health risks, with consequences reaching far beyond the Arctic and Antarctic, researchers argue.
Climate Change Could Result in Contaminant Spread in the High Arctic, McGill Study Finds
Warming temperatures and increased precipitation in the Canadian High Arctic are mobilizing new pathways for subsurface contaminants to spread from more than 2,500 contaminated sites associated with industrial and military sites across the region.
Brain-like learning found in bacterial nanopores
Scientists at EPFL have unraveled the mystery behind why biological nanopores, tiny molecular holes used in both nature and biotechnology, sometimes behave unpredictably. By experimenting with engineered versions of the bacterial pore aerolysin, they discovered that two key effects, rectification and gating, stem from the pore’s internal electrical charges and...