Landslides triggered by intense rainfall can sometimes be predicted along with incoming storms, but dry-season landslides often take people by surprise. The July 2023 Rolling Hills Estates landslide that destroyed 12 homes seemed to come out of nowhere, but new research shows it began as early as December 2022. Researchers...
High and low tide cause low and high methane fluxes
Methane, a strong greenhouse gas that naturally escapes from the bottom of the North Sea, is affected by the pressure of high or low tide. Methane emissions from the seafloor can be just easily three times as much or as little, depending on the tide, according to a new study.
New ways to study spinal cord malformations in embryos
Scientists have successfully created mechanical force sensors directly in the developing brains and spinal cords of chicken embryos, which they hope will improve understanding and prevention of birth malformations such as spina bifida.
A better way to make RNA drugs
RNA drugs are the next frontier of medicine, but manufacturing them requires an expensive and labor-intensive process that limits production and produces metric tons of toxic chemical waste. Researchers report a new, enzyme-based RNA synthesis method that can produce strands of RNA with both natural and modified nucleotides without the...
Researchers develop a way to make lifesaving phages accessible, transportable and much easier to use
Researchers have developed a simple way to bring bacteriophage therapy into much closer reach for clinicians struggling to save patients with antimicrobial-resistant infections. The technology makes it possible to sort through hundreds or even thousands of phages in less than two hours to identify which will respond to a particular...
Study finds health risks in switching ships from diesel to ammonia fuel
Without additional regulation, burning ammonia in ship engines could cause serious impacts on air quality that could result in more than 600,000 additional premature deaths per year, according to new research.
Scientists call for ‘major initiative’ to study whether geoengineering should be used on glaciers
Scientists have released a landmark report on glacial geoengineering -- an emerging field studying whether technology could halt the melting of glaciers and ice sheets as climate change progresses.
Movement sensors show promise in identifying racehorses at injury risk
A small 3-ounce sensor capable of recording 2,400 data points of movement in just one second being tested and refined by researchers could be key in reducing the number of injuries to racehorses. Researchers used the biometric sensors to track thoroughbreds as they raced and trained at some of the...
Opening the right doors: ‘Jumping gene’ control mechanisms revealed
International joint research led by Akihisa Osakabe and Yoshimasa Takizawa of the University of Tokyo has clarified the molecular mechanisms in thale cresses (Arabidopsis thaliana) by which the DDM1 (Decreased in DNA Methylation 1) protein prevents the transcription of 'jumping genes.' DDM1 makes 'jumping genes' more accessible for transcription-suppressing chemical...
Hydrogen flight looks ready for take-off with new advances
The possibility of hydrogen-powered flight means greater opportunities for fossil-free travel, and the technological advances to make this happen are moving fast. New studies show that almost all air travel within a 750-mile radius (1200 km) could be made with hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2045, and with a novel heat exchanger...