A new study finds rivers and streams at higher latitudes contributing as much methane, a potent greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere as warmer waters in the tropics. The surrounding habitat, not temperature, is the important driver of methane emissions. The findings could improve methane estimates and models of climate change,...
Heat sensor protects the Venus flytrap from fire
The sensory hairs of the Venus flytrap contain a heat sensor that warns the plant of bush fires. It reacts to rapid temperature jumps, as researchers have discovered.
This fish doesn’t just see with its eyes — it also sees with its skin
Without a mirror, it can be hard to tell if you're blushing, or have spinach in your teeth. But one color-changing fish has evolved a clever way to keep watch on the parts of itself that lie outside its field of view -- by sensing light with its skin.
New antibiotic from microbial ‘dark matter’ could be powerful weapon against superbugs
A new powerful antibiotic, isolated from bacteria that could not be studied before, seems capable of combating harmful bacteria and even multi-resistant 'superbugs'. Named Clovibactin, the antibiotic appears to kill bacteria in an unusual way, making it more difficult for bacteria to develop any resistance against it.
New test chamber created to find better ways to keep people cool
A shipping container that can test passive cooling systems could help researchers and builders find carbon-free ways to keep people cool in extreme temperatures. Researchers created the 60 square-foot chamber to test passive systems that use wind towers along with water evaporation instead of electricity to cool spaces.
Hundreds of Andean bird species at risk due to deforestation: New research shows how to protect them
Birds native to the tropical Andes are threatened by increasing agricultural development in the region. A new study combines a meta-analysis of papers on birds across the Andes with five years of fieldwork in Peru, revealing that open farmlands result in up to a 60% decline in the number of...
As city heat rises, bird diversity declines
A study done on 336 cities in China concludes that heat-retaining buildings and paved surfaces are directly related to a loss in bird diversity. It is likely that the patterns documented in this study are occurring in other large cities across the globe that have abundant asphalt, steel, and concrete...
Water harvesting in Death Valley: Conquering the arid wilderness
Researchers successfully harvest water from the atmosphere using ambient sunlight.
Thinning ice sheets may drive sharp rise in subglacial waters
A new study shows that water underneath glaciers may surge due to thinning ice sheets -- a dangerous feedback cycle that could increase glacial melt, sea level rise, and biological disturbances.
Did sabertooth tigers purr or roar?
When a sabertooth tiger called out, what noise did it make -- a mighty roar or a throaty purr? A new study examined the data behind the arguments for each vocalization and found that the answer was more nuanced than they thought -- and that it could depend on the...