Orange, starchy sweet potatoes are great mashed, cut into fries or just roasted whole. But you likely haven't considered grinding them into a flour and baking them into your next batch of cookies -- or at least, not yet! Recent research has reported the best method to turn sweet potatoes...
Deep-sea black carbon comes from hydrothermal vents
Hydrothermal vents have been identified as a previously undiscovered source of dissolved black carbon in the oceans, furthering the understanding of the role of oceans as a carbon sink.
Computer model IDs roles of individual genes in early embryonic development
Computer software can predict what happens to complex gene networks when individual genes are missing or dialed up more than usual. Mapping the roles of single genes in these networks is key to understanding healthy development and finding ways to regrow damaged cells and tissues. Understanding genetic errors could provide...
Mushrooms magnify memory by boosting nerve growth
Researchers have discovered the active compound from an edible mushroom that boosts nerve growth and enhances memory.
Record low sea ice cover in the Antarctic
There is currently less sea ice in the Antarctic than at any time in the forty years since the beginning of satellite observation: in early February 2023, only 2.20 million square kilometers of the Southern Ocean were covered with sea ice.
Cockatoos know to bring along multiple tools when they fish for cashews
Goffin's cockatoos have been added to the short list of non-human animals that use and transport toolsets. Researchers show that the cockatoos carry multiple tools to their worksite when the job calls for it. This behavior has only been previously reported in chimpanzees, our closest relatives.
Fossil discovery reveals complex ecosystems existed on Earth much earlier than previously thought
About 250 million years ago, the Permian-Triassic mass extinction killed over 80 per cent of the planet's species. In the aftermath, scientists believe that life on earth was dominated by simple species for up to 10 million years before more complex ecosystems could evolve. Now this longstanding theory is being...
Calorie restriction slows pace of aging in healthy adults
In a first of its kind randomized controlled trial an international team of researchers shows that caloric restriction can slow the pace of aging in healthy adults. The CALERIE™ intervention slowed pace of aging measured from participants' blood DNA methylation using the algorithm DunedinPACE (Pace of Aging, Computed from the...
Bite this! Mosquito feeding chamber uses fake skin, real blood
Bioengineers and experts in tropical medicine have invented a new way of studying mosquito feeding behavior using technology instead of live volunteers. Their open-source design combines automated cameras, artificial intelligence and blood-infused, 3D-printed 'synthetic skin.'
Progress toward fast-charging lithium-metal batteries
Engineers report progress toward lithium-metal batteries that charge fast -- as fast as an hour. This fast charging is thanks to lithium metal crystals that can be seeded and grown -- quickly and uniformly -- on a surprising surface. The trick is to use a crystal growing surface that lithium...