Climate change gives rise to more unstable weather, local droughts and extreme temperature records, but a coherent theory relating local and global climate is still under active development. Now an astrophysics student has used a mathematical approach -- inspired by research in the Universe's light -- to unveil how global...
The road to success when it comes to mitigating flood disasters
As Australia continues to mop up after one of the wettest years on record, councils might want to consider a new flood mitigation strategy -- permeable pavements to suit specific soil and rainfall conditions.
Scientists develop method for seasonal prediction of Western wildfires
This summer's Western wildfire season is likely to be more severe than average but not as devastating as last year's near-record, according to an experimental prediction method that predicts wildfire season months in advance.
Experts forecast the wind plant of the future to be taller and more economical
Anticipating key features of wind plants a decade or more ahead of their installation can inform today's investment, research, and energy system planning decisions. Researchers elicited opinions from more than 140 of the world's leading experts about their expectations of future wind plant design in 2035.
Highest Efficiency 1-Sun Solar Cell
Researchers have created a solar cell with a record 39.5% efficiency under 1-sun global illumination. This is believed to be the highest efficiency solar cell of any type, measured using standard 1-sun conditions.
Human or seal? Who has the best underwater hearing?
We humans do better on land than under water -- also when it comes to our hearing. But now a new study shows that we actually have better underwater hearing than previously thought -- at certain frequencies we hear just as well as the seal.
Cystic fibrosis: Restoring airway integrity
Cystic fibrosis is a rare genetic disease which can cause very serious symptoms. In particular, patients suffer from chronic bacterial infections that can lead to respiratory failure. It is caused by mutations in the CFTR gene, which regulates water movement across the cell membrane. Consequently, mucus quality is altered, it...
Reference genomes provide first insights into genetic roots of mustelid physiological and behavioral diversity
Mustelids are the most ecologically and taxonomically diverse family within the order Carnivora. From the tayra in the neotropics to the wolverine in the subarctic, they inhabit a variety of ecological niches and developed corresponding species-specific traits related to their diet, reproductive strategy and morphology. An international team of scientists...
Low-cost gel film can pluck drinking water from desert air
Researchers developed a low-cost gel film made of abundant materials that can pull drinkable water from the air in even the driest climates.
Microbes can degrade the toughest PFAS
Engineers now report selective breakdown of a particularly stubborn class of PFAS called fluorinated carboxylic acids (FCAs) by common microorganisms. Under anaerobic conditions, a carbon-carbon double bond is crucial for the shattering the ultra-strong carbon-fluorine bond by microbial communities. The resulting products could be relayed to other microorganisms for defluorination...