Several U.S. cities have instituted taxes on drinks with added sugar in order to reduce consumption, but new research suggests these policies currently have one fatal flaw. The study found that sugary drink taxes only reduce purchasing if price tags at stores mention that consumers are paying that tax when...
On ancient Earth, it never rained but it poured
In a new study, researchers found that during epochs of extreme heat -- 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than today -- Earth may have experienced cycles of dryness followed by massive rain storms hundreds of miles wide that could dump more than a foot of rain in a matter...
It takes cellular teamwork to heal the intestine
A meticulous single-cell analytical approach to study the repair process of rotavirus-caused injury in an animal model revealed that the damaged epithelium contains a variety of cell types involved in repairing it through broad coordinated responses that ultimately heal the damaged tissue.
1,000 years of glacial ice reveal ‘prosperity and peril’ in Europe
Europe's past prosperity and failure, driven by climate changes, has been revealed using thousand-year-old pollen, spores and charcoal particles fossilized in glacial ice. This first analysis of microfossils preserved in European glaciers unveils earlier-than-expected evidence of air pollution and the roots of modern invasive species problems.
Autonomous robotic rover helps scientists with long-term monitoring of deep-sea carbon cycle and climate change
For the past seven years, an autonomous robotic rover, Benthic Rover II, has been continuously operational 225 kilometers off the coast of central California and 4,000 meters below the ocean's surface. This innovative mobile laboratory has further revealed the role of the deep sea in cycling carbon. The data collected...
History of insect invasions offer insight into the future
Results from a recently published study suggest that efforts to reduce biological hitchhiking on live plant imports, often referred to as 'biosecurity,' are working. However, more than a century of invasion by Hemiptera insects also suggests that increased trade might offset the effects of improved biosecurity. As many as 25...
Whales are more important ecosystems engineers than previously thought
Research on whale feeding highlights how the precipitous decline of large marine mammals has negatively impacted the health and productivity of ocean ecosystems.
Let’s talk about the 1,800-plus ‘young’ volcanoes in the US Southwest
They're born. They live once, erupting for a period that might last for days, years or decades. Then, they go dark and die. This narrative describes the life of a monogenetic volcano, a type of volcanic hazard that can pose important dangers despite an ephemeral existence. The landscape of the...
Spiny mice regenerate damaged kidneys without scarring
Spiny mice are known for their ability to heal severe skin wounds without so much as a scar. Now, researchers have discovered that they also can regenerate severely damaged internal organs that, in other mice, would lead to fatal organ failure. The findings in spiny mice are the first to...
Test determines antibiotic resistance in less than 90 minutes
A technique that measures the metabolic activity of bacteria with an electric probe can identify antibiotic resistance in less than 90 minutes, a dramatic improvement from the one to two days required by current techniques.