Massive geoengineering projects to hold back glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica could slow sea level rise. A major threat from climate change is rising sea levels, and much of that threat comes from glaciers melting into the oceans. By the end of the century, sea levels are predicted to be a meter higher, causing frequent […]
Inside Science
The Moss That Removes Lead from Polluted Water
Green plant could help clean up heavy metal contamination at industrial sites. A new solution for purifying drinking water polluted with lead could be growing under our feet. Researchers in Japan have discovered a species of moss that can absorb large amounts of lead into its cell walls as it grows. Read more in Inside Science.
What Happens When Oil Sands Pipelines Spill?
The solution flowing through the Keystone pipeline isn’t just crude oil. Scientists are now learning what that means for spills. In June next year, a remote lake in Canada will suffer eight simultaneous oil spills. But it will be for a good cause. Scientists are trying to learn how dilbit, or diluted bitumen — the […]
Will Passengers Ever Fly on Pilotless Planes?
The technology is progressing quickly, but the main challenge may be overcoming our fears. Autonomous cars from companies like Google, Uber and Tesla will soon become commonplace on our roads, according to some experts, and aircraft manufacturers are betting that it will only be a matter of time before the skies are filled with autonomous […]
Cyclists’ Pacing Strategies Should Consider the Wind
Both Tour de France racers and recreational cyclists can improve performance by riding hardest into the wind. As the elite riders of the Tour de France race towards the finish line of the grueling, 21-stage race this weekend, they are looking for any little tactical advantage they can gain over their rivals. New research from […]
Nature’s Most Wanted: Conservationists Launch New Quest for Lost Species
Expeditions will delve into the wild, looking for species that haven’t been seen for at least a decade. Somewhere deep in the remote and largely inaccessible wetlands of northern Myanmar, Richard Thorns hopes to find a ghost. This fall, the ambulance driver and amateur ornithologist plans to leave his home in Crowborough, England to launch […]
Plant Trees and Chill
Software helps a conservation group see where shade trees will best cool a river. Then the hard work starts. In 2011, the city of Medford in Oregon had a problem. The treated water being released into the Rogue River from its sewage treatment plant was too warm, threatening the river’s fish. The historically cool Rogue […]
Feral Hogs Root Through History
Archaeological sites inside Florida Air Force bases are threatened by foraging pigs. Feral swine, first introduced by some of the earliest European explorers to America, have been roaming Florida for the past 500 years, and are now present in at least 35 states. The invasive pigs are well-known as a destructive environmental menace, tearing up […]
Excessive Pubic Hair Grooming Linked to Higher Rates of STIs
Shaving and grooming may create an opportunity for infections to spread. People who frequently groom or remove their pubic hair are more likely to contract sexually transmitted infections, according to new research. The researchers surveyed more than 7,500 people aged 18-65 from across the United States, and found that two-thirds of men and 84 percent […]
Physiology or Medicine Nobel Goes to Discovery of Cell’s Recycling Process
Yoshinori Ohsumi revealed workings of autophagy, a routine biological process implicated in many diseases. The 2016 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to Japanese cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi of the Tokyo Institute for Technology for his discovery of how cells break down and recycle their own proteins and organelles, a process called […]