Nearly 81 years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, material recovered from the city’s shoreline is still yielding discoveries that scientists did not expect. Researchers examining tiny fragments preserved in beach sands have identified what appears to be a previously unknown metallic alloy that formed during the immense heat and rapid cooling triggered by the…
Wood samples being collected for cellulose isotope analysis. Credit: CENA-USP By analyzing the atomic signatures of 800 trees collected from 63 locations across the Amazon, Brazilian researchers have developed an isotopic mapping model that can rule out 92% of the rainforest when tracing suspected illegal timber.The project, led by Professor Luiz Antonio Martinelli at the…
A Texas company has pulled off a major geothermal milestone beneath Newberry Volcano in central Oregon. Mazama Energy says it connected two deep wells through rock that reached 629 degrees Fahrenheit, or 331 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest enhanced geothermal system ever built anywhere in the world, as reported by AutoNotion.What makes the story…
Representative Image of a futuristic robot symbolizing the practical uses of the electron (AI-generated image) Two scientists can make the exact same fundamental discovery and hope for completely different futures for it. One immediately starts calculating what it might be worth, what industries it could build, what fortune it might eventually produce. The other hopes…
Study says Northern Hemisphere lakes may lose 40 days of winter ice by 2100 (National Geographic photo) Winter ice on lakes plays an important role in keeping lakes healthy by controlling water temperature, supporting aquatic life and helping maintain the natural balance of freshwater ecosystems. However, scientists say this seasonal ice cover is disappearing faster…
“Do what you can do tomorrow, today,” says Roy Kim, a 13-year-old Oregon student who has solved the water crisis for numerous farmers in the region. The teenager developed a device that turns moisture in the air into water, helping farmers access a sustainable and reliable source of water in drought-prone areas, as per a…
A lost chapter in the history of Ethiopia agriculture Picture yourself wandering through a tranquil village in the northern Ethiopian highlands, a gnarled grapevine sheltering from the afternoon sun over a stone courtyard. It is a familiar part of daily life for local families, a source of sweet fruit, a place to gather, and a…
How one iceberg changed everything for Antarctic penguin colony When it comes to nature, it often reminds us that even the smallest change in the environment can ripple through an entire ecosystem. According to experts, in Antarctica, life depends on a fine balance of sea ice, open water and seasonal rhythms. A lone iceberg has…
The Massachusetts project is an example of agrivoltaics, a nascent farming practice that combines agriculture with solar energy generation on the same land. Farmers have relied on sunshine to grow healthy crops for generations. But as they say, excess of anything is bad and with climate change causing hotter summers, longer droughts and erratic weather,…
Ghana is transforming its plastic problems into paving blocks for its roads, sold below the price of concrete blocks. Behind this operation is Nelson Boateng, who graduated in computer network engineering, and was already manufacturing plastic bags and began transforming the same material into flooring. The plastic Ghana cannot contain Accra, the capital of Ghana…
