Uncovering

MEC, Megacities; LC, large cities; MC, medium cities; SMC, small-medium cities; SM, small cities. Letters (a, b, c, etc.) represent significant differences at the 0.05 level for cities of different sizes in each year. The dashed line denotes the mean FVC of cities of all sizes in each year. Credit: Science China Press Between 1990 and 2005, the national average urban fractional vegetation cover (FVC) decreased from 0.38 to 0.35…

A recent study challenges previous notions about Megalodon, revealing it had a more slender body compared to the great white shark. This insight sheds new light on the physical characteristics of one of the ocean’s most formidable predators, although a complete skeleton has yet to be found to finalize these findings. Credit: SciTechDaily.comNew study reveals Megalodon’s elongated body form, challenging earlier views of its size and shape.A new scientific study shows that the prehistoric gigantic shark, Megalodon or…

The space-based TESS satellite that uses the transit method to measure the small drops of a stellar light when an exoplanet passes in front of it. TESS allowed for the characterization of the sub-Neptune HD88986b by accurately determining the size of the planet. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterAstronomers have uncovered a rare finding: a small, chilly exoplanet accompanied by a significantly larger outer companion, providing new insights into how Earth-like planets are formed.The findings include a planet with a…

New research has unveiled the ‘Anthropogenic Nitrogen Pump’ effect in coastal seas. This phenomenon, driven by human activities like economic development, leads to an imbalance in nitrogen and phosphorus levels, affecting the growth and type of microalgae.A collaborative study between the University of East Anglia and the Ocean University of China has identified the ‘Anthropogenic Nitrogen Pump’ in coastal seas. This process, resulting from human-induced nutrient imbalance, causes phytoplankton to alter their nutrient…

By U.S. Department of Energy January 13, 2024Scientists from the BEST experiment have detected a shortfall in germanium 71 production from neutrino interactions, suggesting the possible existence of the sterile neutrino. This anomaly, consistent with previous findings, challenges existing theories and may indicate new physics or unresolved experimental errors. Credit: SciTechDaily.comThe Baksan Experiment on Sterile Transitions (BEST) finds evidence of the sterile neutrino, a hypothetical particle that interacts only via…

By ESA/Hubble December 27, 2023Hubble Space Telescope image featuring the spiral galaxies NGC 1356, LEDA 467699, LEDA 95415, and IC 1947. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton, Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, Acknowledgment: L. ShatzThis Hubble Picture of the Week features a richness of spiral galaxies: the large, prominent spiral galaxy on the right side of the image is NGC 1356; the two apparently smaller spiral galaxies flanking it are LEDA 467699 (above it) and LEDA 95415 (very close at its left)…

A groundbreaking study links a 12-million-year-old genetic event to the proliferation of invasive mussels and inspires new sustainable material development based on mussel fibers. (Zebra Mussels.) Credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service Recent research has identified a key evolutionary event that has enabled the widespread impact of invasive mussels in North America. This discovery also paves the way for the development of sustainable materials inspired by mussel fibers. A recent study from researchers in Canada and Germany…

Researchers at Nagoya University discovered that electric eels, capable of generating up to 860 volts, can induce genetic modifications in nearby organisms through a process similar to electroporation. Credit: SciTechDaily.com Electric eels can naturally alter the genetics of nearby organisms, a discovery by Nagoya University researchers that highlights the role of natural electricity in genetic changes. The electric eel is the biggest power-making creature on Earth. It can release up to 860 volts, which is enough to run…

(a) Nominal assortativity shows different mixing values for networks that have the same group mixing—a misrepresentation due to group-size imbalance. Credit: Fariba Karimi and Marcos Oliveira It is likely that you have heard of the term "homophily" before. After all, the concept permeates all of our relationships, both in real-life and online—the way we make friends, the way we choose a sexual partner, who we follow on social…

Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology propose a novel pathway for pentose synthesis on early Earth, bridging the gap between prebiotic chemistry and the building blocks of life, with implications for our understanding of biochemistry and astrobiology. Scientists investigate the possible chemical pathways by which pentoses could have formed on early Earth. Pentoses are essential carbohydrates in the metabolism of modern lifeforms, but their availability during early Earth is unclear since these molecules are…