1 сентября 2024 года
Located to the east of Madagascar, the bountiful, volcanic French island of Réunion has sometimes been called a sister to Hawaiian volcanoes because of the similarity in their climate and geographical nature. Those familiar with its seemingly pristine vegetation may be surprised to find out that half of the plants there were introduced by humans, even though they arrived on the island in the 16th century. So how and why did some species arrive and not others?
Freshwater ecosystems are impacted by human activities, including climate change, pollution and invasive species.
By studying data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe and the ESA Solar Orbiter, an international team of astrophysicists has found that Alfvén waves drive the acceleration and heating of the solar wind.
Most of the matter in the universe is missing. Scientists believe around 85% of the matter in the cosmos is made of invisible dark matter, which has only been detected indirectly by its gravitational effects on its surroundings.
When fish are taken from our oceans faster than they can reproduce, their population numbers decline. This over-fishing upsets marine ecosystems. It's also bad for human populations that rely on fish for protein in their diets.
Have you been to the beach this summer? I took my daughter there the other day and got her a pasty for lunch. She was happily munching it while staring out to sea, back turned to the café where we bought the pasty. Suddenly, there was a flapping of wings behind us and something swooping down. Next thing I knew the pasty was gone, and my daughter was in tears. A seagull had struck and flown off with a free lunch, again.
It's the last day of August, which means that in the Northern Hemisphere, tomorrow will be 50 degrees and cloudy; conditions are expected to be hot and humid south of the equator. In science news this week, we reported on nanoplastic contamination, spacetime dragging, corn sweat and an AI technique to read ancient papyrus scrolls nondestructively. Take your pick:
Animal behavior is known to rely on transforming sensory information into motor commands, often influenced by an animal's internal needs. While in mammals and other large animals this process is supported by complex brain processes, simpler versions of it might also guide the behavior of smaller living organisms, including insects.
A team of international researchers has uncovered a surprising genetic mechanism that influences the vibrant and complex patterns on butterfly wings. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team, led by Luca Livraghi at the George Washington University and the University of Cambridge, discovered that an RNA molecule, rather than a protein as previously thought, plays a pivotal role in determining the distribution of black pigment on butterfly wings.
A new species of Antarctic dragonfish, Akarotaxis gouldae or Banded Dragonfish, has been discovered in waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula by researchers at William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). The species, named in honor of the recently decommissioned Antarctic research and supply vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould and its crew, exemplifies both the unknown biodiversity and fragile state of the Antarctic ecosystem.
