Tropical forests are highly productive ecosystems, accounting for nearly half of the global forest carbon sink. If tropical forests can no longer remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the effects of climate change may become even more severe. Tropical forests are highly productive ecosystems, accounting for nearly half of the global forest carbon sink. If tropical…
Heavy industries such as aviation and chemical manufacturing contribute to about 20% of overall U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and will continue to depend on fossil fuels. Heavy industries such as aviation and chemical manufacturing contribute to about 20% of overall U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and will continue to depend on fossil fuels. Environment Phys.org – latest science and…
Deep in the ocean lies the world’s largest active carbon reservoir, which plays a pivotal role in buffering our planet’s climate. Of the roughly 10 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide we emit each year, about 3 billion metric tons are taken up and stored in the oceans—and largely by plants. Deep in the ocean lies…
When Charles Darwin first encountered parasitoid wasps, he was horrified. In an 1860 letter to American botanist Asa Gray, he wrote: “I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created parasitic wasps with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars.” When Charles Darwin first encountered parasitoid…
Cities around the world were more likely to maintain climate action and enact “green recovery” long-term plans after the pandemic if local decision-makers were more alert to the health risks of climate change, a new global study has shown. Cities around the world were more likely to maintain climate action and enact “green recovery” long-term plans…
For the size of any population to remain stable over time, its birth and death rates must be balanced. If the birthrate is too high, there could be a population explosion; if it is too low, the population will shrink. This kind of balance exists, for example, among the 10,000 billion or so cells that…
Terahertz waves, known as non-ionizing radiation, can turn into ionization radiation when sufficiently many terahertz photons are focused in space and time. A team led by scientists in Korea and the U.S. has created the world’s most intense terahertz pulses that can instantaneously ionize atoms and molecules and convert them into plasma. Terahertz waves, known as…
Dr. Asaf Tzachor, Founder of the Aviram Sustainability and Climate Program at Reichman University, along with researchers from the US, UK, Kenya, Nigeria, and Colombia, scrutinized the reliability of the information and professional advice provided by the popular chatbot ChatGPT (versions 3.5 and 4.0) to farmers in Africa. The researchers identified inaccuracies that could lead…
The journey from tea leaf to infusion is a complex one, with a multitude of factors influencing the final taste and aroma. Despite its importance, the precise biochemical mechanisms at play have been shrouded in mystery. Addressing this knowledge gap is essential to harness the full potential of tea’s flavor, an attribute vital to its…
There’s a longstanding debate simmering among biologists who study porcupines. There are 16 porcupine species in Central and South America, but only one in the United States and Canada. DNA evidence suggests North America’s sole porcupine belongs to a group that originated 10 million years ago, but fossils seem to tell a different story. Some…