But a warming planet doesn’t just mean more people may find it harder to get quality sleep. There is also evidence suggesting that sleep disturbance could make it harder for the body to fend off infection, according to a new research paper from Dr. Michael Irwin, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavorial sciences at UCLA. …
The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, designed ultra-thin, flexible devices, which take their inspiration from photosynthesis — the process by which plants convert sunlight into food. Since the low-cost, autonomous devices are light enough to float, they could be used to generate a sustainable alternative to petrol without taking up space on land. Outdoor …
Floating ‘artificial leaves’ ride the wave of clean fuel production Read More »
“The data tell us one thing: We must prevent a nuclear war from ever happening,” said Alan Robock, a Distinguished Professor of climate science in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers Universityand co-author of the study. Lili Xia, an assistant research professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers,is lead author of the …
Nuclear war would cause a global famine and kill billions Read More »
“The prognosis is not good,” said Michael Mann, distinguished professor of atmospheric science, Penn State. “In a ‘business as usual’ scenario, where we fail to meaningfully curtail fossil fuel burning in the decades ahead, we can expect a near collapse — that is, nearly 100% loss — of water availability to downstream regions of the …
Irreversible declines in freshwater storage projected in parts of Asia by 2060 Read More »
The study was conducted in the laboratory of Andy Thompson, professor of environmental science and engineering, and appears in the journal Science Advances on August 12. Ice shelves are outcroppings of the Antarctic ice sheet, found where the ice juts out from land and floats on top of the ocean. The shelves, which are each …
Antarctica’s ice shelves could be melting faster than we thought Read More »
Hydrogen is gaining significant attention as an efficient way to store ‘green energy’ from renewables such as wind and solar. Compressed gas is the most common form of hydrogen storage, however it can also be stored in a liquid or solid state. Dr Saidul Islam, from the University of Technology Sydney, said solid hydrogen storage, …
New faster charging hydrogen fuel cell developed Read More »
To illustrate the utility of their platform, they have engineered an enzyme that can successfully degrade poly(ethylene) terephthalate (PET), the plastic commonly used in plastic bottles. In recent years, the enzymatic recycling of plastics has emerged as an attractive and environmentally friendly strategy to help alleviate the problems associated with plastic waste. Although there are …
Engineering enzymes to help solve the planet’s plastic problem Read More »
“Our data suggest that sneezing is an adaptation that sponges evolved to keep themselves clean,” says Jasper de Goeij, a marine biologist at the University of Amsterdam and the senior author of the paper. While the field has known about this behavior for years, the authors of this paper show that these sneezes get rid …
Meteorites from the Moon to Antarctica During her doctoral research at ETH Zurich, Patrizia Will analysed six samples of lunar meteorites from an Antarctic collection, obtained from NASA. The meteorites consist of basalt rock that formed when magma welled up from the interior of the Moon and cooled quickly. They remained covered by additional basalt …
Higher concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) cause plants to grow more quickly, meaning they store more carbon. This storage — especially in huge forests like the Amazon — helps to limit rising CO2 levels, slowing climate change. However, plants also need nutrients to grow, and the new study shows that availability of a particular nutrient, …
