ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

Water resources to become less predictable with climate change

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 12:43 PM PDT

Water resources will fluctuate increasingly and become more difficult to predict in snow-dominated regions across the Northern Hemisphere by later this century, according to a comprehensive new climate change study. Even regions that keep receiving the same amount of precipitation will experience more variable and unpredictable streamflow as snowpack recedes.

Skin: An additional tool for the versatile elephant trunk

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 12:43 PM PDT

A new study suggests that an elephant's muscles aren't the only way it stretches its trunk -- its folded skin also plays an important role. The combination of muscle and skin gives the animal the versatility to grab fragile vegetation and rip apart tree trunks. The research finds that an elephant's skin doesn't uniformly stretch. The top of the trunk is more flexible than the bottom, and the two sections begin to diverge when an elephant reaches more than 10%. When stretching for food or objects, the dorsal section of the trunk slides further forward.

Brains of children with autism may not always 'see' body language, study finds

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 12:43 PM PDT

Researchers have found that children with autism spectrum disorder may not always process body movements effectively, especially if they are distracted by something else.

Houston residents' chemical exposure increased post-Hurricane Harvey, study finds

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 11:35 AM PDT

Researchers used silicone wristbands to measure Houston residents' increased exposure to hazardous chemicals in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Reducing energy consumption: A new test system for passive cooling materials

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 11:23 AM PDT

Passive day cooling is a promising technology for the sustainable reduction of energy consumption. Researchers have now created a test system with which the materials used for passive cooling can be reliably characterized and compared -- regardless of weather conditions and environmental conditions.

Biodiversity survey reveals that more species are threatened with extinction than previously thought

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 11:23 AM PDT

A new survey attempts to fill some of the gaps in understanding by synthesizing the perspectives of thousands of biodiversity experts worldwide. The survey received 3,331 responses from scientists studying biodiversity in 187 countries, covering all major groups of species, habitats and ecosystems.

Scientists reveal new function of enzyme ADAR1 linking it to age-related diseases via a role independent of RNA-editing during aging

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 09:23 AM PDT

Scientists have revealed a novel ADAR1-SIRT1-p16INK4a axis in regulating cellular senescence and its potential implications in tissue aging.

To keep up with evolving prey, rattlesnakes tap genetically diverse venom toolbox

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 09:22 AM PDT

A new study of rattlesnakes in the western U.S. sheds light on how the reptiles evolve over time to keep up with prey resistance to their venom.

How ultrathin polymer films can be used for storage technology

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 09:22 AM PDT

Precisely applied mechanical pressure can improve the electronic properties of a widely used polymer material. This requires that the material be mechanically processed to an accuracy of a few nanometers. In their new study, the researchers show how this previously unknown physical effect works and how it could also be used for new storage technologies. The team has also succeeded in sketching the coat of arms of the city of Halle as an electrical pattern with a spatial resolution of 50 nanometers in the material.

Researchers develop liquid biopsy technique to help detect cancer in blood

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 09:22 AM PDT

Researchers have found a new way to track metastatic cancer cells in the body, which in the future could help identify cancer earlier and give patients more treatment options.

Fuel cells: Novel multi-proton carrier complex as efficient proton conductor at high temps

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 09:22 AM PDT

Fuel cells often fall short when it comes to operating at temperatures beyond 100 degrees Celsius owing to their dependence on water as a proton conduction medium. To overcome this issue, a team of researchers designed a new hydrogen-bonded starburst-shaped metal complex consisting of ruthenium (III) ion and six imidazole-imidazolate groups. The resulting single molecular crystal shows excellent proton conductivity even at temperatures as high as 180°C and as low as --70 °C.

Insects harbor over a thousand genes from microbes, which help them survive

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 09:22 AM PDT

Hundreds of millions of years ago, microbes and plants might have given insects an evolutionary advantage by passing genes to them through horizontal gene transfer. Researchers now report that more than 1,400 genes across 218 insect species, including butterflies and moths, originated from bacteria, viruses, fungi, and plants. The study argues that these genes might have been essential for insect evolution by allowing them to develop beneficial traits in mating behavior, nutrition, growth, and adaptation to environmental changes.

'Black hole police' discover a dormant black hole outside our galaxy

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 09:22 AM PDT

A team of international experts, renowned for debunking several black hole discoveries, have found a stellar-mass black hole in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighbor galaxy to our own. The researchers found that the star that gave rise to the black hole vanished without any sign of a powerful explosion.

Robot dog learns to walk in one hour

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 09:22 AM PDT

Like a newborn animal, a four-legged robot stumbles around during its first walking attempts. But while a foal or a giraffe needs much longer to master walking, the robot learns to move forward fluently in just one hour. A computer program acts as the artificial presentation of the animal's spinal cord, and learns to optimize the robot's movement in a short time. The artificial neural network is not yet ideally adjusted at the beginning, but rapidly self-adjusts.

Cooperation among strangers has increased since the 1950s

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 06:45 AM PDT

Despite common concerns that the social fabric is fraying, cooperation among strangers has gradually increased in the U.S. since the 1950s, according to new research.

When natural disaster strikes, these Americans may not be ready

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 06:45 AM PDT

A new national study shows which Americans are least likely to be prepared to take necessary actions when faced with disasters such as hurricanes, floods and wildfires.

Just half of parents recognize screen time impact on children's eye health

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 06:45 AM PDT

Most parents overlook simple steps to protect children's eyes.

Prognosis of prostate cancer patients improved

Posted: 18 Jul 2022 06:45 AM PDT

Prostate cancer is a common form of cancer. Researchers have now discovered a faster and easier way to determine who has an aggressive form of cancer, and who has not.