Despite their reputation, rats are surprisingly sociable and regularly help each other out. Researchers have shown that a rat just has to smell another rat that is engaged in helpful behavior to increase their own helpfulness. This is the first study t…
Read moreCategory: Environment
Environment News
Offshore submarine freshwater discovery raises hopes for islands worldwide
Twice as much freshwater is stored offshore of Hawai’i Island than previously thought, revealed a new study with important implications for volcanic islands around the world. An extensive reservoir of freshwater within the submarine southern flank of t…
Read moreScientists discover a motif that guides assembly of the algal pyrenoid
Researchers have discovered that assembly of the algal pyrenoid, a structure that mediates the incorporation of carbon dioxide into sugars, is guided by the presence of a particular protein sequence, or motif.
Read morePlants: Scientists solve the mystery behind an enigmatic organelle, the pyrenoid
Researchers have discovered how Rubisco holoenzymes assemble to form the fluid-like matrix of the algal pyrenoid, an organelle that mediates the incorporation of carbon dioxide into sugars.
Read moreIllegal Tampering by Diesel Pickup Owners Is Worsening Pollution, E.P.A. Says
An E.P.A. investigation has found that the owners of more than half a million diesel pickup trucks have installed devices to defeat emissions controls and boost pollution.
Read moreSpecific bacterium in the gut linked to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Researchers have detected a connection between Brachyspira, a genus of bacteria in the intestines, and IBS — especially the form that causes diarrhea. Although the discovery needs confirmation in larger studies, there is hope that it might lead to new…
Read moreCommunity conservation reserves protect fish diversity in tropical rivers
Small, community-based reserves in Thailand’s Salween River Basin are serving as critical refuges for fish diversity in a region whose subsistence fisheries have suffered from decades of over-harvesting.
Read moreAncient blanket made with 11,500 turkey feathers
New research sheds light on the production of an 800-year-old turkey feather blanket and explores the economic and cultural aspects of raising turkeys to supply feathers in the ancient Southwest.
Read morePermit Denied for Pebble Mine Project in Alaska
The immense project would have been one of the world’s largest gold and copper mines, but regulators found it “contrary to the public interest” due to environmental risks in the pristine Alaskan tundra.
Read moreNew study explains important cause of fatal influenza
It is largely unknown why influenza infections lead to an increased risk of bacterial pneumonia. Researchers have now described important findings leading to so-called superinfections, which claim many lives around the world every year.
Read more