Practical parallelism

The chips in most modern desktop computers have four “cores,” or processing units, which can run different computational tasks in parallel. But the chips of the future could have dozens or even hundreds of cores, and taking advantage of all that parallelism is a stiff challenge.

Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have developed a new system that not only makes parallel programs run much more efficiently but also makes them easier to code.

Computer system predicts products of chemical reactions

When organic chemists identify a useful chemical compound — a new drug, for instance — it’s up to chemical engineers to determine how to mass-produce it.

There could be 100 different sequences of reactions that yield the same end product. But some of them use cheaper reagents and lower temperatures than others, and perhaps most importantly, some are much easier to run continuously, with technicians occasionally topping up reagents in different reaction chambers.

Extreme weather conditions and climate change account for 40% of global wheat production variability

JRC scientists have proposed a new approach for identifying the impacts of climate change and extreme weather on the variability of global and regional wheat production. The study analysed the effect of heat and water anomalies on crop losses over a 30-year period.

Eyes on Nature: How Satellite Imagery Is Transforming Conservation Science

High-resolution earth imagery has provided ecologists and conservationists with a dynamic new tool that is enabling everything from more accurate counting of wildlife populations to rapid detection of deforestation, illegal mining, and other changes in the landscape.

Improved Representation of Solar Variability in Climate Models

For upcoming climate model studies, scientists can use a new, significantly improved data set for solar forcing. An international science team led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC) in Granada (Spain) has now published the details of the new reconstruction of this reference dataset in the journal Geoscientific Model Development. A significantly enhanced influence of solar cycle effects is expected, particularly in the stratosphere.

Pollution from Viscose Manufacturing Another Reality Check for the Fashion Industry

The cellulose-based synthetic fiber viscose is a popular fabric of choice for countless apparel companies, and is often touted as a sustainable material. But this textile, often sourced from wood pulp, has generated more than its fair share of controversy over the years. Some high-profile designers, notably Stella McCartney, have pledged to source material that can only be traced to responsibly managed forests; McCartney herself has striven to raise awareness about the links viscose has to deforestation and pollution.

Gas hydrate younger than previously thought

Dr. Ewa Burwicz-Galerne from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel has been awarded during the ninth International Gas Hydrate Conference (ICGH9) in Denver (Colorado, USA) for the world's best PhD thesis in the field of natural gas hydrate research in the past three years. For her thesis, the geologist has developed some of the most complex numerical models of gas hydrates and has gained new insights into their development. The latest study recently was published in the international journal Geochemistry Geophysics, Geosystems.

Seasonality of Sea Ice Enhances Climate Warming in the Arctic

The sea ice cover of the Arctic Ocean shrinks rapidly with most ice loss observed during the summer months. A new study under participation of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel recently published in the international peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports shows that this sea ice cover becomes increasingly seasonal. As the authors state the strongest changes in the Arctic can be expected to occur in the coming decade.

Researchers use virtual reality to unpick causes of common diseases

Researchers from the University of Oxford are using a unique blend of virtual reality and innovative genetic techniques to understand the causes of diseases such as diabetes and anaemia.

Beech trees native to Scotland after all, scientists discover

Beech trees should be considered native to Scotland – despite a long-running debate over their national identity, researchers at the University of Stirling and Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) report.