Species Hitch a Ride on Birds and the Wind to Join Green Roof Communities

New research suggests that species that live on green roofs arrived by hitching lifts on birds or by riding air currents.

NUS Engineers Pioneer Greener and Cheaper Technique for Biofuel Production

A team of engineers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) recently discovered that a naturally occurring bacterium, Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum TG57, isolated from waste generated after harvesting mushrooms, is capable of directly converting cellulose, a plant-based material, to biobutanol.

Scientists Discover Hybrid Swarm in Global Mega-Pest

One of the pests, the cotton bollworm, is widespread in Africa, Asia and Europe and causes damage to over 100 crops, including corn, cotton, tomato and soybean.

New Study Shows Climate Change is Wreaking Havoc on Delicate Relationship Between Orchids and Bees

The first definitive demonstration of climate change upsetting the vital interdependent relationships between species has been revealed, thanks to a study led by the University of Sussex.

NASA Sees Tropical Cyclone Iris Weakening off Queensland Coast

NASA's Terra satellite passed over the Coral Sea and captured an image of Tropical Cyclone Iris as it continued weakening and moving away from the coast of Queensland, Australia.  

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology dropped all warnings for land areas, but maintained a High Seas Weather Warning for Metarea 10.

Carbon taxes could make significant dent in climate change, study finds

Putting a price on carbon, in the form of a fee or tax on the use of fossil fuels, coupled with returning the generated revenue to the public in one form or another, can be an effective way to curb emissions of greenhouse gases. That’s one of the conclusions of an extensive analysis of several versions of such proposals, carried out by researchers at MIT and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Student develops smart system for detecting owl calls

A graduate student at the University of Alberta has developed an automated system for detecting owl calls, eliminating the need for researchers to spend nights in the field.

Real-Time Monitoring Could Reduce First Nations Water Advisories by One-Third, Study Finds

University of Guelph researchers have found that the majority of drinking water advisories in First Nations communities across Canada are precautionary, and that installing real-time monitoring systems could reduce the number of these advisories by more than one-third.

New Health Benefits Discovered in Berry Pigment

Naturally occurring pigments in berries, also known as anthocyanins, increase the function of the sirtuin 6 enzyme in cancer cells, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. The regulation of this enzyme could open up new avenues for cancer treatment. The findings were published in Scientific Reports.

Like Human Societies, Whales Value Culture and Family Ties

It might seem like a “whale of tale,” but groundbreaking research from Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is the first to demonstrate that just like human societies, beluga whales appear to value culture as well as their ancestral roots and family ties.