articles

Scientists have discovered tiny bits of plastic in mussels in oceans across the globe, from supposedly pristine Arctic waters near Norway to the coasts of China, Chile, Canada, Britain, and Belgium, Reuters reported. The findings from several recent surveys are the latest evidence that plastic pollution isn’t just ending up in marine environments, but also in the food we eat. 

When the soil warms up, it releases more carbon dioxide (CO2) – an effect that further fuels climate change. Until now, it had been assumed that the reason for this was mainly due to the presence of small soil animals and microorganisms that would eat and breathe more in warmer temperatures. However, a new study in Nature Climate Change has shown that this is not the case. Quite the contrary: If warmth is accompanied by drought, the soil animals eat even less. In order to improve the predictive power of climate models, it is now crucial to understand the biological processes in the soil better, say the scientists.

Cuando el suelo se calienta, libera más dióxido de carbono (CO2) un efecto que alimenta aún más el cambio climático. Hasta ahora se había supuesto que esto se debía principalmente a la presencia de pequeños animales en el suelo y microorganismos que comerían y respirarían más a temperaturas más cálidas. Sin embargo, un nuevo estudio en Nature Climate Change ha demostrado que este no es el caso. Todo lo contrario: si la calidez va acompañada de sequía, los animales del suelo comen aún menos. Para mejorar el poder predictivo de los modelos climáticos, ahora es crucial entender mejor los procesos biológicos en el suelo, dicen los científicos.

The world’s oldest algae fossils are a billion years old, according to a new analysis by earth scientists at McGill University. Based on this finding, the researchers also estimate that the basis for photosynthesis in today’s plants was set in place 1.25 billion years ago.

The worldwide quest by researchers to find better, more efficient materials for tomorrow’s solar panels is usually slow and painstaking. Researchers typically must produce lab samples — which are often composed of multiple layers of different materials bonded together — for extensive testing.