Science

Melting ice sheets may cause sea level rise in the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS; 20% of UN member states) that is 11% higher than the global average. Because the Paris Agreement targets focus solely on global mean temperatures, rather than including effects such as sea level rise (SLR), outsize negative impacts of climate … Read more

Microplastics have become a new form of plastic pollution, reaching an alarming level worldwide. Commodity plastics are widely considered to be chemically inert, but alterations in their surface properties owing to environmental weathering are often overlooked, impeding their life-cycle analysis in the environment.  In a new paper published in ACS Environmental Au, researchers at Louisiana State University detail … Read more

A little Martian dust appears to go a long way. A small amount of simulated crushed Martian rock mixed with a titanium alloy resulted in a strong high-performance material in a 3D-printing process that could one day be used on Mars to make tools or rocket parts. Materials were developed by Washington State University researchers with as … Read more

For the first time, University of Rochester researchers and collaborators have quantified the energy of ocean currents larger than 1,000 kilometers. In the process, they discovered that the most energetic is the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, some 9,000 kilometers in diameter. The team, led by Hussein Aluie, used the same coarse-graining technique developed by his lab to document energy … Read more

Researchers in South Korea have found a way to address a genetic mutation in large dogs that affects their ability to move freely. Labrador Retrievers are known for their friendly, outgoing and high-spirited demeanor, which also makes them one of the world’s favorite dogs. But all too often these dogs are born with a genetic … Read more

This year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to a Swedish scientist for decoding the DNA of the Neanderthal, modern humans’ closet extinct relative. In a statement Monday the Nobel Organization said Svante Paabo is being honored “for pioneering a new approach to study our evolutionary history.” The 67-year-old Swede overcame the extreme technical challenges … Read more