Bushfires, not pandemic lockdowns, had biggest impact on global climate in 2020

When a team of scientists began analyzing events that influenced the world's climate in 2020, they made sure to consider the pandemic-related lockdowns that reduced emissions and led to clearer skies over many cities.

Indonesia's Sinabung volcano erupts

Indonesia's Mount Sinabung erupted on Wednesday, spewing a massive column of smoke and ash into the sky.

Solastalgia and doomism: new climate lingo boggles the mind

One of the annoying things about global warming—besides the likelihood it will ravage life on Earth—is all the new words we are expected to learn in order to track our descent into climate chaos.

Supernova explosions are sustained by neutrinos from neutron stars, a new observation suggests

A model for supernova explosions first proposed in the 1980s has received strong support from the observation by RIKEN astrophysicists of titanium-rich plumes emanating from a remnant of such an explosion.

Finding the source of the impactor that wiped out the dinosaurs

The impactor believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs and other life forms on Earth some 66 million years ago likely came from the outer half of the main asteroid belt, a region previously thought to produce few impactors. Researchers from Southwest Research Institute have shown that the processes that deliver large asteroids to Earth from that region occur at least 10 times more frequently than previously thought and that the composition of these bodies match what we know of the dinosaur-killing impactor.

Study: Letting cats decide when to be petted avoids hostility and increases their affection

Experts in feline behavior and welfare at Nottingham Trent University also found that paying close attention to cats' behavior and body language and thinking about where to stroke them were key when improving interactions between cats and people.

Three genes determine heart cell growth

Heart disease has long been the leading cause of death globally. One reason is that the heart has poor regenerative properties, causing damage to accumulate. Scientists have speculated that understanding how the heart grows from the embryo will lead to new medical treatments. To model the development of heart cells, a new study in Stem Cell Reports by CiRA researchers uses human iPS cells to show the importance of three genes: HAND1, HAND2 and LEF1.

A 'greener' process for extracting compounds from agricultural and food waste

Researchers at the University of Adelaide have identified a 'greener' process for extracting health-promoting molecules found in agricultural and food waste, which can be repurposed in products such as skincare and pharmaceuticals.

The thinnest CD-RW: Atomic-scale data storage possible

Using a focused laser beam, scientists can manipulate properties of nanomaterials, thus 'writing' information onto monolayer materials. By this means, the thinnest light disk at atomic level was demonstrated.

Earth's 'vital signs' worsening as humanity's impact deepens

The global economy's business-as-usual approach to climate change has seen Earth's "vital signs" deteriorate to record levels, an influential group of scientists said Wednesday, warning that several climate tipping points were now imminent.

Dangerous attraction: Amorous pursuit imperils Cuban croc

Being too coveted a mating partner can have its downside for a species faced with extinction, as the Cuban crocodile has learned.

Guatemala cancels order for Russian vaccines

President Alejandro Giammattei announced Tuesday that Guatemala has canceled its order of a second batch of eight million Russian-made COVID-19 vaccines due to a delivery delay of a previous order.

White House considering vaccine mandate for federal workers

The White House is strongly considering requiring federal employees to show proof they've been vaccinated against the coronavirus or otherwise submit to regular testing and wear a mask—a potentially major shift in policy that reflects growing concerns about the spread of the more infectious delta variant.

Tokyo governor urges youth to get vaccinated to slow surge

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike on Wednesday urged younger people to cooperate with measures to bring down the high number of infections and get vaccinated, saying their activities are key to slowing the surge during the Olympics.

Healthy lifestyle may help mitigate high genetic risk of cancer

Healthy lifestyle factors such as abstinence from smoking and drinking, low body mass index, and exercise correlated with decreased cancer incidence, even in individuals with a high genetic risk, according to results of a study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Sydney lockdown extended by four weeks as virus outbreak grows

Millions of Sydney residents will spend another month in lockdown, authorities announced Wednesday, citing a still-fast-growing coronavirus outbreak and stubbornly low vaccination rates.

In Spain, Iberian lynx claws back from brink of extinction

At a nature reserve in southern Spain, four baby Iberian lynxes sleep peacefully beside their mother, part of a captive breeding programme that has brought the species back from the brink of extinction.

Western wildfires calm down in cool weather, but losses grow

Cooler weather on Tuesday helped calm two gigantic wildfires in the U.S. West, but a tally of property losses mounted as authorities got better access to a tiny California community savaged by flames last weekend and to a remote area of southern Oregon where the nation's largest blaze is burning.

Genetic variant linked to hearing loss in children treated with common chemotherapy drug

A University of Alberta research lab has helped identify a genetic variant that increases the risk of hearing loss in children with cancer who are treated with the widely used drug cisplatin.

How relaxing COVID-19 restrictions could pave the way for vaccine resistance

Relaxing COVID-19 restrictions could pave the way for new vaccine-resistant virus mutations—according to researchers at the University of East Anglia and the Earlham Institute.

Heart patients need more help to lose weight

Weight loss is given insufficient priority in the management of heart patients despite the benefits, according to a study published today in European Heart Journal—Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes.

Blood clots in people with severe COVID-19 may be related to abnormal antibody response

Inflammation and blood clotting seen in very severe cases of COVID-19 may be caused by the antibodies sent to fight the disease activating unnecessary platelet activity in the lungs.

Postmenopausal women can dance their way to better health

Women often struggle with managing their weight and other health risk factors, such as high cholesterol, once they transition through menopause. A new study suggests that dancing may effectively lower cholesterol levels, improve fitness and body composition and in the process, improve self-esteem. Study results are published online today in Menopause.