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New study shines a light on the mechanics of bioluminescence in the rare fish...

Evolving roughly 27 different times in the long history of fish, bioluminescence -- the biological production of light -- is one of the flashier survival tools used for luring prey, communication, and...

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Getting hit by lightning is good for some tropical trees

Getting zapped with millions of volts of electricity may not sound like a healthy activity, but for some trees, it is. A new study reports that some tropical tree species are not only able to tolerate...

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Earliest days of Earth's formation

New research sheds light on the earliest days of the earth's formation and potentially calls into question some earlier assumptions in planetary science about the early years of rocky planets....

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Human urine, a valuable resource as fertilizer for sustainable urban...

The reuse of human urine would allow for the production of sustainable fertilizers for urban agriculture, with significant environmental benefits, a new study concludes. The research evaluates the...

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Scientists solve 'cocktail party' mystery of bat echolocation

Every night, bats emerge out of roosts in massive numbers, creating what scientists have called a 'cocktail party nightmare' of clashing echolocations. Nobody knew how bats managed this severe...

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Biodegradable fake fingernails make manicures more sustainable

A new kind of press-on nails come in all shapes and colors -- and when you're done with them, you can melt them down and reuse the materials to make your next look.

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8 million years of 'Green Arabia'

A new study reveals the modern arid desert between Africa and Saudi Arabia was once regularly lush and green with rivers and lakes over a period of 8 million years, allowing for the occupation and...

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Mediterranean hunter gatherers navigated long-distance sea journeys well...

Evidence shows that hunter-gatherers were crossing at least 100 kilometers (km) of open water to reach the Mediterranean island of Malta 8,500 years ago, a thousand years before the arrival of the...

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Man's best friend may be nature's worst enemy, study on pet dogs suggests

New research into the overlooked environmental impact of pet dogs has found far-reaching negative effects on wildlife, ecosystems and climate.

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With new database researchers may be able to predict rare milky seas...

Milky seas are a rare bioluminescent phenomenon where vast areas of the ocean glow at night, sometimes for months. This glow, likely caused by Vibrio harveyi bacteria, has been reported by sailors for...

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Sink or Swim: The fate of sinking tectonic plates depends on their ancient...

New findings provide a greater understanding of plate subduction, or how tectonic plates slide beneath one another. This recycling of surface materials and volatile elements deep into the Earth's...

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Scientists discover microbes in Earth's deep soil

Scientists have discovered a new phylum of microbes in the Earth's Critical Zone, an area of deep soil that restores water quality. Ground water, which becomes drinking water, passes through where...

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Studying how seals adapt to extreme environments could lead to benefits in...

Wild animals that have acquired adaptions to maximize their reproductive output in some of the world's most extreme conditions may provide answers to some of the most pressing problems in the field of...

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Living fungus-based building material repairs itself for over a month

Engineers have developed a building material that uses the root-like mycelium of a fungus and bacteria cells. Their results show that this material -- which is manufactured with living cells at low...

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A step toward harnessing clean energy from falling rainwater

When two materials come into contact, charged entities on their surfaces get a little nudge. This is how rubbing a balloon on the skin creates static electricity. Likewise, water flowing over some...

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Holiday flights could carry fewer passengers as world warms

By the 2060s, some airports with shorter runways may need to reduce their maximum take-off weight by the equivalent of approximately 10 passengers per flight during summer months.

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Scientists find evidence that overturns theories of the origin of water on Earth

Researchers have helped overturn the popular theory that water on Earth originated from asteroids bombarding its surface; Scientists have analyzed a meteorite analogous to the early Earth to understand...

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Sunscreen, clothes and caves may have helped Homo sapiens survive 41,000...

A study suggests that Homo sapiens may have benefited from the use of ochre and tailored clothing during a period of increased UV light 41,000 years ago, during the Laschamps excursion.

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First confirmed footage of a colossal squid -- and it's a baby!

An international team of scientists and crew on board Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor (too) was the first to film the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) in its natural...

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Extreme drought contributed to barbarian invasion of late Roman Britain,...

Three consecutive years of drought contributed to the 'Barbarian Conspiracy', a pivotal moment in the history of Roman Britain, a new study reveals. Researchers argue that Picts, Scotti and Saxons took...

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What if Mother Earth could sue for mistreatment?

The study highlights the transformative potential of the Rights of Nature, which views nature as a rights-bearing entity, not merely an object of regulation and subjugation by extractive industries....

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How activity in Earth's mantle led the ancient ancestors of elephants,...

What roils beneath the Earth's surface may feel a world away, but the activity can help forge land masses that dictate ocean circulation, climate patterns, and even animal activity and evolution. In...

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Better feed, fewer burps: Scientists target dairy gas emissions

Researchers are testing a new type of cattle feed that could help dairy cows release less methane gas from burps and flatulence and use nutrients more efficiently. Because methane traps heat in the...

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New species of electricity-conducting organism, name it after Tribe

Scientists have identified a novel species of bacteria that acts as electrical wiring, potentially ushering in a new era of bioelectronic devices for use in medicine, industry, food safety, and...

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Female bonobos keep males in check -- not with strength, but with solidarity

Female bonobos team up to suppress male aggression against them -- the first evidence of animals deploying this strategy. In 85% of observed coalitions, females collectively targeted males, forcing...

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Strong shaking at fault stepover has rocks--briefly--defying gravity

When a seismologist visited the site of the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes two days after the event, he noticed something strange. Pebble- to boulder-sized rocks clearly had been moved by the earthquakes...

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Personality test for bees

Researchers have discovered that honey bees from the same colony have different preferences in terms of defensive behavior. While some are still hesitating, others are already attacking.

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Anatomy of a 'zombie' volcano: Investigating the cause of unrest inside Uturuncu

Scientists have collaborated to analyze the inner workings of Bolivia's 'zombie' volcano, Uturuncu. By combining seismology, physics models and analysis of rock composition, researchers identify the...

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Geoengineering technique could cool planet using existing aircraft

A technique to cool the planet, in which particles are added to the atmosphere to reflect sunlight, would not require developing special aircraft but could be achieved using existing large planes,...

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Elephant instead of wild boar? What could have been in Europe

Even under today's climatic conditions, the long-extinct straight-tusked elephant could still live in Europe. This is the conclusion of a recent study. For this finding, the research group combined...

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Social 'hippie' spiders don't believe in labels: Study challenges long-held...

Scientists suggest social spiders are more about going with the flow than sticking to a role, after new research challenges the idea of fixed personalities.

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Zoo life boosts object exploration in orangutans

A new study comparing wild and zoo-housed Sumatran orangutans reveals that life in a zoo significantly alters how orangutans interact with their environment. Researchers analyzed over 12,000 instances...

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Seasonal changes affect alcohol tolerance and your waistline

Researchers have found that drug effectiveness, alcohol tolerance, and carbohydrate metabolism change with the seasons. Their findings are based on a comprehensive seasonal gene expression map, which...

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Rhythmically trained sea lion returns for an encore -- and performs as well...

Animal research on biomusicality, which looks at whether different species are capable of behaving in ways that show they recognize aspects of music, including rhythm and beat, remains a tantalizing...

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Palatable versus poisonous: Eavesdropping bats must learn to identify which...

Scientists found that the fringe-lipped bat, known to eavesdrop on frog and toad mating calls to find its prey, learns to distinguish between palatable and unpalatable frogs and toads through...

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Oceans are heating faster in two bands stretching around globe

The world's oceans are heating faster in two bands stretching around the globe, one in the southern hemisphere and one in the north, according to climate scientists.

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Juvenile salmon roam between salt and fresh water while exploring coast and...

The well-known salmon life cycle has long been described as going only one way at a time. Juvenile salmon hatch and swim down rivers to the ocean, where they grow and mature before returning to the...

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Space junk falling to Earth needs to be tracked: Meteoroid sounds can help

Space junk and meteoroids are falling to Earth every year, posing a growing risk as they re-enter the atmosphere at high speeds. Researchers are using infrasound sensors to track these objects,...

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Ancient poems tell the story of charismatic river porpoise's decline over the...

Endemic to China's Yangtze River, the Yangtze finless porpoise is known for its intelligence and charismatic appearance; it looks like it has a perpetual smile on its face. To track how this critically...

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Blue tips are red algae's red flags

Some red algae exhibit structural color that gives their growth tips a blue hue and the rest of their bodies including their fruiting structures a white hue. Moreover, since the color-producing...

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Two new crocodile species discovered

Biologists have discovered two previously unknown species of crocodiles, one living on the island of Cozumel and the other on the atoll of Banco Chinchorro, both off the Yucat n Peninsula. The findings...

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Cracking the code: Deciphering how concrete can heal itself

Lichen is an understated presence in our everyday world, often found clinging to trees and rocks. Its true beauty lies in its unique symbiotic system of fungi and algae, or cyanobacteria, that form a...

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Is virtual-only couture the new clothing craze?

As fast fashion continues to fill wardrobes and landfills at a staggering pace, new research suggests that the future of fashion might lie not in fabric, but in pixels.

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Feat of 'dung-gineering' turns cow manure into one of world's most used...

A new technique to extract tiny cellulose strands from cow dung and turn them into manufacturing-grade cellulose, currently used to make everything from surgical masks to food packaging, has been...

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Eco-friendly aquatic robot is made from fish food

An edible robot leverages a combination of biodegradable fuel and surface tension to zip around the water's surface, creating a safe -- and nutritious -- alternative to environmental monitoring devices...

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All of the biggest U.S. cities are sinking

A new study of the 28 most populous U.S. cities finds that all are sinking to one degree or another. The cities include not just those on the coasts, where relative sea level is a concern, but many in...

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Scottish shrimp study illuminates new potential for bait-less fishing

Fishing pots fitted with LED lights catch significantly more shrimp and fish, new research shows.

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Waxing and waning prairie: New study unravels causes of ancient climate changes

A long period of drought in North America has been recognized by scientists for decades. A new study links the severe climate to a change in Earth's orbit.

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Satellites observe glacier committing 'ice piracy'

A glacier in Antarctica is committing 'ice piracy' -- stealing ice from a neighbor -- in a phenomenon that has never been observed in such a short time frame, say scientists.

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Urine, not water for efficient production of green hydrogen

Researchers have developed two unique energy-efficient and cost-effective systems that use urea found in urine and wastewater to generate hydrogen. The unique systems reveal new pathways to...

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