In a recent study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, Wanyue Zhao and her colleagues used volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to analyze the composition of scents given off by mummies and their embalming materials. The results showed differences in embalming methods across different time periods and could even distinguish between different body parts.
Researchers have successfully shown a technology developed at the University of Queensland can improve the efficacy of a chemical-free flystrike treatment for sheep. The technology, BenPol, addresses the limitations of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) treatment to mitigate flystrike, which is the painful and sometimes fatal infestation of maggots on live sheep. The paper is published in the journal Pest Management Science.
The southern Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia is becoming less salty at an astonishing rate, largely due to climate change, new research shows.
A major theme in communist governments is the idea of central planning. Every five years, the central authorities in communist countries lay out their goals for the country over the course of the next five years, which can range from limiting infant mortality to increasing agricultural yield. China, the largest current polity ruled by communists, recently released its fifteenth five-year plan, which lays out its priorities for 2026–2030. This one, accompanied by a press release of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the country's state-owned giant aerospace corporation, has plenty of ambitious goals for its space sector.
For most young people, learning about social and political issues doesn't start with a textbook. It starts with a phone.
The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has launched a novel robotic platform to rapidly analyze plant root systems as they grow, yielding AI-ready data to accelerate the development of stress-tolerant crops for new fuels, chemicals and materials.
A new study shows that during the last two deglaciations, i.e., the transition from an ice age to the warm interglacial periods, meltwater from the Antarctic ice sheet intensified stratification in the Southern Ocean. The results highlight the key role of the Antarctic ice sheet on ocean circulation and the regulation of the global climate. The study was led by François Fripiat, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Université Libre de Bruxelles, and was conducted in collaboration with researchers from Princeton University and the Alfred Wegener Institute. It is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Cape Town, in South Africa, is famous for its dramatic mountains and coastline, but its greatest treasure lies in the plants that carpet its slopes and valleys. Table Mountain National Park and its surrounds are home to 2,785 species, including subspecies and varieties.
Gradually increasing the price of fossil fuels is considered a key element of effective climate policy—and yet it remains the subject of bitter controversy. In a new book, experts from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) explain this concept and correct false perceptions. The publication (in German) is aimed at professionals and laypeople who want to gain a thorough understanding of the topic.
This week, researchers reported on a juvenile great white shark caught by fishermen in Spanish Mediterranean waters. China's clean air initiatives have resulted in major public health gains, but may have one unintended consequence. And satellite data revealed that boreal forests expanded globally by 12% but have shifted north since 1985.
