Showing 20 articles starting at article 301
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Ecology: Research, Offbeat: Computers and Math
Published Global deforestation leads to more mercury pollution
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
Researchers find deforestation accounts for about 10 percent of global human-made mercury emissions. While it cannot be the only solution, they suggest reforestation could increase global mercury uptake by about 5 percent.
Published Researchers show classical computers can keep up with, and surpass, their quantum counterparts
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
A team of scientists has devised means for classical computing to mimic a quantum computing with far fewer resources than previously thought. The scientists' results show that classical computing can be reconfigured to perform faster and more accurate calculations than state-of-the-art quantum computers.
Published Alien invasion: Non-native earthworms threaten ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
Analysis reveals imported earthworm species have colonized large swaths of North America, and represent a largely overlooked threat to native ecosystems. The researchers warn of the need to better understand and manage the invaders in our midst.
Published How teachers make ethical judgments when using AI in the classroom
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
A teacher's gender and comfort with technology factor into whether artificial intelligence is adopted in the classroom, as shown in a new report.
Published How kelp forests persisted through the large 2014-2016 Pacific marine heatwave
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
New research reveals that denser, and more sheltered, kelp forests can withstand serious stressors amid warming ocean temperatures.
Published Complex tree canopies help forests recover from moderate-severity disturbances
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
Extreme events wipe out entire forests, dramatically eliminating complex ecosystems as well as local communities. Researchers have become quite familiar with such attention-grabbing events over the years. They know less, however, about the more common moderate-severity disturbances, such as relatively small fires, ice storms, and outbreaks of pests or pathogens.
Published Apex predators not a quick fix for restoring ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
An experiment spanning more than two decades has found that removal of apex predators from an ecosystem can create lasting changes that are not reversed after they return -- at least, not for a very long time. The study challenges the commonly held belief that the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park restored an ecosystem degraded by their absence.
Published One person can supervise 'swarm' of 100 unmanned autonomous vehicles
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
Research involving has shown that a 'swarm' of more than 100 autonomous ground and aerial robots can be supervised by one person without subjecting the individual to an undue workload.
Published Small but mighty -- study highlights the abundance and importance of the ocean's tiniest inhabitants
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
New research sheds light on tiny plankton, which measure less than 0.02mm in diameter but can make up more than 70% of the plankton biomass found in the ocean.
Published How food availability could catalyze cultural transmission in wild orangutans
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
The proverb "necessity is the mother of invention" has been used to describe the source from which our cultural evolution springs. After all, need in times of scarcity has forced humans to continually invent new technologies that have driven the remarkable cumulative culture of our species. But an invention only becomes cultural if it is learned and spread by many individuals. In other words, the invention must be socially transmitted. But what are the forces that drive social transmission?
Published Plant groupings in drylands support ecosystem resilience
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
Many complex systems, from microbial communities to mussel beds to drylands, display striking self-organized clusters. According to theoretical models, these groupings play an important role in how an ecosystem works and its ability to respond to environmental changes. A new article focused on the spatial patterns found in drylands offers important empirical evidence validating the models.
Published Scammed! Animals 'led by the nose' to leave plants alone
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
Fake news works for wallabies and elephants. Herbivores can cause substantial damage to crops or endangered or protected plants, with traditional methods to deter foraging lethal, expensive or ineffective. Biologists are now using aromas from plants naturally repellent with remarkable success to deter the animals.
Published AI learns through the eyes and ears of a child
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
Researchers have been skeptical that recent AI advances can tell us much about human learning and development. To address this, a team training an AI model, not on massive data, but on the input that a single child receives. Their findings showed that the model could learn a substantial number of words and concepts using limited slices of what the child experienced.
Published Discovery of a third RNA virus linage in extreme environments Jan 17, 2024
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
A research group has discovered a novel RNA viral genome from microbes inhabiting a high-temperature acidic hot spring. Their study shows that RNA viruses can live in high-temperature environments (70-80 degrees Celsius), where no RNA viruses have been observed before. In addition to the two known RNA virus kingdoms, a third kingdom may exist.
Published How does a 'reverse sprinkler' work? Researchers solve decades-old physics puzzle
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
For decades scientists have been trying to solve Feynman's Sprinkler Problem: How does a sprinkler running in reverse work? Through a series of experiments, a team of mathematicians has figured out how flowing fluids exert forces and move structures, thereby revealing the answer to this long-standing mystery.
Published A long-lasting neural probe
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
An interdisciplinary team of researchers has developed a soft implantable device with dozens of sensors that can record single-neuron activity in the brain stably for months.
Published Scientists design a two-legged robot powered by muscle tissue
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
Compared to robots, human bodies are flexible, capable of fine movements, and can convert energy efficiently into movement. Drawing inspiration from human gait, researchers from Japan crafted a two-legged biohybrid robot by combining muscle tissues and artificial materials. This method allows the robot to walk and pivot.
Published Diverse forests are best at standing up to storms
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
European forests with a greater diversity of tree species are more resilient to storms, according to new research.
Published Microplastics may be accumulating rapidly in endangered Galápagos penguins' food web
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
Model predictions showed a rapid increase in microplastic accumulation and contamination across the penguins' prey organisms resulting in Galapagos penguin showing the highest level of microplastics per biomass, followed by barracuda, anchovy, sardine, herring, and predatory zooplankton.
Published The complexity of forests cannot be explained by simple mathematical rules, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com)
Original source 
The way trees grow together do not resemble how branches grow on a single tree, scientists have discovered.