[ad_1] WHAT’S the difference between a thimbleful of bacteria and a supercomputer? Believe it or not, the bacteria contain more circuits and more processing power. That is perhaps not so surprising when you consider that all life computes: from individual cells responding to chemical signals to complex organisms navigating their environment, information processing is central […]
[ad_1] Fossils of Homo naledi Robert Clark, National Geographic A species of ancient human with a brain the size of a chimpanzee’s may have engraved symbols on cave walls and deliberately buried its dead. These new discoveries about Homo naledi, a supposedly primitive hominin, could potentially prompt a rethink of the origins of complex behaviours […]
[ad_1] Mycorrhizal fungi take carbon from plants’ roots and form vast networks underground AleksandarMilutinovic/Shutterstock The relationships between plants and the fungi that colonise their roots are responsible for locking away a huge amount of carbon underground – maybe equivalent to more than one-third of global emissions from fossil fuels. Almost all land plants on Earth […]
[ad_1] Mary Kang/Bloomberg via Getty Images THE industrialised food system is approaching a crossroads. Though it undoubtedly produces more than enough food, it is butting up against ethical and environmental limits. The system, especially factory farming, is doing great damage to the environment, biodiversity, water resources and animal welfare. It is also ultimately self-defeating as […]
[ad_1] Air quality monitoring stations, like this one at Auchencorth Moss near Edinburgh, UK, collect DNA from the environment National Physical Laboratory / Local Site Operator Air samples collected at pollution monitoring stations could provide a treasure trove of data on plant and animal life thanks to new environmental DNA methods. Environmental DNA (eDNA) comes […]
[ad_1] The aviation industry is under pressure to lower its greenhouse gas emissions astudio/Shutterstock Airlines could soon start using fuels made from animal fats to help them meet their climate targets. However, this could increase carbon emissions rather than reduce them, warns a report for campaign group Transport & Environment. European Union regulations encourage the […]
[ad_1] Science Photo Library/Getty Images To invite as many people as possible to discover the thrill of grappling with reality at its most fundamental, we are making seven of our most popular in-depth articles on quantum mysteries free to read until 11 June. Whether you simply want to get to grips with the basics of […]
[ad_1] EVERY so often, people who are into astrology discover Ophiuchus, which is often referred to as the 13th zodiacal constellation. Sometimes, they will be surprised a new sign of the zodiac has been invented, but in reality, Ophiuchus (pictured above) is a constellation that has been known about ever since ancient Greek astronomers named […]
[ad_1] An illustration of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY A potential new antibiotic is highly effective against “superbugs” such as MRSA that are resistant to many existing antibiotics, and kills bacteria in an unusual way that means it will be extremely difficult for resistance to evolve. The antibiotic, clovibactin, was discovered […]
[ad_1] The female reproductive system Design Cells/iStockphoto/Getty Images A new test may be able to detect ovarian cancer earlier than existing diagnostic tools. Epithelial ovarian cancer, which makes up 90 per cent of ovarian cancer cases, is one of the deadliest types of cancer, with only 30 per cent of those with the disease living […]