Oldest measurement of Earth's magnetic field reveals battle between sun and Earth

Mar 5 | News

According to findings by Univ. of Rochester researchers who visited sites in Africa known to contain extremely old rocks, the Earth’s magnetic field 3.5 billion years ago was only half as strong as it is today. This may mean the Sun took away much of Earth’s hydrogen and water.

Evidence of hydrothermal vents on the seafloor near Antarctica

Mar 4 | News

Scientists at Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have found evidence of hydrothermal vents on the seafloor near Antarctica, formerly a blank spot on the map for researchers wanting to learn more about seafloor formation and the bizarre life forms drawn to these extreme environments.

Phytoplankton play role in global climate change

Mar 3 | News

Phytoplankton are single-celled organisms that serve as the base of the marine food web and provide half the oxygen we breathe on Earth. They also play a key role in global climate change by removing carbon from the atmosphere and injecting it deep into the oceans.

Mastery of rare-earth elements vital to America's security

5 hours ago | News

Used in everything from batteries to electric motors, rare earth elements are vital to America's security, Karl A. Gschneidner Jr., a senior metallurgist at the US Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory, told members of the Investigations & Oversight Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science...

The effect of landscape position on biomass crop yield

7 hours ago | News

Scientists investigate differences in woody and herbaceous crop productivity and biomass yield as a function of landscape position at the field scale.

UV exposure has increased over the last 30 years, but stabilized since the mid-1990s

8 hours ago | News

NASA scientists analyzing 30 years of satellite data have found that the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching Earth's surface has increased markedly over the last three decades. Most of the increase has occurred in the mid-and-high latitudes, and there's been little or no increase in tropical...

Frogs, foam and fuel: University of Cincinnati researchers convert solar energy to sugars

8 hours ago | News

In natural photosynthesis, plants take in solar energy and carbon dioxide and then convert it to oxygen and sugars. The oxygen is released to the air and the sugars are dispersed throughout the plant -- like that sweet corn we look for in the summer. Unfortunately, the allocation of light energy...

Luminex and Northrop Grumman sign biodetector agreement

9 hours ago | News

Luminex Corporation announced that it has signed a teaming agreement with Northrop Grumman Corporation to collaborate in the creation of next generation biodetectors that will continuously monitor the environment and serve as an early warning system to alert authorities regarding the release of potentially harmful airborne agents.

Catastrophic flooding may be more predictable after Penn researchers build a mini river delta

9 hours ago | News

Researchers created a miniature river delta that replicates flooding patterns seen in natural rivers, resulting in a mathematical model capable of aiding in the prediction of the next catastrophic flood.

Rare armor-plated creature discovered in Canada's capital

9 hours ago | News

Scientists have unearthed the remains of one of the world's rarest fossils -- in downtown Ottawa, reports the journal Palaeontology.

Metallic glass yields secrets under pressure

9 hours ago | News

Metallic glasses are potentially useful materials at the frontier of materials science research. They combine the advantages and avoid many of the problems of normal metals and glasses, two classes of materials with a wide range of applications. Scientists at the Carnegie Institution used high...

A NASA satellite mosaic of twin tropical troublesome cyclones: Tomas and Ului

9 hours ago | News

Tropical Cyclones Tomas and Ului are both causing problems for residents in the South Pacific Ocean today, March 16, and watches and warnings are in effect for the Fiji Islands and the Solomon Islands, respectively. NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites passed over each storm and their images were...

From international harbor to native habitat

10 hours ago | News

In the 1930s, soil used as ballast to weigh down cargo ships from South America to Mobile, Alabama introduced the red imported fire ant to the southern United States. Since then, the ants have been found as far north as Maryland and as far west as California, shorting out streetlights and eating...

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A clean energy America…is it coming or not?

Feb 24 | RDBlog

Almost a year ago, the buzz during the downturn was that the economic stimulus will help boost jobs in a sort of national improvement program reminiscent of the 1930s. Our coal would be phased out. Our grids would get smart. Our cars would get hybridized.

Build-up over the Y chromosome

Jan 15 | RDBlog

The Y chromosome—it is the one genetic factor that determines whether you will be a male or female and now it is also evolving faster than expected. However, what does this new discovery actually mean to the world of genetics without opening a debate that may cause gender disagreements?

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