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Research suggests sweet potatoes didn't originate in the Americas as previously thought![]() Bloomington IN (SPX) May 24, 2018 Sweet potatoes may seem as American as Thanksgiving, but scientists have long debated whether their plant family originated in the Old or New World. New research by an Indiana University paleobotanist suggests it originated in Asia, and much earlier than previously known. IU Bloomington emeritus professor David Dilcher and colleagues in India identified 57-milion-year-old leaf fossils from eastern India as being from the morning glory family, which includes sweet potatoes and many other plants. Th ... read more |
Twin sportscar-sized satellites to chase water changes on EarthTampa (AFP) May 21, 2018 A pair of identical, sportscar-sized satellites are poised to zoom around the Earth and track changes in water and ice, offering new insights into global warming and sea level rise, NASA said Monday. ... more
The ultrafast dance of liquid waterStockholm, Sweden (SPX) May 23, 2018 Typically we consider that water molecules in the liquid state move randomly on ultrafast timescales due to thermal fluctuations. Now, scientists at Stockholm University have discovered correlated m ... more
Scientists' new way to identify microscopic worm attacking coffee cropsLeeds UK (SPX) May 23, 2018 The plants which produce one of the most popular drinks in the world, coffee, are targeted by a microscopic worm, but scientists are fighting back. An underestimated problem in coffee farming, ... more
Throwing out foodMoscow, Russia (SPX) May 22, 2018 Rational behavior is not the only thing that keeps Russians from throwing away food; many food-handling practices have been shaped by socio-cultural factors, including the gastronomic trauma suffere ... more |
Philippines digs out from Typhoon Fung-wong as death toll climbs
Philippines digs out from Typhoon Fung-wong as death toll climbs to 18 Three Vietnam men survive 40 hours at sea after typhoon Typhoon Fung-wong floods Philippine towns, leaves 5 dead in its wake Typhoon Fung-wong leaves flooded Philippine towns in its wake Typhoon exposes centuries-old shipwreck off Vietnam port Weakening Typhoon Fung-wong exits Philippines after displacing 1.4 million Super Typhoon Fung-wong makes landfall in Philippines Over 1 million evacuate as deadly Super Typhoon Fung-wong nears Philippines Dam reservoir levels drop below 3% in Iran's second city: media |
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| Previous Issues | May 23 | May 22 | May 21 | May 19 | May 18 |
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Chinese Terracotta Warriors archaeologist dies aged 82Beijing (AFP) May 19, 2018 The Chinese archaeologist credited with discovering the emblematic ancient Terracotta Warriors, Zhao Kangmin, has died aged 82, state media said. ... more
A green approach to making ammonia could help feed the worldOrlando FL (SPX) May 18, 2018 A UCF research team with collaborators at Virginia Tech have developed a new "green" approach to making ammonia that may help make feeding the rising world population more sustainable. "This n ... more
NASA Satellites Reveal Major Shifts in Global FreshwaterWashington DC (SPX) May 18, 2018 In a first-of-its-kind study, scientists have combined an array of NASA satellite observations of Earth with data on human activities to map locations where freshwater is changing around the globe a ... more
Pesticide resistance needs urgnet attention, large-scale study findsRaleigh NC (SPX) May 18, 2018 To slow the evolutionary progression of weeds and insect pests gaining resistance to herbicides and pesticides, policymakers should provide resources for large-scale, landscape-level studies of a nu ... more
China stops anti-dumping probe into US sorghumBeijing (AFP) May 18, 2018 China has dropped its anti-dumping and anti-subsidy probe into US sorghum imports, its commerce ministry said Friday, extending a possible olive branch as the two countries hold fraught trade talks. ... more |
![]() EU court upholds curbs on bee-killing pesticide
Wildfires may cause long-term health problems for endangered orangutansNew Brunswick NJ (SPX) May 17, 2018 Orangutans, already critically endangered due to habitat loss from logging and large-scale farming, may face another threat in the form of smoke from natural and human-caused fires, a Rutgers Univer ... more |
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In Guadeloupe, going green means going bananasCapesterre-Belle-Eau, France (AFP) May 16, 2018 Yellow is the new green in the French Caribbean archipelago of Guadeloupe. ... more
With more refined palates, China's thirst for wine growsBeijing (AFP) May 16, 2018 China's growing thirst for wine has spawned a new crop of connoisseurs, inspired prize-winning domestic producers and even attracted a top international tasting competition. ... more
Australian stores limit baby formula as China demand hits stocksSydney (AFP) May 16, 2018 One of Australia's biggest supermarket chains said Wednesday some stores were moving baby formula behind counters and restricting sales as it emerged customers were clearing shelves and selling it online in China for more than double the price. ... more
GRACE-FO Will Help Monitor DroughtsPasadena CA (JPL) May 15, 2018 You may not notice water in the ground under your feet, but it plays an important role in keeping you alive. Plants draw water from soil into their roots and use it to grow. If there's not enough, t ... more
Critics attack Brazil's 'poison law' on pesticidesBrasilia (AFP) May 16, 2018 Critics including supermodel Gisele Bundchen are attacking a push to loosen Brazil's regulations on pesticides, calling the proposed legislation a "poison law." ... more |
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First light for the storm hunter Paris (ESA) May 24, 2018
As the International Space Station flew over the Indonesian coast of Sumatra on an April night, lightning from a thunderstorm reached the upper layers of the atmosphere and its light show was captured by ESA's latest observatory in space.
The Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor, also known as the Space Storm Hunter, is completing its initial tests a month after it was installed outside E ... more |
China holds Satellite Navigation Conference in Harbin Beijing (XNA) May 24, 2018
The ninth China Satellite Navigation Conference is currently being held in Harbin in northeast China's Helongjiang Province from May 23 to 25. Experts from China, the United States, Russia and other countries and regions will exchange ideas on satellite navigation applications and location services among other topics.
The ninth China Satellite Navigation Exhibition is also being held durin ... more |
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New technique reveals details of forest fire recovery Upton NY (SPX) May 22, 2018
Do you know someone who's so caught up in the details of a problem that they "can't see the forest for the trees?" Scientists seeking to understand how forests recover from wildfires sometimes have the opposite problem. Conventional satellite systems that survey vast tracts of land burned by forest fires provide useful, general information, but can gloss over important details and lead scientist ... more |
Advanced biofuels can be produced extremely efficiently, confirms industrial demonstration Gothenburg, Sweden (SPX) May 24, 2018
A chance to switch to renewable sources for heating, electricity and fuel, while also providing new opportunities for several industries to produce large numbers of renewable products. This is the verdict of researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, who now, after ten years of energy research into gasification of biomass, see an array of new technological achievements.
"T ... more |
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Germany's E.ON explores solar development with Google Washington (UPI) May 18, 2018
With eyes on being the leader in the German solar sector, utility E.ON said its work with Google would make it easier for homeowners to assess solar options.
Through the so-called Sunroof platform, E.ON has been working with the internet giant to make it easier for European homeowners to see how they can adopt solar power.
"All you have to do is enter your address online," the Ge ... more |
European wind energy generation potential in a warmer world London, UK (SPX) May 21, 2018
The UK and large parts of northern Europe could become windier if global temperatures reach 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels, according to a new study.
This has implications for wind energy generation among other things. The results suggest that wind could be a more important source of energy generation than previously thought, with stronger winds across the UK. The research team ... more |
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Dutch to close two oldest coal-fired plants by 2025 The Hague (AFP) May 18, 2018
The Dutch government Friday unveiled plans to shut the country's two oldest coal-fired electricity plants by 2025, as it seeks to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The other three remaining plants, using coal to produce electricity, will have to close down by 2030, the year the Dutch has vowed to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 49 percent.
Economy Minister Eric Wiebes said the ban on the old ... more |
A shipwreck and an 800-year-old 'made in China' label reveal lost history Chicago IL (SPX) May 23, 2018
Centuries ago, a ship sank in the Java Sea off the coast of Indonesia. The wooden hull disintegrated over time, leaving only a treasure trove of cargo. The ship had been carrying thousands of ceramics and luxury goods for trade, and they remained on the ocean floor until the 1980s when the wreck was discovered by fishermen.
In the years since, archaeologists have been studying artifacts re ... more |
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Lu resignation a blow for Baidu's push into AI, analysts say Beijing (AFP) May 21, 2018
The resignation of a senior Baidu executive is a major setback to the Chinese internet giant's push into artificial intelligence, an analyst said Monday, as the company tries to diversify away from its search engine business.
The loss of chief operating officer and AI expert Lu Qi is the latest blow for the company, often referred to as China's Google, which has invested heavily in its deep ... more |
Portuguese artist turns trash into animal sculptures Lisbon (AFP) May 24, 2018 Broken crates and worn pipes pile up in the studio of Portuguese artist Bordalo II, who uses rubbish to create surprising animal sculptures to warn about the dangers of pollution.
The bearded 31-year-old has decorated the Portuguese capital and other cities around the world with his colourful foxes, owls, monkeys and chameleons.
In Lisbon, one of his best-known works is a four-metre (13- ... more |
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Earlier humans used dried fungi as tinder for fires during the Neolithic period Washington (UPI) Apr 26, 2018
Some 7,300 years ago in what's now Spain, humans collected and dried fungi for use as tinder to start fires. It's the earliest evidence of technological use of fungi, according to researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Archaeologists discovered remains of the novel fire-starting material among the artifacts left behind by the people of la Draga, a Neolithic community loc ... more |
Twin Spacecraft Launch to Track Earth's Water Movement Vandenberg AFB CA (SPX) May 24, 2018
A joint U.S./German space mission to track the continuous movement of water and other changes in Earth's mass on and beneath the planet's surface successfully launched at 12:47 p.m. PDT Tuesday from the California coast.
The twin spacecraft of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO), a joint NASA/German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) mission, lifted off on a ... more |
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Dozens feared killed in Karachi heatwave: charity Karachi (AFP) May 22, 2018
Dozens of people are feared to have died in a heatwave gripping Pakistan's largest city Karachi this week, a charity in the sprawling metropolis said Tuesday, as temperatures hit 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit).
The non-profit Edhi Foundation said scores may have been killed by the sweltering weather, with double the usual number of bodies sent to the city's morgues in recent day ... more |
Macron in Russia for high-stakes talks with Putin Saint Petersburg (AFP) May 24, 2018
French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Saint Petersburg on Thursday to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, with the Iran nuclear deal as well as conflicts in Syria and Ukraine on the agenda.
The trip is Macron's first to Russia as president and follows a visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel last week. Europe and Moscow are making diplomatic overtures to save the Iran deal, ... more |
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More than 1.1 million names installed on Parker Solar Probe Greenbelt MD (SPX) May 22, 2018
Throughout its seven-year mission, NASA's Parker Solar Probe will swoop through the Sun's atmosphere 24 times, getting closer to our star than any spacecraft has gone before. The spacecraft will carry more than scientific instruments on this historic journey - it will also hold more than 1.1 million names submitted by the public to go to the Sun.
"Parker Solar Probe is going to revolutioni ... more |
Explaining the history of Australia's vegetation Adelaide, Australia (SPX) May 22, 2018
University of Adelaide-led research has uncovered the history of when and why the native vegetation that today dominates much of Australia first expanded across the continent.
The new understanding will help researchers better predict the likely impact of climate change and rising CO2 levels on these critically important plants. Called 'C4 plants' after their alternative photosynthetic pat ... more |
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