|
|
Tracking pollen with quantum dots![]() Stellenbosch, South Africa (SPX) Feb 15, 2019 A pollination biologist from Stellenbosch University in South Africa is using quantum dots to track the fate of individual pollen grains. This is breaking new ground in a field of research that has been hampered by the lack of a universal method to track pollen for over a century. In an article published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution this week, Dr Corneile Minnaar describes this novel method, which will enable pollination biologists to track the whole pollination process from the ... read more |
Prickly pears: 'humble' cactus brings hope to AlgeriaSidi Fredj, Algeria (AFP) Feb 15, 2019 For generations Algerians like the Gueldasmi family have barely eked out a living growing prickly pear fruits, but thanks to the cactus's new found virtues their lives are steadily improving. ... more
China imposes anti-dumping tariffs on Brazilian chickenBeijing (AFP) Feb 15, 2019 China announced anti-dumping duties on Brazilian chicken Friday, saying investigations had revealed that poultry imports had done "substantive damage" to the domestic broiler industry. ... more
NASA is Everywhere: Farming Tech with Roots in SpaceWashington DC (SPX) Feb 13, 2019 Growing plants can be tough, whether you're on a spaceship or Earth. A special fertilizer made it easier for astronauts on the International Space Station and farmers down below, resulting in just o ... more
Scientists developed a method that allows removal of antibiotic residue from waste waterTallin, Estonia (SPX) Feb 14, 2019 In February the article "Metal-doped organic aerogels for photocatalytic degradation of trimethoprim" written by the researchers of two research groups (nanoporous materials and environmental techno ... more |
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 Philippines evacuates one million, woman dead as super typhoon nears Japan observes tiny tsunami following 6.7 magnitude quake Philippines evacuates hundreds of thousands as super typhoon nears Tornado kills six, injures 750 as it wrecks southern Brazil town Winds, rain lash Philippines as super typhoon nears Tornado kills six, wrecks town in Brazil |
|
|

| Previous Issues | Feb 14 | Feb 13 | Feb 12 | Feb 11 | Feb 08 |
|
Four crops alone comprise close to 50 per cent of all crops grown globallyToronto, Canada (SPX) Feb 07, 2019 A new U of T study suggests that globally we're growing more of the same kinds of crops, and this presents major challenges for agricultural sustainability on a global scale. The study, done b ... more
Campaigners to Pope: $1m to charity if you go vegan for LentParis (AFP) Feb 6, 2019 A 12-year-old animal rights and climate campaigner made an offer Wednesday Pope Francis may find hard to refuse: eat vegan during Lent and a million dollars will go to a charity of the Pontiff's choice. ... more
Prehistoric food globalization spanned three millenniaSt Louis MO (SPX) Feb 07, 2019 Since the beginning of archaeology, researchers have combed the globe searching for evidence of the first domesticated crops. Painstakingly extracting charred bits of barley, wheat, millet and rice ... more
Gypsum as an agricultural productWashington DC (SPX) Feb 07, 2019 Warren Dick has worked with gypsum for more than two decades. You'd think he'd be an expert on drywall and plastering because both are made from gypsum. But the use of gypsum that Dick studies might ... more
Drought-stricken Aussie farmers now battered by floodsTownsville, Australia (AFP) Feb 6, 2019 Australian ranchers who struggled to keep their cattle alive during a prolonged drought last year are now battling to save herds from record-breaking floods inundating the northeast of the country, officials said on Wednesday. ... more |
![]() How landscape plants have an impact on the carbon footprint
Sharp bends make rivers wanderAustin TX (SPX) Feb 07, 2019 Left to their own devices and given enough time, rivers wander, eroding their banks and leaving their old channels behind. It's a behavior that engineers have to keep in mind when managing rivers or ... more |
|
Chinese hunger for 'world's smelliest fruit' threatens Malaysian forestsRaub, Malaysia (AFP) Feb 6, 2019 Soaring demand for durians in China is being blamed for a new wave of deforestation in Malaysia with environmentalists warning vast amounts of jungle is being cleared to make way for massive plantations of the spiky, pungent fruit. ... more
Ramped up efforts needed to protect the world's inland watersMunich, Germany (SPX) Feb 06, 2019 At least 15% of the world's inland surface water areas are covered by protected areas, according to a new study from the JRC. This is close to the global target of 17% set out in Aichi Target ... more
Insecticides blamed for honeybee deaths in California almond grovesWashington (UPI) Feb 5, 2019 Researchers have identified a culprit for the dramatic honey bee die offs among the almond groves of California's Central Valley. ... more
Interdisciplinary approach only way to address soil erosionPlymouth UK (SPX) Feb 08, 2019 Soil erosion can have a devastating impact on traditional farming landscapes in developing countries. But its effects can only be fully addressed through significant advances in interdisciplinary sc ... more
European colonisation of the Americas killed 10 percent of world population and caused global coolingWashington DC (SPX) Feb 01, 2019 While Europe was in the early days of the Renaissance, there were empires in the Americas sustaining more than 60m people. But the first European contact in 1492 brought diseases to the Americas whi ... more |
|
|
|
|
exactEarth's real-time maritime tracking system now fully-deployed Cambridge UK (SPX) Feb 15, 2019 |
Angry Norway says Russia jamming GPS signals again Oslo (AFP) Feb 11, 2019
Norway's foreign intelligence unit on Monday expressed renewed concerns that its GPS signals in the country's Far North were being jammed, as Oslo again blamed Russia for the "unacceptable" acts.
In its annual national risk assessment report, the intelligence service said that in repeated incidents since 2017, GPS signals have been blocked from Russian territory in Norwegian regions near the ... more |
|
|
US Senate votes to expand nationals parks, protected lands Washington (AFP) Feb 13, 2019
The US Senate approved a landmark expansion of protected lands Tuesday, the first major gain for conservationists in two years after repeated setbacks by the Trump administration.
The Senate voted 98-2 in support of the Natural Resources Management Act, which gives new or strengthened protection from mining and encroachment to more than two million acres (810,000 hectares), expands eight nat ... more |
New insights into radial expansion of plants can boost biomass production Gent, Belgium (SPX) Feb 11, 2019
Besides the obvious longitudinal growth, plants also enlarge in the radial sense. This thickening of plant stems and roots provides physical support to plants, provides us with wood and cork, and plays a major role in sequestering atmospheric carbon into plant biomass.
The tissues responsible for this radial expansion are the vascular tissues which transport water and nutrients around plan ... more |
|
|
Moving artificial leaves out of the lab and into the air Chicago IL (SPX) Feb 13, 2019
Artificial leaves mimic photosynthesis - the process whereby plants use water and carbon dioxide from the air to produce carbohydrates using energy from the sun. But even state-of-the-art artificial leaves, which hold promise in reducing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, only work in the laboratory because they use pure, pressurized carbon dioxide from tanks.
But now, researchers from th ... more |
Sulzer Schmid's new technology platform slashes cost of drone-based rotor blade inspections Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Feb 07, 2019
Sulzer and Schmid Laboratories AG reports it has launched a new highly competitive inspection platform. The company's new 3DX HD product has been developed as a cost-effective solution to cope with large volumes of high definition blade inspections.
Based on the compact and flexible DJI M-210 drone, Sulzer Schmid's latest innovation delivers high performance and fully autonomous drone insp ... more |
|
|
Australian court rejects coal mine on climate grounds Sydney (AFP) Feb 8, 2019
An Australian court on Friday delivered a landmark ruling by rejecting plans to build a coal mine on the grounds it would worsen climate change.
Chief Justice Brian Preston said a planned open cut coal mine in a scenic part of New South Wales state would be in "the wrong place at the wrong time".
The ruling by the New South Wales Land and Environment Court was notable for citing not only ... more |
Chinese movies dodge censors to shine at Berlin filmfest Berlin (AFP) Feb 14, 2019
A moving Chinese epic looking at the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution, the one-child policy and forced abortion made it past censors to premiere at the Berlin film festival Thursday despite a widening crackdown.
"Di jiu tian chang" (So Long, My Son) by Wang Xiaoshuai, clocking in at more than three hours, is a sweeping allegorical drama about two families whose fates become intricately i ... more |
|
|
Programming autonomous machines ahead of time promotes selfless decision-making Aberdeen Proving Ground MD (SPX) Feb 12, 2019
A new study suggests the use of autonomous machines increases cooperation among individuals.
Researchers from the U.S. Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory, the Army's Institute for Creative Technologies and Northeastern University collaborated on a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The research team, led by Dr. Cels ... more |
In New York, one non-profit looks to combat textile waste New York (AFP) Feb 14, 2019
The fashion industry generates tons of fabric waste each year, notably in New York - one of the world's shopping capitals and host twice a year to runway shows, a major contributor to the wider problem.
Enter Fabscrap, a non-profit organization dedicated to recycling and reusing textiles that are unsuitable for donation.
Every day, 3,000 pounds (some 1,350 kilos) of scraps arrive at the ... more |
|
|
Tasmania fires may 'wipe out' ancient species Hobart, Australia (AFP) Feb 15, 2019
Tasmania's ancient rainforest and alpine flora species face an uncertain future, scientists have warned, after out-of-control bushfires consumed vast tracts of wild bushland.
As authorities downgraded emergency warnings Friday, with wetter weather - and even some snow - bringing respite from more than a month of rolling fires, scientists warned they are still assessing the damage to the is ... more |
Carbonaceous chondrites provide clues about the delivery of water to Earth Madrid, Spain (SPX) Feb 15, 2019
An international study led by researchers from the Institute of Space Sciences, from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya has discovered that carbonaceous chondrites, a class of meteorites, incorporated hydrated minerals along with organic material from the protoplanetary disk before the formation of planets.
Scientists from the stu ... more |
|
|
Death toll in Cuba tornado rises to six Havana (AFP) Feb 4, 2019
The number of people killed in the powerful tornado that ripped through part of Havana last week has risen to six, authorities said Sunday.
Public Health Minister Jose Angel Portal Miranda said in state media that "sadly, two people have died among the 13 who were in critical condition." The earlier death toll was four.
The storm which hit Havana area towns including Regla, Guanabacoa, ... more |
Chinese exports unexpectedly perk up in January Beijing (AFP) Feb 14, 2019 Chinese exports unexpectedly rose last month, according to official data released on Thursday just as China sat down for crucial trade talks in Beijing with its top trade partner the United States.
Exports rose 9.1 percent in January from a year earlier, data from the customs administration showed, ahead of forecasts and turning a corner after exports fell in December.
China's imports, h ... more |
|
|
Scientists use spacecraft's measurements to study solar wind heating Washington (UPI) Feb 14, 2019
With the help of a NASA spacecraft, astrophysicists have uncovered the process by which energy is transferred between electromagnetic fields and plasma in space.
Most of the visible matter in the universe exists in the form of plasma, an ionized state of matter. Understanding how energy is transferred to and from ionized particles in space can help scientists to better understand a vari ... more |
Planned hippo cull in Zambia sparks fury Lusaka (AFP) Feb 13, 2019
Zambia plans to slaughter 2,000 hippopotamuses to control overpopulation, officials said Wednesday, as conservationists lashed the scheme as a ploy to make money from trophy hunters.
An official at the tourism ministry, who did not want to be named, said a five-year cull of hippos in a park in eastern Zambia would start in May.
"Currently the hippo population in the South Luangwa Nationa ... more |
|
| Buy Advertising | Media Advertising Kit | Editorial & Other Enquiries | Privacy statement |
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement |