 | Discovery of Africa moth species important for agriculture, controlling invasive plants Dec 20th 2012, 19:41 In the rain forests of the Congo, where mammals and birds are hunted to near-extinction, an impenetrable sound of buzzing insects blankets the atmosphere. Because it is a fairly inaccessible region with political unrest, much of the Congo's insect biodiversity remains largely undiscovered. In a new monographic book, researchers provide insect biodiversity information for this area in Central Africa that increasingly undergoes habitat destruction. | | Copper from car brakes and mining is making salmon prone to predators Jul 10th 2012, 13:39 Minute amounts of copper from brake linings and mining operations can affect salmon to where they are easily eaten by predators, according to new research. Biologists found the metal affects salmon's sense of smell so much that they won't detect a compound that ordinarily alerts them to be still and wary. | | Earth's oldest known impact crater found in Greenland Jun 28th 2012, 20:46 Scientists in working in Western Greenland have found evidence of an asteroid or comet impact early in the Earth's history. At three billion years old, the crater is a billion years older than the previously oldest known crater. | | Chemical fingerprinting tracks the travels of little brown bats May 29th 2012, 22:12 A novel technique using stable hydrogen isotopes —- a chemical fingerprint found in tissues such as hair —- has enabled researchers to determine where hibernating bats originated. Knowing that could help predict and ultimately manage the spread of white-nose syndrome. | | Toxic mercury, accumulating in the Arctic, springs from a hidden source May 21st 2012, 14:41 Environmental scientists have discovered that the Arctic accumulation of mercury, a toxic element, is caused by both atmospheric forces and the flow of circumpolar rivers that carry the element north into the Arctic Ocean. While the atmospheric source was previously recognized, it now appears that twice as much mercury actually comes from the rivers. The revelation implies that concentrations of the toxin may further increase as climate change continues to modify the region's hydrological cycle and release mercury from warming Arctic soils. | | Capsule for removing radioactive contamination from milk, fruit juices, other beverages Mar 28th 2012, 01:55 Amid concerns about possible terrorist attacks with nuclear materials, and fresh memories of environmental contamination from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan, scientists have developed a capsule that can be dropped into water, milk, fruit juices and other foods to remove more than a dozen radioactive substances. | |
