A storm brewing Warming ocean waters due to human-caused climate change are spurring more hurricanes to rapidly intensify, Carolyn Gramling reported in “Why hurricanes intensify so swiftly” (SN: 10/7/23 & 10/21/23, p. 10). The story made reader Barry Maletzky wonder why hurricanes take a spiral shape. A hurricane’s spiral form is due to a phenomenon …
Scientific equipment in a hybrid poplar plantation in northern Alberta allows researchers to measure greenhouse gas emission rates along with soil and plant conditions, without affecting those conditions. Credit: University of Alberta Pulp mill waste destined for the landfill could instead be useful as an organic fertilizer that can help reduce the environmental impact of …
The stone temple in the ancient city of Caracol soars above the jungle in western Belize, an enduring symbol of the Maya dynasties that ruled Central America for centuries. Caracol’s central temple and others like it have long been viewed as symbols of the authoritarian structure of ancient Maya government, with kings holding all the …
Halley’s Comet over Uluru, outback Australia, 1986. (Photo by Impressions Photography/Getty Images) Getty Images Everyone has heard of 1P Halley, better known as Halley’s Comet. This week, the most famous snowball in the solar system will reach its farthest point from the sun and begin its long journey back. That is what comets do. They …
In the United States, it’s estimated that about 57 million engage in bird feeding, each year. Credit: Richard Hall. Associate professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, Ashley Dayer is the lead author of an article published in People and Nature that argues not only for the acknowledgment of the …
Enormous polygon patterns in rock lie dozens of meters below Mars’ surface, ground-penetrating radar data suggest. Similar patterns develop on the surface in Earth’s polar regions when icy sediments cool and contract. A comparable process long ago may have created the shapes on Mars, found near the planet’s dry equator, researchers report November 23 in …
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain After violent incidents such as police shootings, and around annual observances like Black History Month, why do some corporate expressions of solidarity with marginalized groups register as genuine, while others may seem performative or even backfire? An analysis of statements by Fortune 500 companies following the 2020 police killing of George …
Pots with fancifully molded eyes, noses and mouths were one of the tip-offs. Adrian Chase already had a growing sense that Maya society wasn’t quite what it’s been traditionally portrayed as: powerful rulers reigning while powerless commoners obeyed — or perhaps lived far enough from seats of power to operate largely on their own. Work …
(Top) Imports of live eel fry into East Asia from the other regions based on East Asian Customs data, 2004–2022. (Bottom) Imports of live eel fry into East Asia from the Americas based on East Asian Customs data, 2004–2022. Credit: Hiromi Shiraishi Research led by Hiromi Shiraishi, a researcher at Chuo University, indicated a steep …
For people with traumatic brain injuries, cognitive functions like memory, attention and mood regulation can become exceedingly difficult. But “there is no therapy for this kind of problem, even though it’s so prevalent,” says Nicholas Schiff, a neurologist at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. Now, in a small study of individuals who have …