One of the last things you'd think could be lost is a volcano. Yet, when we look at the record of volcanic activity, even in the past few hundred years, there are signals that a large eruption occurred ... we just don't have any other evidence of the source of that big blast. Slowly but surely, through geochemical sleuthing, some of those mystery eruptions have been matched up with volcanoes. It turns out that many times, that source is more surprising than anticipated.A recent study in the Proc ...read more

Back in the days of yore, language translation was a highly specialized profession, critical for coordinating diplomacy or international trade. The first bilingual dictionary book, Vocabularius ex quo, was a German-Latin set of words published in 1467, while clay tablets containing lists of works in Sumerian and Akkadian date back as early as 2300 B.C.Language translation has become easier over the years in many cases thanks to the work of linguists and other anthropologists. The development of ...read more

The avian flu continues to circulate in parts of the world, including the U.S., infecting domestic poultry, cattle, and some humans. A study published in Scientific Advances examines how mass vaccination of poultry against H5 subtypes of avian influenza virus (AIV) — including H5N1 and H5N6 — may help to slow the spread of avian influenza, however, in turn, the vaccination may also lead to the virus evolving faster. Understanding Avian Influenza VirusThe H5 virus is a strain of influenza A ...read more

Climate change has already begun to instigate environment-altering effects around the world, and the latest evidence is cropping up in arctic regions that are emitting increasing amounts of carbon dioxide. Researchers in a new study published in Nature Climate Change, have measured the flow of carbon in the Arctic-boreal zone (ABZ) — consisting of the treeless tundra, boreal forests, and wetlands in northern latitudes — and found that a shifting dynamic is underway.These environments were on ...read more

Human skin isn't the only thing that can change color after facing the cold. Trees and shrubs change colors, too, taking on a special blue tinge after they are sampled and stained. That’s according to a new study in Frontiers in Plant Science, which found strange blue rings in samples of trees and shrubs from the northern treeline in Norway.“Blue rings look like unfinished growth rings, and are associated with cold conditions during the growing season,” said Agata Buchwal, a study author a ...read more

Prepare to be blown away: Astronomers have recorded the most powerful planetary wind thus far — a force that pummels a giant exoplanet with gales faster than the speed of sound.The jet stream sweeps WASP-127b’s equator at over 20,000 miles per hour. That’s about 1,000 times more powerful than the gales that buffet Mt. Washington in New Hampshire — one of the windiest places on Earth. The exoplanet’s winds blow 18 times faster than those on Neptune, which has the strongest winds ever me ...read more

During the pandemic, life was all about survival. We humans were constantly in fight or flight mode to avoid getting sick while protecting our families from illness, surviving financially, and agonizing about how this would impact our kids. Since then, our society has never fully recovered. We’ve gone from racial protests to political strife, climate disasters, and the lasting mental health repercussions of isolation from one another for far too long. As a result, says Aditi Nerurkar, a lectu ...read more

Innovative technology linked with the brain is already helping restore the quality of life for many disabled individuals, such as one paralyzed patient who piloted a virtual drone by simply thinking. This breakthrough in neurotechnology, detailed in a recent study, demonstrates the exciting possibilities becoming available for those with motor impairments who want to enjoy recreational activities like playing video games. The study, published in Nature Medicine, was founded on paralyzed individ ...read more

A new paper published in Current Biology suggests a novel twist on an old saying: Instead of "monkey see, monkey do," the paper proposes "chimp see, chimp pee." Well, not in so many words. But the study, which involved 20 captive chimpanzees at the Kumamoto Sanctuary at Kyoto University, does suggest that when one chimp urinates, others urinate too. “In humans, urinating together can be seen as a social phenomenon,” said Ena Onishi, a study author and a doctoral student at Kyoto University, ...read more

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are called “miracle drugs” by some pharmacists for their ability to help those with diabetes to lose weight. The drugs are self-injected once a week and help simulate hormones that slow digestion and curb appetite. While physicians are seeing some positive health effects from these drugs, there is still little data on how they may impact the body in the long run. However, a new study published in the journal ...read more