Aboriginal people harvested this native grass for millennia: Scientists find an odd trait in its DNA
by Michael Westaway, Jennifer Silcock, Rahul Chandora, Robert Henry, Sammi Blinco, Shawnee Gorringe, The Conversation
Seen from the air, Channel Country resembles a vibrant, vast tapestry, with a network of waterways crisscrossing the land. Spread across more than 280,000 square kilometers (108,000 square miles) in outback Australia, it is one of the world's last free-flowing desert river systems.
Australia's most diverse marsupial predators have been hiding their origins for millions of years
When you think of carnivorous marsupials, you probably picture the Tasmanian devil or perhaps a spotted-tailed quoll. But these famous predators are only the largest members of a remarkable family of marsupials called dasyurids.
India's private space industry shoots for the stars
Private companies are reshaping India's space ambitions, building rockets and satellites as the country pushes to capture a bigger share of the global space economy.
Supplement that binds to microplastics may remove them from our body | New Scientist
Microplastics are ubiquitous in our environment, but we’re still figuring out what effect they have on our health, if any watchwaterrr/Adobe Stock
A postbiotic may limit our absorption of microplastics, according to the first human trial of a microplastic-removal supplement. It uses the rough surface of dead bacteria to attract microplastics, preventing them from entering cells.
How the trend for turning front gardens into driveways is adding to night‑time heat
Warm, sticky nights are becoming increasingly common in the UK.
Climate change is raising temperatures, but another often overlooked factor contributes. Walk down a city street and you will see that what were front yards a decade or so ago have now been paved and turned into driveways.
Glyphosate ban could cost Illinois farmers millions annually
A new analysis from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Soybean Association finds that Illinois corn and soybean farmers could lose up to $609 million per year—representing a 3.6% revenue loss—if the state banned the weedkiller glyphosate. The study is published in the journal Weed Technology.
Living alligators expose why juvenile fossils can fool classification methods
Fossil finds are exciting moments that sometimes introduce the world to an ancient mammal or dinosaur that existed millions of years ago. But a longstanding problem in paleontology is that fossils are often incomplete, and subtle differences between certain species, along with major changes that can occur as an animal grows, complicate species identification. A paper published this month in Paleobiology lays the groundwork for a new approach to correctly identifying ancient animal fossils, with significant implications for vertebrate paleontology.
Unhoused people and wildlife are increasingly coming into contact. Here's what can be done to protect them
As homelessness increases around the world, more unhoused people are turning to parks and other urban green spaces to seek shelter. However, these places are also home to animals that live in and around urban areas.
Asteroid with unexplained orbital shift turns out to be a 'dark comet'
Typically, astronomers identify comets by their distinct atmospheres, or comae, and their tails, which are created as the sun vaporizes a comet's ice. These features emit a glow when sunlight bounces off dust and water droplets. As gas escapes the body of the comet, it also acts as a tiny thruster, subtly changing the comet's path.
Physicists create first room-temperature quantum material
Quantum materials could transform technologies ranging from powerful computers and ultrasecure communications to advanced energy systems. But there has always been one major obstacle.