Real-life aliens extremely efficient at turning their hosts into new parasites
Exeter UK (SPX) Mar 10, 2016 -
The way parasitoid wasps feed may be gruesome, but it is an extremely efficient way to exploit prey, University of Exeter research has found. The wasps lay their eggs inside other animals and once the larvae hatches it starts feeding on the still living host from inside - as portrayed in the movie Alien. This is an unpleasant way for the attacked animal to die but it is a clever way for the wasp ...
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First microwhip scorpion from Mesozoic period found in Burmese amber
Washington DC (SPX) Mar 10, 2016 -
It's smaller than a grain of rice, yellowish, trapped in amber and lived 100 million years ago alongside dinosaurs. Meet Electrokoenenia yaksha, a newly described type of microwhip scorpion, or palpigrade, from Myanmar, whose minute fossilised remains have been found, trapped in Burmese amber.
It has been described by an international team led by Michael S. Engel of the University of Kansa ...
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Overfishing devastates spawning aggregations
Washington DC (SPX) Mar 10, 2016 -
Globally declining fish populations are a frequently cited ecological and commercial calamity, but relatively little attention has been paid to the specific threats faced by fish that gather and spawn in large groups, says Yvonne Sadovy, writing in an article for BioScience.
The marine scientist, affiliated with the University of Hong Kong and Science and Conservation of Fish Aggregations ...
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Human influence on climate dates back to 1930s
Washington DC (SPX) Mar 10, 2016 -
Humans have triggered the last 16 record-breaking hot years experienced on Earth (up to 2014), with our impact on the global climate going as far back as 1937, a new study finds. The study suggests that without human-induced climate change, recent hot summers and years would not have occurred. The researchers also found that this effect has been masked until recently in many areas of the world b ...
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Eastern US forests more vulnerable to drought than before 1800s
University Park PA (SPX) Mar 10, 2016 -
Over thousands of years, most forests in the eastern United States evolved with frequent fire, which promoted tree species and ecosystems that were both fire and drought resistant. In little more than a century, humans upset that balance, suggest researchers, who blame the change, in part, on the well-meaning efforts of Smokey Bear.
Since the 1930s, the composition of forests in the region ...
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Greenhouse gas 'bookkeeping' turned on its head
Washington DC (SPX) Mar 10, 2016 -
For the first time scientists have looked at the net balance of the three major greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide - for every region of Earth's landmasses. They found surprisingly, that human-induced emissions of methane and nitrous oxide from ecosystems overwhelmingly surpass the ability of the land to soak up carbon dioxide emissions, which makes the terrestrial bio ...
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Virtual time machine of Earth's geology now in the cloud
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Mar 10, 2016 -
How did Madagascar once slot next to India? Where was Australia a billion years ago? Cloud-based virtual globes developed by a team led by University of Sydney geologists mean anyone with a smartphone, laptop or computer can now visualise, with unprecedented speed and ease of use, how the Earth evolved geologically.
Reported in PLOS ONE, the globes have been gradually made available since ...
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Division of labor in social insects
Mainz, Germany (SPX) Mar 10, 2016 -
A characteristic of insect societies such as ants is the way tasks are distributed among group members. Not only queens and worker ants have clearly defined responsibilities but the workers themselves also have particular jobs to do when, for example, it comes to the care of the young, defense, and nest building activities.
It is widely assumed that this division of labor is an essential f ...
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Cathay Pacific net profit soars thanks to dive in oil prices
Hong Kong (AFP) March 9, 2016 -
Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific said net profit almost doubled last year as tumbling oil prices slashed fuel costs and boosted passenger numbers, although global demand dented the cargo unit.
With fuel accounting for a huge chunk of most airlines' outlay, the slump in crude since mid-2014 has provided a much-needed boost to their bottom lines.
Cathay reported a net profit of HK$6 b ...
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Crude price gains capped by China
London (AFP) March 9, 2016 -
Oil prices rose Wednesday but renewed concerns over the global economy, in particular weak Chinese growth, capped gains.
Around 1130 GMT, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in April was up 62 cents at $37.12 a barrel.
Brent North Sea crude for May delivery won 56 cents to $41.40 a barrel compared with Tuesday's close.
The market had skidded lower Tuesday on weak ...
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Clothes of the future will adjust to the weather, body temperature
Espoo, Finland (UPI) Mar 9, 2016 -
A group of scientists in Finland are the definition of fashion forward. They're working on designing the clothes of the future - smart clothes.
Their work is part of the Smart Clothing project at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., a nonprofit research and development organization in Finland.
Scientists have developed smartphones, smart cars and smart homes. Now, ...
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Germany's 'energy transition' still faces challenges
Berlin (AFP) March 10, 2016 -
Lauded by some as an example to the rest of the world, but heavily criticised by others, Germany's historic "energy transition" - an ambitious plan to switch from carbon fuels to clean energy by the middle of this century - still faces major challenges.
The current administration under Chancellor Angela Merkel cannot boast that the idea of abandoning nuclear energy was its own.
Launch ...
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China consumer inflation jumps in February
Beijing (AFP) March 10, 2016 -
China's consumer inflation jumped to 2.3 percent in February, the biggest rise in nearly two years, official data showed Thursday, in a positive sign for demand in the world's second-largest economy.
Food prices surged during the annual Lunar New Year holiday, with pork prices jumping 25.4 percent year-on-year, and vegetables up a hefty 30.6 percent.
The rise in the consumer price index ...
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Developers get early look at new Android software
San Francisco (AFP) March 9, 2016 -
Google on Wednesday let developers have an early look at the next version of Android in a move that could get the software into a wider variety of devices.
The US Internet colossus behind the world's most popular mobile operating system broke from its tradition of releasing new versions of Android at its annual developers conference, which will take place in May this year.
"We're doing ...
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Japan court orders shutdown of two nuclear reactors over safety fears
Tokyo (AFP) March 9, 2016 -
A Japanese court Wednesday ordered the shutdown of two nuclear reactors previously declared safe under post-Fukushima safety rules, a decision that comes just days before the fifth anniversary of the atomic disaster.
The order will bring the number of operating reactors in Japan down to two. Dozens were shuttered in the wake of Fukushima, the world's worst nuclear accident in a generation ...
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Real-time trackers aim to avoid repeat of MH370 mystery
Montreal (AFP) March 9, 2016 -
Two years on from the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, the UN's aviation agency Tuesday announced new requirements in a bid to avoid a repeat of a mystery that has perplexed investigators.
The jet vanished on March 8, 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew onboard, mostly Chinese and Malaysians, leaving distraught relatives still grasping for ...
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Fukushima mistakes linger as Japan marks 5th anniversary
Fukushima, Japan (AFP) March 10, 2016 -
The complacency and cosy relationships blamed for the Fukushima nuclear accident are still a problem in Japan, experts warn, even as the country faces the probability of another earthquake and tsunami that could dwarf the 2011 catastrophe.
Friday marks the fifth anniversary of the natural disaster that claimed about 18,500 lives, flattened coastal communities, and set off the worst atomic cr ...
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US election shouldn't slow Atlantic trade talks: EU official
Washington (AFP) March 9, 2016 -
Europe's top trade official said Wednesday that talks with Washington on an ambitious trans-Atlantic trade treaty continue despite US elections which have put such deals on the firing line.
EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) continue with hopes of reaching a deal before the end of President Barack Obama's te ...
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Sweden's Volvo wants standard plugs for electric cars
Stockholm (AFP) March 9, 2016 -
In a bid to grow its market for zero-emission vehicles, Swedish carmaker Volvo has joined a German initiative to standardise plugs for electric cars, the company said Wednesday.
"To cement the increasing popularity of electric vehicles and ensure that customers fully embrace the technology... a simple, standardised, fast and global charging infrastructure is needed," Peter Mertens, Volvo vic ...
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China behind global trade slowdown in 2015: World Bank
Washington (AFP) March 9, 2016 -
The slump in Chinese growth and its nascent economic transition was the key factor in a sharp slowdown last year in global trade, the World Bank said Wednesday.
Trade, as measured by total merchandise import volumes, rose only 1.7 percent in 2015, down from 3.0 percent in 2014, the Bank said in a new report.
That stall in trade, one of the key drivers of economic growth in recent years, ...
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Skypower partners with Sachigo Lake First Nation to build solar parks
Toronto, Canada (SPX) Mar 10, 2016 -
SkyPower and its partners are pleased to announce its partnership with Sachigo Lake First Nation in the development of a multitude of utility-scale solar photovoltaic projects in Ontario.
SkyPower completed the request for qualification stage under the large renewable procurement (LRP) process through the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and jointly submitted proposals for th ...
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Whole Foods Market announce large scale commercial solar project
Princeton NJ (SPX) Mar 10, 2016 -
Whole Foods Market in conjunction with NRG Energy plans to install rooftop solar at up to 84 Whole Foods stores and distribution centers across 9 states to generate renewable energy onsite. When completed and determined by final negotiations and analysis, the portfolio of solar projects has the potential to generate up to 13.8 megawatts (MW) of solar power.
NRG will help Whole Foods Market ...
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The secret to 3-D graphene? Just freeze it
Buffalo NY (SPX) Mar 10, 2016 -
Graphene is a wonder material saddled with great expectations. Discovered in 2004, it is 1 million times thinner than a human hair, 300 times stronger than steel and it's the best known conductor of heat and electricity. These qualities could, among other things, make computers faster, batteries more powerful and solar panels more efficient.
But the material is tough to manipulate beyond i ...
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Invigorating Japanese energy and environmental policy five years after Fukushima
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Mar 10, 2016 -
Japanese researchers call for increased interdisciplinarity and internationalization in Japanese energy and environment research to provide effective scientific advice and invigorate Japanese energy and environmental policy five years after Fukushima.
In less than two weeks, it will be five years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami killed over 15,000 people and crippled the F ...
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Global leaders in nuclear innovation gather at SMR and Advanced Reactor Summit in Atlanta
London, UK (SPX) Mar 10, 2016 -
Last month's announcement that the US DOE has granted a permit for a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) project within the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site is part of the DOE's "ongoing commitment towards strengthening nuclear energy's role in America's low carbon future" according to Lynn Orr, Under Secretary for Science and Energy at the DOE.
It could lead to licensing and inspection by the ...
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