Tech
Drought can mean restrictions for watering the lawn, crop losses for farmers and an increased risk of wildfires. But it can also hit you and your power company in the wallet.
In communities that rely on water for power generation, a drought can mean higher electricity costs and pollution linked to the loss of hydropower supplies.
In a recent study, a team led by a researcher from North Carolina State University analyzed the downstream effects of a drought in California that took place in 2012-2016, and was considered one of the worst in the state's history.
As the demands on information technology increase, the need to improve the storage of data also grows. Many solid-state systems suggested for such a task are founded on the manipulation of skyrmions, perfect for such a role due to their size and stability. In a study published in EPJ B, authors N.P. Vizarim and C.J.O. Reichhardt from the Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, USA and their colleagues aim to understand how skyrmions behave in a substrate under dc and ac drives.
"Beam me up" is one of the most famous catchphrases from the Star Trek series. It is the command issued when a character wishes to teleport from a remote location back to the Starship Enterprise.
While human teleportation exists only in science fiction, teleportation is possible in the subatomic world of quantum mechanics--albeit not in the way typically depicted on TV. In the quantum world, teleportation involves the transportation of information, rather than the transportation of matter.
NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite observed a huge Saharan dust plume streaming over the North Atlantic Ocean, beginning on June 13. Satellite data showed the dust had spread over 2,000 miles.
At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, Colin Seftor, an atmospheric scientist, created an animation of the dust and aerosols from the plume using data from instruments that fly aboard the Suomi NPP satellite.
While most cats and dogs are still being fed 'conventional' wet and dry food, there has been a distinct shift in feeding practices over the past decade to include raw and home-made foods, particularly in Australia, finds an international study, published in this week's issue of Vet Record.
These 'unconventional' diets may help nurture the bond between pets and their owners, but they may also be storing up health problems for these animals, warn the researchers.
Vapers have been largely reassured by recent EU safety regulations, but some have been pushed to the black market for stronger hits - according to new research from the University of East Anglia.
Researchers studied reactions to vaping legislation. The EU's Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) was introduced in 2017 - to ensure safety, provide consumer information and deter young people who had never smoked before, from trying it.
Electronic health records (EHRs) contain important information about patients' health outlook and the care they receive, but the records are not always precise. A new study describes an approach that uses machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence, to carefully track patients' medical records over time in EHRs to predict their likelihood of having or developing different diseases. The study was led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and is published in Cell Patterns.
The world is now in the grips of a historic pandemic. The death toll from the novel coronavirus has climbed to more than 117,000 in the United States and 448,000 around the world. Total cases of the disease, called COVID-19, have soared past 2 million in the US and 8.3 million globally. Debates are now raging about whether US states have begun to move too quickly to reopen restaurants, stores, barbershops, and the myriad other engines of life and commerce after weeks of lockdown.
By mapping the more than 22,000 tremblors, researchers composed a detailed, three-dimensional image of the complex fault structure below southern California's Cahuilla Valley. According to a new study, the four-year-long earthquake swarm that rocked the region was likely triggered by the dynamic interaction between the fault's intricate architecture and natural subterranean fluids, revealing new insights into how these enigmatic seismic events evolve.
New international research reveals the far-reaching impacts of forest cover loss on global biodiversity.
The research, led by the University of Edinburgh and the University of St Andrews, investigated the impacts of forest loss on species and biodiversity over time and around the world, revealing both losses and gains in species.
Forests can be risky climate investments to offset greenhouse gas emissions, say scientists
Given the tremendous ability of forests to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, some governments are counting on planted forests as offsets for greenhouse gas emissions--a sort of climate investment. As with any investment, however, it's important to understand the risks. If a forest goes bust--through severe droughts or wildfires, researchers say--much of that stored carbon could go up in smoke.
A naturally occurring injection of underground fluids drove a four-year-long earthquake swarm near Cahuilla, California, according to a new seismological study that utilizes advances in earthquake monitoring with a machine-learning algorithm. In contrast to mainshock/aftershock sequences, where a large earthquake is followed by many smaller aftershocks, swarms typically do not have a single standout event.
While some STEM majors have a one-to-one male-to-female ratio, physics, engineering and computer science (PECS) majors consistently have some of the largest gender imbalances among U.S. college majors - with about four men to every woman in the major. In a new study published today in the peer-reviewed research journal, Science, NYU researchers find that this disparity is not caused by higher math or science achievement among men.
A deep-learning powered single-strained electronic skin sensor can capture human motion from a distance. The single strain sensor placed on the wrist decodes complex five-finger motions in real time with a virtual 3D hand that mirrors the original motions. The deep neural network boosted by rapid situation learning (RSL) ensures stable operation regardless of its position on the surface of the skin.
The thesis is focused on the research of methods that reduce the noise level of space rockets during the first phases of launching (engine ignition and takeoff). According to Iván Herrero, at those times, the levels of acoustic pressure experienced by the space vehicles are extremely high and could seriously affect the light structures onboard, such as solar panels and antennas, making it necessary to reduce the noise levels.