Authors:Maya Gomez, Lily Haines, Valeria Pizarro Abstract: In many parts of the Caribbean, diving underwater will transport you to a colorful world of fish, sponges, mammals, and more. This dazzling undersea rainforest is created by rock-like animals called corals. But just like humans, corals can get sick—and right now a disease is spreading throughout the Caribbean, infecting and killing some of the world’s oldest and largest animals at an alarming speed. The deadly disease is called stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD). This article explains what we know about SCTLD and how to spot it in the ocean, how far the disease has spread, what kinds of corals are getting sick, and how we can work together to stop it. We need everyone’s help to save the corals and in turn save the homes of an incredible amount of sea life. PubDate: 2023-03-20T00:00:00Z
Authors:Lucia Vanacore, Chiara Cirillo Abstract: Our food system is slowly becoming more environmentally friendly in response to global challenges such as climate change, the environmental damage caused by intensive agriculture, the increasing human population, and the growth of cities. Soilless agriculture, which involves growing plants without the use of soil, is a unique type of environmentally friendly food-production system. There are several soilless agriculture techniques, including bioponics. Bioponics is a new technique that aims to replace chemical fertilizers with organic or natural ones. These environmentally friendly fertilizers are recycled from plant- or animal-based waste materials, through the activity of microorganisms like bacteria. Therefore, bioponics is a sustainable method of producing fruits and vegetables, as it not only limits the use of chemical fertilizers but also conserves water and land resources and recycles important nutrients. PubDate: 2023-03-16T00:00:00Z
Authors:Ria Sarkar, Rene Orth, Martha M. Vogel Abstract: It is easy to recognize that Earth’s climate is changing. Scientists agree that the climate changes they observe are mostly caused by humans, primarily due to the greenhouse gases emitted by the burning of fossil fuels. Climate change has severe consequences—it leads to glaciers melting; sea levels rising; increased numbers of dangerous heatwaves, wildfires and droughts; decrease yields from food crops; and loss of ecosystems. We can monitor changes in Earth’s climate by tracking the global average temperature. In this article, we will introduce the concept of climate and discuss how Earth’s climate has changed in the past decades. We conclude with an explanation of the Paris Agreement, a treaty that nations have created to work together to limit global warming and to avoid the most dangerous of its impacts. PubDate: 2023-03-16T00:00:00Z
Authors:Gianluca Memoli Abstract: The science of light manipulation started with the ancient Greeks, so we have had many years to develop it. Lenses and holograms are part of our everyday lives. Light and sound are very similar: they are both waves, and they both have particles associated with them. So, why do we not have lenses or displays for sound' Or do we' This article will tell the story of how sound technology is catching up with light technology. We will tell you about acoustic metamaterials, an emerging technology that is quickly becoming part of our loudspeakers, our shows, our cars, our public spaces, and our hospitals—all the places where we want control over sound and noise. The future of shaping and designing sound is in the making! Maybe someday, sound experts will even teach something to light experts! PubDate: 2023-03-14T00:00:00Z
Authors:Menahem Segal Abstract: Over 100 years ago, Nobel Prize winner Ramon y Cajal first described structures called dendritic spines, located on the surface of brain cells. Since then, scientists have been trying to understand what dendritic spines are and how they function in the brain. Even with the latest technology, it is very difficult to research dendritic spines because they are so tiny—one dendritic spine is about 1/1,000 of a millimeter, and there are thousands of them on the surface of most nerve cells in the brain. Since dendritic spines can change shape and size quickly, some researchers have suggested that they are the structures in the brain where memories are created and stored. This hypothesis is based on hundreds of studies showing that forming a memory causes dendritic spines to undergo major changes in number, size, and shape. Likewise, preventing dendritic spines from changing may stop memories from forming. However, there is still a long way to go before we can identify exactly where memories are kept in the brain. Future studies may help us answer this fascinating riddle. PubDate: 2023-03-10T00:00:00Z
Authors:Wim Thiery Abstract: Will a child born today experience more heatwaves, wildfires, or droughts compared to a 60-year-old' The answer to this question might seem obvious: “Yes, of course.” But when it comes to the question “How much more'” climate scientists did not have the answer—until recently. In this article, we will describe a study in which we figured out how many extreme climate events a real person in a real location will face, depending on the year they were born and how many years they will probably live. These numbers are not the same across the world—the impacts are especially severe in low-income countries, many of which contribute only minimally to the climate crisis. Our results are a call to action—if the world does not take serious steps to limit global warming, young people everywhere will face a never-before-seen number of extreme climate events during their lifetimes. PubDate: 2023-03-09T00:00:00Z
Authors:Esteban A. Orellana, Richard I. Gregory Abstract: The cells in your body contain genes made of DNA. Genes store the genetic information passed on to you by your parents. This information serves as the recipe to make proteins, and proteins build, maintain, and heal every tissue in your body. The cellular machinery that makes proteins reads this recipe with the help of small molecules called transfer RNAs (tRNAs), which supply the necessary building blocks in the correct order to construct specific proteins. To function properly, tRNAs must fold into the correct three-dimensional shape—a process that requires tRNA to be decorated with chemical modifications. Scientists have discovered that cancer hijacks and boosts this decorating process for its own benefit, favoring the production of proteins involved in cell division. This is an exciting finding because it could allow for the development of better ways to diagnose and treat cancers in the future. PubDate: 2023-03-09T00:00:00Z
Authors:Faith Taliaferro, Jaclyn M. Long, José Ordovás-Montañés Abstract: When people get infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, why do some people get mildly sick while others get very sick' Although we know that SARS-CoV-2 enters the body via the nose and mouth, we do not fully understand how nasal cells respond to this infection or why some people get sicker than others. To answer these questions, we studied the immune response—the way the body fights infectious agents like bacteria and viruses—of cells from nasal swabs of healthy people and people with COVID-19. We found that nasal cells of very sick COVID-19 patients had a weaker immune response against the virus compared to that of cells from mildly sick patients, despite their virus levels being similar. Understanding how nasal cells interact with viruses and how their responses to infection are linked to how sick people get can help us better identify and manage the effects of viral infection. PubDate: 2023-03-09T00:00:00Z
Authors:Felix I. Rossbach, Edoardo Casoli, Milan Beck, Christian Wild Abstract: Our oceans are full of life and home to many different species. High species diversity often concentrates in specific areas called “biodiversity hotspots” (e.g., coral reefs). These hotspots develop with the help of a few key engineering species (e.g., corals). In the Mediterranean Sea, well-known biodiversity hotspots are seagrass meadows. Macroalgae beds represent another typical habitat but usually do not provide the same diversity as seagrass meadows. High biodiversity is essential for an ecosystem’s stability and our lives: healthy coastal ecosystems provide food and shelter for fish species and stabilize the seafloor. We investigated a relatively unknown type of red macroalgae and were surprised to find it thriving with marine organisms such as sea stars, anemones, and tube worms. With the latter being an example of an extraordinary group of marine animals, we would like to take this example and show you what we learned about this new hotspot for diversity. PubDate: 2023-03-07T00:00:00Z
Authors:Claudia Wiese, Bernd Pölling, Wolf Lorleberg Abstract: As you probably know, most farms are found in rural areas, far away from big cities. However, when food is grown near cities, it can make cities more sustainable and prepared for the future. Moreover, it even offers business options for farmers in the outskirts of the cities as well as for newcomers and start-ups producing food in the city centers. Short food-supply chains and well-known origin are only some of the benefits. New technologies like aquaponics can go hand in hand with traditional farms. Both complement each other and enhance local food production. Nevertheless, local food production needs to be economically viable to be sustainable and prosper in the end. This raises the questions: Is it possible to run a successful and sustainable farm near—or even within—a city' PubDate: 2023-03-07T00:00:00Z
Authors:S. Lori Tausta, Alysha Auslender, Scott A. Strobel, David A. Hiller Abstract: Fluorine is the 13th-most abundant element on earth, found most often bound to other elements in its negatively charged form, fluoride. Fluoride compounds are used to improve dental health, to make steel, and to make useful materials like Teflon. Fluoride is also emitted into the environment as a byproduct of both natural and industrial processes. Fluoride even contaminates the fertilizer used to help plants grow. In high amounts, fluoride can be toxic. Single-celled organisms like bacteria protect themselves by making a transporter that specifically removes fluoride from the cell. Yeast have a similar transporter called FEX (f luoride exporter). Bacteria and yeast without these transporters die in the presence of the small amount of fluoride found in tap water. Plants are more complicated, but they also use FEX to keep fluoride from building up inside themselves. Plants without FEX can not make new seeds when grown in normal soil. PubDate: 2023-03-02T00:00:00Z
Authors:Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, Daniel T. Blumstein Abstract: Why do we get sick' Medical doctors would say there are many causes, depending on the sickness: the SARS-CoV2 virus causes COVID-19, poor eating habits cause obesity, smoking causes lung cancer. But what if we looked at this question differently…as a species, why have we evolved bodies that are vulnerable to getting sick' Should we not have evolved to be healthy all the time' The field of evolutionary medicine aims to join ideas from medical science with ideas from evolutionary science to better explain health and disease. This approach could provide entirely new ideas for treating human health threats like cancer, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, obesity, and COVID-19, just to name a few! PubDate: 2023-02-28T00:00:00Z
Authors:Lena Smirnova, Itzy Erin Morales Pantoja, Thomas Hartung Abstract: Recently, the field of bioengineering, which uses biomedical knowledge to solve problems and create products, has made great progress creating tiny, functioning models of human organs, called organoids. The brain is the most complex organ of the human body. Although brain organoids have been created, they still cannot perform calculations, learn, memorize, or make decisions—“thinking” functions only seen in humans and animals. But a new field of science is emerging that could create brain organoids with some cognitive functions. The necessary technologies are now available, and scientists are starting to combine them. Thinking brain-cell cultures create a lot of ethical questions that must be addressed as research proceeds. This article describes the technologies that form the basis of the science called organoid intelligence (OI). In the future, OI could help us study brain functions, understand brain diseases, find new cures, and could possibly even lead to new supercomputers that are more brain-like than today’s computers. PubDate: 2023-02-28T00:00:00Z
Authors:Muawanah, Mariana D. Bayu Intan, Elyse Boudin, Hikmah Thoha, Arief Rachman, Oksto Ridho Sianturi, Tumpak Sidabutar, Mitsunori Iwataki, Kazuya Takahashi, Jean-Christophe Avarre, Frédérique Carcaillet, Estelle Masseret Abstract: Sometimes the waters of seas, rivers, or lakes turn an odd color, becoming brown, red, or green. These colors are actually those of tiny algae that are invisible to the naked eye—but those algae are reproducing so fast that they stain the water. These events are called algal blooms, and they can be harmful because they produce toxins that kill aquatic animals and can cause poisoning in humans. Our group investigated the harmful algal blooms that have been occurring regularly in Lampung Bay, Indonesia, since 2012. We tracked down the algal species responsible for these blooms by analyzing seawater and the seabed sediments of the bay. We identified one species of algae, a dinoflagellate called Margalefidinium polykrikoides, as the culprit. This species can take on multiple shapes, which makes its identification particularly difficult. Improving our knowledge about this algal species will eventually help us understand what triggers harmful algal blooms and how to prevent them. PubDate: 2023-02-24T00:00:00Z
Authors:Louis Berrios, Michael E. Van Nuland, Julieta Alvarez Manjarrez, Jay Yeam, Geetha Saarunya Clarke, Aaron Clarke, Kabir G. Peay Abstract: Did you know that microbes and plants can help each other survive' Microbes—like bacteria and fungi, for example—can help plants find food and water and can even make them healthier during stressful times. In return, plants give microbes food and a place to live. The world as we know it would not exist without plants, microbes, and their partnerships. Unfortunately, changes to climate will also change our environments. Therefore, studying how plants and microbes partner will help us predict environmental changes to our planet and its inhabitants. In this article, we discuss how microbes and plants partner to support life on Earth. PubDate: 2023-02-24T00:00:00Z
Authors:Katherine Diane Andrade, Stéphanie Kathleen Riès Abstract: Speaking is such an important part of our lives. We use it to communicate with our families, friends, and even our pets! Not only do we talk a lot, but we are also very good at it. Healthy speakers can say 2–3 words per second and usually produce an error only about once every 1,000 words. To limit the number of errors we make, we are continuously monitoring our own speech. While speaking is easy, the brain process of monitoring our own speech is quite complex. In this article, we outline the process of selecting a word, understanding what happens when a speech error is made, and what could happen if the parts of the brain responsible for monitoring speech are damaged. PubDate: 2023-02-23T00:00:00Z
Authors:Jie Zheng, Gordon Chen, Gabriel Kreiman, Ueli Rutishauser Abstract: We interact with the world continuously. However, memories of our experiences are stored as individual events. For example, when we go on a road trip, we do not remember what happens second by second. Instead, we remember only a few special moments or events from a trip, such as dancing around the campfire. Our brains constantly extract memorable events while we interact with the world, and we organize those events based on their relevance. This process is like grouping road trip photos under different folders on the computer, so we can efficiently and accurately retrieve those memories in the future. How does the brain create these memorable events' In this article, you will learn about two groups of neurons inside the brain that help achieve this remarkable feat. You will also learn about how the activation of these neurons shapes the formation and retrieval of memories. PubDate: 2023-02-22T00:00:00Z
Authors:Harrison F. Jones, Jennifer M. Gleason Abstract: Fruit flies are very small flies. When people find them in their kitchens, they are often annoyed. However, fruit flies can tell us about what is happening in nature. Some fruit flies are native to an area, whereas others have been introduced by people. When a place is in its natural state, native species of fruit flies are abundant. When a place has been changed, for example, by the construction of lots of buildings, invasive species of fruit flies are found. Fruit flies are an indicator species that can tell us about how land use has changed. PubDate: 2023-02-16T00:00:00Z
Authors:Rachel DuMez, Isaac Skromne Abstract: Even though humans look different from other animals like fish, birds, or snakes, we all have a skeleton that gives our bodies shape, protects our internal organs from harm, and helps us move. Animals with a skeleton and a backbone are called vertebrates. Because all skeletons are built from bones, scientists can learn a lot about human bones by studying them in other vertebrates, including fish. Zebrafish are one vertebrate used by scientists to study how bones are made, age, and are repaired by the body. One cool fact about zebrafish is that they can regrow their tails, including the bones, if they get bitten off by another fish. Scientists can also use zebrafish to learn how new medicines can maintain bone health, or how to fix bones after an accident or disease. In this article, we will discuss how scientists can work with zebrafish to learn about bone biology and health. PubDate: 2023-02-16T00:00:00Z
Authors:Alyssa T. Kullberg, Kenneth J. Feeley Abstract: Urban areas typically get much hotter than rural or natural areas. The higher temperatures in cities are caused by the presence of lots of buildings and streets, which heat up in the sun because they are made of materials that can not hold much water. In hot urban areas, called urban heat islands, people and animals stay cool by sweating, panting, and staying in shady areas. Even urban trees can stay cool by transpiring, which is like sweating. In fact, trees transpire so much that they can cool down the air and reduce the urban heat effect—like natural air conditioning. Although the urban heat effect is typically viewed as a problem, scientists can study the plants and animals living in urban heat islands to understand the effects that rising temperatures due to climate change will have on these species in their natural habitats. PubDate: 2023-02-14T00:00:00Z
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