Sunday, February 23News That Matters

Tag: research

UK Scientists to Probe Deep Sea’s ‘Dark Oxygen,’ A Discovery That Could Redefine Life’s Origins

UK Scientists to Probe Deep Sea’s ‘Dark Oxygen,’ A Discovery That Could Redefine Life’s Origins

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check, Learning & Developments
A groundbreaking study led by Prof. Andrew Sweetman of the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) is set to explore the phenomenon of "Dark Oxygen," a form of oxygen produced in the absence of light. This revolutionary discovery, made last summer, challenges the long-held belief that oxygen production is exclusively a byproduct of photosynthesis. The project is backed by a £2 million support package from The Nippon Foundation. The team will deploy advanced sensors to the deepest parts of the ocean, aiming to determine how oxygen can be created in complete darkness, far from the reach of sunlight. The study will investigate whether this process occurs in other deep-sea environments and examine its implications for life on Earth and beyond. “Our discovery of Dark Oxygen was a p...
Melting Ice Reveals 5,900-Year-Old Forest in Rocky Mountains

Melting Ice Reveals 5,900-Year-Old Forest in Rocky Mountains

Breaking News, Environment, Learning & Developments
The melting ice of the Rocky Mountains has unearthed a stunning archaeological discovery: a 5,900-year-old whitebark pine forest preserved in remarkable detail. Located on the Beartooth Plateau in Wyoming at an elevation of 3,100 meters well above today’s tree line the discovery offers an unprecedented glimpse into ancient climates while raising pressing questions about the future. The frozen forest, uncovered during an archaeological survey, includes more than 30 well-preserved trees. Whitebark pine, a species that no longer grows at such heights, flourished there during a significantly warmer period in Earth's history. “This discovery offers us a window into past conditions at high elevations,” said Cathy Whitlock of Montana State University. Tree ring analysis and carbon dating re...
Unraveling the ‘Ice-Ocean Boundary Layer’ to Predict Sea Level Rise

Unraveling the ‘Ice-Ocean Boundary Layer’ to Predict Sea Level Rise

Breaking News, Learning & Developments
Scientists are making significant progress in deciphering the intricate relationship between the Antarctic ice sheet and the Southern Ocean, a dynamic that plays a crucial role in driving global sea level changes. Recent research highlights how small-scale oceanic processes, often occurring at the microscopic level, influence the melting of massive ice structures. Despite Antarctica’s vast ice reserves, the factors determining its stability are highly localized, presenting significant challenges in measurement and modeling. To overcome this, researchers are turning to advanced tools like autonomous underwater vehicles and cutting-edge computer simulations. These technologies are uncovering critical details about how ocean water interacts with the ice, offering new insights into previous...
Scientists Warn Undersea Volcano Off U.S. Coast Likely to Erupt by 2025

Scientists Warn Undersea Volcano Off U.S. Coast Likely to Erupt by 2025

Breaking News, Disasters, Tech
A team of researchers has issued a striking forecast: Axial Seamount, an underwater volcano located 300 miles off the coast of Oregon, is primed for an eruption by the end of 2025. This prediction has made waves in the scientific community, as it brings humanity closer to understanding and forecasting submarine volcanic activity. Axial Seamount, situated along the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the northeast Pacific, is the region’s most active submarine volcano. Its frequent activity has made it a prime site for research, housing the world’s first underwater volcano observatory since 1997. Over the years, scientists have meticulously studied its behavior, uncovering patterns that hint at impending eruptions. Key to predicting Axial’s eruptions is the inflation of its surface, caused by magma...
Hydroclimate Whiplash Intensifies Amid Global Warming, Researchers Warn

Hydroclimate Whiplash Intensifies Amid Global Warming, Researchers Warn

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment
Rapid swings between extreme wet and dry weather known as hydroclimate whiplash are accelerating globally due to climate change, with further escalation expected as temperatures rise, according to a study led by UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain. The study, published in Nature Reviews, highlights the role of the "expanding atmospheric sponge," a phenomenon where the atmosphere absorbs, evaporates, and releases 7% more water for every degree Celsius of global warming. This process intensifies the swings between droughts and floods, posing new challenges for water and disaster management. California offers a vivid illustration of hydroclimate whiplash. Following years of drought, the state experienced record-breaking precipitation during the winters of 2022-23, triggering floods, sno...
Rising Temperatures and Warnings: Latest Climate Research Highlights Urgent Action Needed

Rising Temperatures and Warnings: Latest Climate Research Highlights Urgent Action Needed

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
As global temperatures soared to record highs in 2024, the urgency to address climate change is intensifying. New research underscores how rapidly the planet is warming and reveals unexpected consequences of climate shifts, from ocean changes to wildfires and ecosystem transformations. Recent findings suggest Earth may have already reached 1.5°C of warming above pre-industrial levels, a critical threshold that could lead to irreversible climate impacts. A November 2024 study based on 2,000 years of atmospheric gas data from Antarctic ice cores indicates that warming hit 1.49°C in 2023. Unlike previous calculations, which used a baseline from 1850-1900, this analysis extends the pre-industrial baseline back to 13 CE, offering a broader historical perspective. The warming Atlantic Ocea...
Scientists Identify ‘Mystery Volcano’ That Cooled Earth’s Climate in 1831

Scientists Identify ‘Mystery Volcano’ That Cooled Earth’s Climate in 1831

Breaking News, Environment, Learning & Developments
Nearly two centuries after one of the most powerful eruptions of the 19th century caused global temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere to drop by around 1 degree Celsius, scientists have pinpointed the culprit: Zavaritskii volcano on Simushir Island in the northwest Pacific Ocean. The island is part of the Kuril Islands archipelago, a region disputed between Russia and Japan. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, the groundbreaking study links the historic 1831 eruption to Zavaritskii, which had previously been dormant since 800 BC. This revelation comes after decades of uncertainty, during which researchers knew the year of the eruption but struggled to locate the volcano responsible. The breakthrough came from analyzing ice cores collected from ...
Scientists Demonstrate ‘Negative Time’ in Quantum Breakthrough

Scientists Demonstrate ‘Negative Time’ in Quantum Breakthrough

Breaking News, Learning & Developments
Researchers at the University of Toronto have achieved a remarkable milestone, demonstrating "negative time" in a cutting-edge quantum experiment. This phenomenon, where light seems to emerge from a material before entering it, challenges long-held notions about the flow of time and opens new doors to understanding quantum mechanics. The research focused on atomic excitation a process where photons absorbed by atoms elevate electrons to higher energy levels. Typically, when these electrons return to their original states, they release the absorbed energy, causing a time delay in the photons' transit. However, the Toronto team observed an unexpected twist: photons behaved as if atoms spent a "negative amount of time" in their excited states. This startling finding suggests that time, ...
Scientists Achieve Quantum Teleportation Over Fibre Optic Cables

Scientists Achieve Quantum Teleportation Over Fibre Optic Cables

Breaking News, Learning & Developments, Tech
In a landmark scientific breakthrough, researchers have successfully demonstrated quantum teleportation using existing fibre optic cables that carry everyday internet traffic. While the term “quantum teleportation” may evoke images of human transportation akin to science fiction, the reality involves the instantaneous transfer of information over vast distances using quantum mechanics. The pioneering study, led by Prem Kumar of Northwestern University, Illinois, represents a monumental leap toward integrating quantum communication with traditional networks. Quantum teleportation relies on a phenomenon known as "quantum entanglement," where two particles, regardless of their separation, share an invisible link. Changes in one particle instantaneously affect its entangled partner, enablin...
Does Yoga Really Hold the Secret to Longevity? A Closer Look

Does Yoga Really Hold the Secret to Longevity? A Closer Look

Breaking News, Environment, Fact Check, Thoughts & Talks
Yoga with its centuries-old roots is widely praised for its health benefits. But could it also be the secret to a long life? Centenarian Daisy Taylor of Chelmsford, England, believes so. On her 105th birthday, Taylor credited her enduring physical and mental health to yoga, optimism, and cherishing life's simple joys. Remarkably, Taylor still practices yoga, though now more often from a chair than a mat. Her story echoes those of other notable yoga practitioners, like B.K.S. Iyengar, who lived to 95 despite severe childhood illnesses, and Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, the founder of vinyasa yoga, who reached 100. These anecdotes suggest a connection between yoga and longevity but what does science say? Yoga’s Role in Ageing and Longevity Physical and Mental Health Benefits Yoga ha...