Research News
-
Physics modelling explains how hunters team up to catch faster prey
Seeing a chase play out between predator and prey on a wildlife documentary is a familiar sight for many. But in situations where the prey is faster than the hunters, how do the hunters get the upper hand? To answer this question, scientists from Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary, applied physics modelling to demonstrate how groups […]
-
Research reveals strong link between drug trafficking and Central American forest loss
Cocaine trafficking may be behind up to 30 per cent of annual deforestation in the Central American countries of Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala. A new study – published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters – quantitatively estimates for the first time the potential role of drug trafficking, as opposed to drug cultivation, in forest […]
-
Super strength nanocomposites owe a debt to mighty molluscs
Mother-of-pearl and mussel threads could hold the key to developing graphene-based nanocomposite materials with enhanced properties. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, employed the structure of mother of pearl (also known as nacre), and the extreme adhesiveness of mussel threads to create a graphene oxide-polydopamine (GO-PDA) composite with improved electrical conductivity and tensile […]
-
Nuanced picture emerges of IS land seizure effect on agriculture in Iraq and Syria
Land seizures by Islamic State (IS) in areas of Iraq and Syria have had mixed effects on agriculture, according to a new study. The study, led by researchers from Lund University, Sweden, found the emergence of IS and the related violence had reshaped the agricultural landscape in Iraq and Syria, but that low intensity agriculture […]
-
Nano-notch sends self-assembling polymers into a spiral
Template modification could speed up the fabrication of sensing substrates and other novel structures A simple circular or hexagonal pit written into silicon can be used to generate self-assembling polymer spirals thanks to the addition of a tiny notch in the template, report scientists in the launch issue of Nano Futures. What’s more, modifying the […]
-
Global temperature hiatus claims ‘based on statistical errors’
Claims of a ‘slowdown’ or ‘hiatus’ in rising global temperatures are not supported by an in-depth analysis of statistical evidence, a new study has shown. The study, conducted by researchers from Germany and the USA, examined global-mean surface temperature (GMST) trends, in the light of a recent series of three record-breaking years in a row […]
-
African forests threatened by global demand for commodity crops
International demand for commodity crops like cocoa is putting increasing pressure on tropical forests in sub-Saharan Africa, according to new research. The study – the first comprehensive empirical assessment of land-use change impacts of commodity crop expansion in sub-Saharan Africa, and their effects on tropical deforestation – published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters. […]
-
Earth’s rotation affects the wide world of sports
The inertial forces generated by the Earth as it rotates can have an impact on sports as varied as cricket, bowls, rowing, swimming and horse racing, Australian researchers have shown. Dr Garry Robinson, from the University of New South Wales, Canberra, and his brother Dr Ian Robinson, from Victoria University, Melbourne, looked at how the […]
