#Study finds albatrosses fine-tuned to wind conditions

“#Study finds albatrosses fine-tuned to wind conditions” A male and female wandering albatross in courtship display. Males are 20% larger than females, which is reflected in their flight performance. Credit: Samantha Patrick A new study of albatrosses has found that wind plays a bigger role in their decision to take flight than previously thought, and…

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#Reputation-based social payoff system improves community involvement

“#Reputation-based social payoff system improves community involvement” Credit: CC0 Public Domain Simulations have revealed how a “payoff transfer system,” rewarding individuals who cooperate the most with their local communities, can improve social benefits. Many goods and service providers in China rely on supplies from local governments, but these are often limited by financial budgets—especially in…

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#A possible explanation for why West Antarctica is warming faster than East Antarctica

“#A possible explanation for why West Antarctica is warming faster than East Antarctica” Linear trends of surface air and sea surface temperatures surrounding Antarctica since the mid-20th century. Credit: Dr. Sang-Yoon Jun at Korea Polar Research Institute A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in South Korea has found a possible reason for West…

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#Probing dark matter with the Higgs boson

“#Probing dark matter with the Higgs boson” Figure 1: Mass of the leading two jets (x-axis) in the search region with all background processes stacked and compared to data. A hypothetical Higgs boson signal decaying to invisible final states is shown in red. Credit: ATLAS Collaboration/CERN Visible matter—everything from pollen to stars and galaxies—accounts for…

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#Study finds warming peat may boost greenhouse gases

“#Study finds warming peat may boost greenhouse gases” SPRUCE study site for studying effects of warming temperatures on peatland. Credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory Warming temperatures in cold-climate peatlands may over time trigger decomposition of old, deeply buried peat and increase emissions of climate-harming methane and carbon dioxide into the air, according to a study…

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#What is a derecho? An atmospheric scientist explains these rare but dangerous storm systems

“#What is a derecho? An atmospheric scientist explains these rare but dangerous storm systems” Derechos occur fairly regularly over large parts of the U.S. each year, most commonly from April through August. Credit: Dennis Cain/NOAA Thunderstorms are common across North America, especially in warm weather months. About 10% of them become severe, meaning they produce…

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#What the archaeological record reveals about epidemics throughout history – and the human response to them

“#What the archaeological record reveals about epidemics throughout history – and the human response to them” These round lesions are pathognomonic signs of syphilis. Credit: Charlotte Roberts, CC BY-ND The previous pandemics to which people often compare COVID-19—the influenza pandemic of 1918, the Black Death bubonic plague (1342-1353), the Justinian plague (541-542) – don’t seem…

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