Astrophysicists design âradically differentâ world map
You know the old problem of how to portray the round globe of Earth on a flat map? Now a trio of map experts has worked together to solve this problem. Their new map is 2-sided and round.
Drifter or homebody? Study first to show where whitespotted eagle rays roam
(Florida Atlantic University) It’s made for long-distance travel, yet movement patterns of the whitespotted eagle ray remain a mystery. Between 2016 and 2018, scientists fitted 54 rays with acoustic transmitters and tracked them along both the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts of Florida, which differ in environmental characteristics. Results of the study reveal striking differences in travel patterns on the Atlantic coast compared to the Gulf coast and findings have significant conservation and adaptive management implications for this protected species.
Traditional hydrologic models may misidentify snow as rain, new citizen science data shows
(Desert Research Institute) Normally, we think of the freezing point of water as 32°F – but in the world of weather forecasting and hydrologic prediction, that isn’t always the case. In the Lake Tahoe region of the Sierra Nevada, the shift from snow to rain during winter storms may actually occur at temperatures closer to 39.5°F, according to new research from the Desert Research Institute (DRI), Lynker Technologies, and citizen scientists from the Tahoe Rain or Snow project.
Texas: Time To Get Rid Of Its Wind Energy Addiction
Texas. It is the number one energy-producing state in the United States. It is both the largest producer of oil, and the largest producer of natural gas, and has been for decades. Texas also has abundant coal reserves. It has…
Electric transmission operators could benefit from temperature-dependent resource adequacy modeling
(Carnegie Mellon University) A new paper contributes to these ongoing reliability considerations by using a unique data set to determine how both low and high temperatures reduce the reliability of coal, gas, diesel, hydroelectric, and nuclear power generators and thus affect the amount of generation markets should contract for. The paper, “Resource Adequacy Implications of Temperature-dependent Electric Generator Availability,” by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, was published in Applied Energy.
New machine learning theory raises questions about nature of science
(DOE/Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory) A novel computer algorithm, or set of rules, that accurately predicts the orbits of planets in the solar system could be adapted to better predict and control the behavior of the plasma that fuels fusion facilities designed to harvest on Earth the fusion energy that powers the sun and stars.
Global Warming Likely Started Before Industrial Revolution, Study Says
Studies of coral reefs in the Paracel Islands suggest that the South China Sea started warming up in 1825, at the start of the industrial revolution, according to a study by Chinese scientists. That was the year the world’s first…
How plants stabilize their water pipes
New techniques allow live-observation of forming cell walls in the vascular tissue.
Using science to explore a 60-year-old Russian mystery
Researchers have conducted an original scientific study that puts forth a plausible explanation for the mysterious 1959 death of nine hikers in the Ural Mountains in the former Soviet Union. The tragic Dyatlov Pass Incident, as it came to be called, has spawned a number of theories, from murderous Yeti to secret military experiments.
Astronomers find possible exoplanet-in-the-making within its own whirlpool
Astronomers have discovered a possible newly-born planet forming within its own “whirlpool” of dust and pebbles, in orbit around a young star 330 light-years from Earth.
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