News about PaperPanda, Open Access, and Research
In the search for “potentially-habitable” extrasolar planets, one of the main things scientists look at is stellar activity. Whereas stars like our own, a G-type (G2V) yellow dwarf, are considered stable over time, other classes are variable and prone to flare-ups – particularly M-type red dwarf stars. Even if a star has multiple planets … Read more
A crucial ice shelf on Antarctica‘s Thwaites Glacier is on track to collapse within five years, accelerating the melting of the notorious ‘doomsday glacier’. Thwaites, which is the size of Florida, is already melting quickly, losing about 50 billion tons of ice per year. The glacier earned its grim nickname because its total collapse would raise global sea … Read more
Waiting just 60 seconds to clamp umbilical cords gives very premature babies a better shot at life, reducing the risk of death and disability in the first two years of childhood by almost one-fifth, new research shows. The Australian-led study, conducted in 25 hospitals across 7 countries, looked at health outcomes of more than 1,500 … Read more
A mysterious cloud that somehow survived a close encounter with a supermassive black hole has now been unmasked. According to a new study of the object, called G2, it’s actually three baby stars, shrouded in a thick cloud of the gas and dust from which they were born. This interpretation offers a very tidy solution … Read more
An alarming crackup has begun at the foot of Antarctica’s vulnerable Thwaites Glacier, whose meltwater is already responsible for about 4% of global sea-level rise. An ice sheet the size of Florida, Thwaites ends its slide into the ocean as a floating ledge of ice 45 kilometers wide. But now this ice shelf, riven by … Read more
The south-central coast of Chile could be more vulnerable to tsunamis than the historical record suggests. Geological research among the tidal marshes of Chaihuín has now revealed the fallout of a long, high wall of water that struck land in 1737. Written documents from the time, however, describe no such wave. “There are records … Read more
Until around 150 years ago, humans were relatively short – but our recent growth spurt may have more to do with social factors than dietary ones Humans 2 December 2021 By Michael Marshall A man measures a woman’s height Image Point Fr/Shutterstock For most of our history, humans have been short, a study has found. … Read more
Centuries before the pharaohs emerged in Egypt, the local elites used a thick porridge-like beer in their ceremonies Humans 3 December 2021 By Jason Arunn Murugesu Reconstruction of beer cups and jars from early Egypt Dr. Renee The elite members of early Egyptian society – before the emergence of the pharaohs – probably drank beer, … Read more
A genetic analysis suggests the world’s most common species of honeybee, the western honeybee, first appeared in western Asia about 7 million years ago and then spread into Africa and Europe Life 3 December 2021 By Carissa Wong Honey bee workers (Apis mellifera) Kim Taylor / naturepl.com Genomic analysis has revealed that the western honeybee … Read more
We have been hearing warnings about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest for decades, but experts say a catastrophic tipping point is now just over the horizon. Are they right? And if so, what can we do to pull things back? Environment 8 December 2021 By Graham Lawton The Ecuadorian Amazon Tropical Herping IT IS … Read more