Science
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We may have solved the mystery of what froze Earth’s inner core
How did Earth’s inner core freeze solid? Rost9/Shutterstock A high concentration of carbon within Earth’s inner core could explain a long-standing mystery about how the deepest part of our planet froze solid – a process that kick-started the magnetic field protecting life on the surface. Earth’s inner core presents a paradox for geophysicists: it first formed as a massive liquid…
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How a single gopher restored a landscape devastated by a volcano
The northern pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) brings unexpected ecosystem benefits All Canada Photos/Alamy Two years after Mount St Helens erupted in 1980, a team of researchers helicoptered in a gopher to the ash-covered landscape. Decades later, the activity of that single gopher burrowing for a single day may have helped the decimated ecosystem regrow by boosting the diversity of soil…
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The complete guide to cooking oils and how they affect your health
Whether you are roasting a chicken in the oven, browning onions in a frying pan or choosing a spread for your toast, oils are at the heart of our culinary activity. We have a dizzying array of choice. From sunflower to flaxseed, avocado to coconut, around 30 varieties of oil are now used for cooking. Your decision on which to…
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Quantum 'Schrödinger's cat' survives for a stunning 23 minutes
A typically fragile quantum superposition has been made to last exceptionally long, and could eventually be used as a probe for discovering new physics Source link
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What to expect at the COP16 biodiversity summit
Countries are convening in Colombia to agree on wide-ranging targets to stem biodiversity loss and make a plan to pay for it Source link
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Warmer winters mean world’s highest places may store less carbon
The Tibetan plateau Nicolas Marino/mauritius images GmbH/Alamy Climate change is raising winter temperatures faster than those of summer, especially in high-altitude areas. This “asymmetric” warming could spell trouble for the vast amount of carbon stored in soils there by altering microbial activity more than expected. The planet’s soils store more carbon than any ecosystem other than the oceans, and could…
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The US is ramping up bird flu surveillance – but will it be enough?
Dairy cows in California Marmaduke St. John / Alamy Stock Photo The US has ramped up influenza surveillance amid an ongoing outbreak of the bird flu virus H5N1 in dairy cattle. Public health officials hope more robust monitoring will help catch and contain any potential human outbreaks. But experts warn that without more surveillance, cases will slip through the cracks…
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Useful quantum computers are edging closer with recent milestones
An exhibition model of IBM’s Q System One quantum computer Misha Friedman/Getty Images Despite all the hype around quantum computers, they are still far too error-prone to be of real use. But recent experiments show that this may not always be the case, boosting the credibility of claims from companies like Google and IBM that we might get useful quantum…
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AI discovers hundreds of ancient Nazca drawings in Peruvian desert
A 22-metre-long drawing depicting a killer whale holding a knife Masato Sakai Hundreds of ancient drawings depicting decapitated human heads and domesticated llamas have been discovered in the Peruvian desert with the help of artificial intelligence. Archaeologists have previously linked these creations to the people of the Nazca culture, who started etching such images, called geoglyphs, into the ground around…
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Evidence grows for dramatic brain remodelling during pregnancy
Pregnancy may permanently change parts of the brain bernardbodo/iStockphoto/Getty Images The human brain goes through significant changes during pregnancy with few regions untouched, according to the first ever map of this over the course of gestation and beyond. Some regions of the brain shrink during this time, while others grow and become better connected. These changes are thought to enable…
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