Astrophysicists at MIT propose that newly discovered planets in Jupiter-sized systems underwent violent instability upon formation. This instability can lead to the ejection of one planet and a smaller, eccentric orbit for another, with potential consequences for planetary system evolution and intelligent life.
A temporary metal filter successfully caught a life-threatening blood clot in a bedridden patient, preventing catastrophic lung damage. The procedure, performed by Johns Hopkins physicians, marks the first use of the filter in the US and holds potential for thousands of accident victims.
A multiyear project called EXPRESSO aims to explore how vegetation and fires interact with the atmosphere in tropical regions. The study will help define the degree of influence central Africa has on global chemistry cycles.
Scientists are releasing 15,000 fingerlings into northeast Georgia's Broad River as part of a reintroduction effort for the robust redhorse, a fish thought extinct until survivors were discovered in 1991. The fingerlings have been artificially bred from surviving members and will be released at seven sites to help the species flourish.
The program aims to increase understanding of climate change policy issues, focusing on economic and environmental consequences, policy design, interactions with other policies, equity and efficiency, and development of analytical tools. RFF will conduct research projects and issue papers on selected topics.
A new report by Resources for the Future highlights the District of Columbia's environmental priorities, ranking drinking water and air pollution as top concerns. The study suggests creating a separate environmental agency to address these issues, which have serious consequences for attracting businesses and residents.
Researchers from UC Berkeley have disproved the hypothesis that the Earth's inner core is a perfectly aligned mass of iron crystals. Instead, they found that the crystals align themselves like boats in a circular eddy, driven by the rise of hotter iron toward the surface. This finding has implications for modeling the Earth's magnetic ...