Research finds that red and green algae blooms on Antarctic Peninsula snow cause significant snowmelt, comparable to dust on snow in Rocky Mountains. Algae blooms can warm surface and accelerate melting, with potential feedback effects on ice retreat.
Excessive fertilizer use is costing US corn farmers billions of dollars every year, with one-third of applied fertilizer compensating for ongoing soil fertility loss. The true cost of fertilizer use goes beyond economic costs, also impacting the environment and freshwater ecosystems.
Researchers on the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) project have detected a strong signal in their dataset, but cannot yet confirm it as the gravitational wave background. The team is hoping to pinpoint the source of the signal and gain insights into the universe through this discovery.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder discovered a link between ancient cyanobacteria and the Great Oxygenation Event. The study suggests that these single-celled organisms played a crucial role in transforming the planet's chemistry, producing oxygen gas that paved the way for life on Earth.
A new University of Colorado Boulder study found that exercising individuals emit up to five times more chemicals from their body than sedentary people, which combine with bleach cleaners to form unknown airborne chemicals. The team detected a specific reaction product, N-chloraldimines, in gym air, raising concerns about indoor air qu...
Scientists at University of Colorado Boulder develop new compound JD1 that targets Gram-negative bacteria by exploiting innate immune response, reducing survival and spread by 95%. Further studies underway to explore compounds like JD1 for commercialization.
A new study published in Nature Communications used brain imaging techniques to examine how people purge thoughts from their working memory. The researchers found that 'clear' and 'replace' strategies led to faster forgetting, while 'suppress' was more effective for making room for new information.
A team of scientists proposes using fleets of commercial shipping vessels to detect and forecast tsunami waves. The network of ships would utilize GPS sensors to monitor the shoreline for potential surges in less than 10 minutes, providing a significant advance warning to people on shore.
Researchers found no slowing of ocean acidification due to COVID-19 emissions reductions, despite a 9% drop in greenhouse gas emissions. However, the study yields important insights on how to track changes in ocean carbon and puts emissions reductions into perspective as short-term gains.
The Parker Solar Probe has discovered that the densities of dust particles around the sun vary wildly over months, contradicting scientists' expectations. This finding suggests a more complex and fast-shifting dusty environment than previously thought, with implications for understanding planet formation.
New research from CU Boulder finds that worst-case emissions projections used by the IPCC are not reflecting the slowing rate of growth in the global economy. This suggests that these high-emissions scenarios have already diverged from reality and may continue to do so over the coming decades.
A new study published in Science Advances found that frequent and rapid testing can be more effective than sensitive tests in curbing the spread of COVID-19. By targeting contagious individuals with stay-at-home orders, the virus could be driven towards elimination within weeks.
A new University of Colorado Boulder research suggests that parental restrictions on technology use have little impact on technology use in young adulthood. Despite concerns about widespread 'tech addiction,' the study found no strong relationship between early technology use and later technology use.
Researchers found evidence suggesting that relatively close supernovas could have triggered four disruptions to Earth's climate over the last 40,000 years. The study used tree ring records to search for fingerprints of distant cosmic explosions, with promising candidates including a 13,000-year-old Vela supernova.
A new study reveals that a nuclear war could lead to significant losses in wild-caught seafood, potentially rivaling the impacts of climate change on fisheries. The team estimates that a large-scale nuclear conflict could reduce seafood production by as much as 30%, with potential losses of tens of millions of tons per year.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a stretchy and fully-recyclable circuit board that can heal itself like real skin. The device can perform various sensory tasks, including measuring body temperature and tracking daily step counts.
A new University of Colorado Boulder study sheds light on CDK7's role in controlling cell growth and transcription, potentially leading to new therapies for hard-to-treat cancers and rare developmental disorders. The findings suggest that CDK7 inhibitors could have distinct therapeutic advantages and result in more selective and less d...
Researchers estimate that the moon could harbor roughly 15,000 square miles of permanent shadows, reservoirs that might preserve water via ice. These cold traps, found in craters near the poles, could be more common than previously thought and may hold pockets of ice.
A team of engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder has designed a robot inspired by pufferfish to improve drone safety. The PufferBot features an inflatable airbag that can expand in size to prevent dangerous collisions between people and machines.
A University of Colorado Boulder-led research confirms that competition between species slows their expansion into new territories over multiple generations. The study uses tiny flour beetles as a model organism to show how interspecies competition puts certain species at greater risk of extinction.
Research suggests ancient parasites have co-opted mammalian hosts for evolutionary gain, influencing cognition, reproduction, immune response. Endogenous retroviruses also play a key role in placental development and the interferon response.
Researchers have developed a new technology to diagnose sickle cell disease with increased sensitivity and speed, using only a small droplet of blood and costing less than traditional methods. The Acousto Thermal Shift Assay (ATSA) measures protein interactions and mutations in under one minute.
The OSIRIS-REx mission has mapped the gravity field of asteroid Bennu, revealing a weaker and less dense core than previously thought. This could put the asteroid's survival at risk in the near future as it may slowly spin itself apart.
A new study reveals that cannabis data is lacking on lesser-known compounds, but machine learning can help fill the knowledge gap. By analyzing a dataset of over 17,600 cultivars, researchers found that only 1.4% of strains had complete data on THC and CBD, highlighting the need for standardization in product labeling.
Researchers found evidence of widespread forest fires during the Cretaceous period, burning up to 40% of global forests, even in wet regions. This discovery sheds light on how Earth's history might behave under future global climate change.
A University of Colorado Boulder astrophysicist is searching the light coming from a distant magnetar, PSR J1745-2900, for signs of dark matter. The scientist hopes to detect the faint signals of an axion particle transforming into light.
Research reveals coral reef ecosystems collapse under rapid fishing pressures due to positive feedback between fish behavior and ecosystem sensitivity. The study highlights the importance of understanding the social component of individual fish in managing coral reefs for sustainable harvest levels.
The Arctic wildfire season is changing, with widespread wildfires burning earlier and farther north. Zombie fires, where fires smolder in peat underground, are a new feature of recent Arctic fires. The consequences for the global climate could be significant, including rapid thawing of permafrost and release of greenhouse gases.
A team of researchers discovered that synchronous fireflies don't flash according to an innate rhythm but instead adjust their behavior based on what their neighbors are doing. The study uses a new technological approach to map out the locations of the bugs flashing in their vicinity, revealing a more complex synchronization mechanism.
Researchers detected nitrous acid levels two to four times higher than expected in wildfire plumes globally, driving increased ozone pollution and air quality harm. The chemical accelerates the formation of lung-damaging ozone pollution downwind of fires, with significant variations depending on ecosystem type.
A new study reconstructed sea ice transported from the Arctic Ocean through the Fram Strait and into the North Atlantic Ocean over the last 1400 years. The reconstruction suggests that the Little Ice Age was triggered by an exceptionally large outflow of sea ice from the Arctic Ocean in the 1300s.
Researchers discovered a new gene family critical for forming vertebrate head skeletons and unique traits during embryonic development. The Endothelin signaling pathway allows neural crest cells to proliferate and specialize into different roles throughout the body, making vertebrates distinct from invertebrates.
New research estimates that mercury concentrations in fish and water of the Yukon River could double by 2100 under a high emissions scenario. If greenhouse gas emissions are not constrained, mercury concentrations may exceed EPA criterion by 2050, with significant impacts for the environment and global climate.
A new study suggests that volcanic ash can persist in the air for months after an eruption, potentially hastening the transformation of volcanic gases and darkening the planet. The discovery was made using real-world observations and advanced computer simulations of the Mount Kelut eruption on Java in 2014.
A recent study by University of Colorado Boulder researchers reveals that humans caused 97% of wildfires in the wildland-urban interface, a fivefold increase from previous estimates. The study also found that human-started wildfires are expensive and account for half of firefighting costs.
Researchers investigate dynamic water storage in the critical zone, exploring its role in forest ecology, rock chemistry, and water quality. The team aims to predict how climate change affects these interactions, ultimately improving our understanding of the complex relationships within Western ecosystems.
A new study projects that post-fire recovery will be less likely in the future, with large percentages of Southern Rocky Mountains becoming unsuitable for key tree species. The team's database can help land managers better plan where to invest resources after a fire.
A team at the University of Colorado Boulder developed a possible fix for the problem of spring cleaning on the moon: using an electron beam to zap away dust. The technology has shown promise in removing fine dust particles from surfaces, with an average cleaning power of 75-85%.
A groundbreaking international research network will study how animals use odor information to guide behavior, aiming to understand the brain's evolution and potential applications in robotics and disease research. The project, led by CU Boulder, will reverse-engineer how the brain interprets odors and activate motor circuits.
Researchers found an overall increase in ozone levels above the Northern Hemisphere over the past 20 years, despite lower ground-level ozone in some areas. Ozone increases were most pronounced in tropical regions and mid-latitude areas.
A University of Colorado Boulder-led team has discovered a critical connection between equatorial winds and atmospheric waves at the South Pole. The study highlights how winds in the deep tropics affect the polar vortex, triggering outbreaks of cold weather patterns in mid latitudes.
Research suggests that fertilizer and pesticide applications on croplands are the largest source of sulfur in the environment, exceeding peak levels seen during acid rain days. This increase poses risks to mercury levels, soil degradation, and asthma rates in agricultural areas.
A team led by astrophysicist Allison Youngblood used the Hubble Space Telescope to view Earth as if it were an exoplanet, capturing ultraviolet signals of ozone in its atmosphere. The study demonstrates a proof-of-concept for detecting biosignatures of life on distant planets.
Research from the University of Colorado Boulder shows that climate change is driving an increase in Arctic freshwater over the past two decades. This freshwater will eventually move into the North Atlantic Ocean, potentially disrupting ocean currents and temperatures in northern Europe.
A new study shows that increased summer rainfall in Alaska is degrading permafrost across the state. The research team took 2750 measurements of how far below the land's surface permafrost had thawed by the end of summer, finding that more rainfall led to deeper thaw across all sites.
The new Q-SEnSE center will explore grand challenges in quantum sensing, measurement science, and advancing real-world technologies. Researchers will partner with engineers to turn advancements into practical applications, educating the next generation of quantum workforce.
Researchers at JILA have developed an ultraviolet laser technique to probe materials down to 5 nanometers thick, revealing surprising discoveries about material behavior. The study found that very thin materials can be up to 10 times softer than expected, and certain dopings can disrupt atomic bonds, affecting strength.
A growing evidence suggests a fungal pathogen known as Nosema is infecting native bees worldwide, with little known about its impact on these species. This infection threatens pollination and ecosystems, as native bees contribute to agricultural crop pollination and play a crucial role in local ecosystems.
Researchers have found that RNA is critical in the process of cell differentiation, serving as a bridge between genes and epigenetic machinery. Without RNA, the system cannot work, making it essential for life. The study's findings could lead to the development of new RNA-targeted therapies.
Researchers developed a new silicon chip with no moving parts that improves lidar system resolution and scanning speed, enabling applications in self-driving cars and smartphones. The breakthrough could lead to cheaper, smaller, and more complex lidar systems.