A study analyzing 224 flood-related deaths in Germany and Belgium reveals that many occurred outside officially mapped flood hazard zones, with older people and those with mobility impairments disproportionately affected. The researchers call for improved risk management and hazard mapping to better protect vulnerable groups.
A team of researchers has discovered a supergene controlling the development of mirror-image flowers in South African butterfly lilies. The study found that two tightly linked genes work together to ensure precise positioning of reproductive organs, promoting genetic diversity and adaptation.
Researchers found that climate-related extinction risk is underestimated by current prediction models, particularly for range-shifting species. The models assume a linear relationship between population size and habitat loss, which is not supported by empirical evidence.
Ancient DNA analysis reveals a single lineage survived Ice Age, while modern fallow deer display unusually low genetic variation. This study highlights the impact of climate and human activities on species conservation.
Researchers discovered a membrane complex in microbes that enables efficient conversion of CO2 to biomass without wasting energy. This finding has implications for the understanding of lithoautotrophic microorganisms and their role in extreme habitats.
A new tool called GraFT enables precise analysis and reconstruction of actin filamentous structures in plant cells. The tool helps understand the dynamics and spatial arrangement of filaments, crucial for cell shaping, stability, and movement.
The study found that proteasome assembly proceeds through multiple alternative pathways, with chaperone proteins guiding the process. The research challenges long-standing assumptions and has broad implications for understanding cellular protein quality control, aging, and diseases.
Researchers developed a new method to measure ecosystem resilience and predict glacier surges, enabling early warnings for natural hazards. The study applies the approach to the Amazon rainforest and mountain glaciers in Alaska and Asia.
Glacial lakes globally store around 2,000 cubic kilometres of fresh water, with the 40 largest lakes holding more than half of this volume. However, their lifespan is short, with small glacial lakes filling with sediment in a few hundred years.
Gold nanorods can store electrons and accumulate charge when illuminated, enabling targeted control of light-driven chemical reactions. The study provides a new physical framework for understanding and optimizing these processes.
New study reveals hippos inhabited Upper Rhine Graben in southwestern Germany between 47,000 and 31,000 years ago. The discovery challenges previous understanding of hippo extinction in central Europe during the last ice age.
Researchers created a genome-scale metabolic model of potatoes to analyze the interplay between growth and defence processes. The study found that plants prioritize defence over growth when attacked by pests, but rapid growth increases susceptibility to pathogens.
Scientists have characterized the CODH/ACS enzyme complex in detail, revealing its movement and reaction sequence during chemical reactions. The discovery has significant implications for biofuel production from carbon dioxide.
Olivine is found to be highly infrared transparent, playing a significant role in radiative thermal conductivity. This process heats subducting slabs, enabling them to carry water-bearing minerals down to the Mantle Transition Zone, where it may remain for millions of years.
The Anti-Autocracy Handbook reveals how autocracies follow a common script using the three Ps: populism, polarization, and post-truth. To help researchers defend themselves, the handbook provides tools for digital security, continuous documentation, and setting up distributed archives.
Scientists have linked structure and dynamics of biochemical networks through kinetic modules, enabling deeper understanding of metabolic networks' robustness and functionality. This discovery has wide implications for biotechnological and medical applications.
A team of Potsdam researchers has detected infrared signatures of stellar winds from massive stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud galaxy, a satellite of the Milky Way. The study, led by Armin Mang Román, uses James Webb Space Telescope data to analyze the young, massive star cluster NGC 346.
A new study finds that the Clausius-Clapeyron relation explains almost perfectly selected thunderstorm rainfall data at each temperature, but when combining both stratiform and thunderstorm rainfall, higher temperature increase rates emerge. The authors argue that this 'super-Clausius-Clapeyron' increase is of statistical origin, settl...
A study in Ghana found that babies are exposed to multiple languages from birth and receive direct and indirect input, challenging traditional views of multilingualism. The research highlights the importance of diverse linguistic environments in shaping children's language development.
A study found that growing glacial lake areas don't necessarily lead to larger floods; instead, smaller lakes are more prone to catastrophic events. Remote sensing technology helps monitor these processes, enabling better risk management in mountainous regions.
A recent study reveals that glaciers exert significant control over fluvial sediment yield, particularly in regions with high precipitation and glacier cover. The team found that vegetation plays a crucial role in influencing sediment transport, with some areas experiencing increased erosion while others experience stabilization.
Researchers have combined two emerging solar cell technologies, perovskite and organic solar cells, to create a tandem solar cell that achieves a record level of 25.7% efficiency while minimizing carbon footprint. The new combination overcomes previous limitations by utilizing novel materials and passivation layers.
A long-term study found that nitrogen input from fertilizers reduces the diversity of nitrogen-fixing plants in temperate forests. The forestREplot database revealed a significant decrease in these plants' abundance with increasing nitrogen levels, regardless of temperature changes and aridity trends.
Research finds a global imbalance in hydro-hazard studies, with more funding in wealthy regions despite greater disaster impacts in low-income areas. The study calls for more targeted research efforts to address this disparity and reduce the impact of future disasters.
A study by University of Potsdam researchers analyzed the data of 1585 wild animals fitted with GPS collars, finding that 30 species changed their behavior significantly after release. The animals generally recovered within four to seven days, with larger ones and those in human-influenced habitats returning more quickly.
A new study found that up to 40% of the growing population in mountains is at risk due to slow-moving landslides. The research, published in Earth's Future, estimated global exposure to slow-moving landslide hazards using a database of 7,764 large landslides.
Researchers simulate gravitational waves generated by a collapsing warp drive, which could be detectable by future higher-frequency instruments. The study explores the theoretical consequences of a warp drive 'containment failure', pushing boundaries of understanding exotic spacetimes and gravitational waves.
Researchers have identified two types of climate tipping points in Africa, one characterized by a gradual slowdown and the other by flickering between stable humid and dry climates. The study found that transitions with flickering are characteristic of this region, which could help predict future climate change.
Researchers from the University of Potsdam have discovered a long-predicted phenomenon: the weak-to-strong transition in small amplitude space plasma turbulence. This finding confirms key predictions of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence theory and provides new insights into the universality of strong MHD turbulence.
Researchers analyzed a 40-fold high-coverage genome from a historical museum specimen and found no inbreeding or detrimental mutations, indicating the species' ability to adapt to long-term low population size. The study suggests that European colonization was a key factor in the blue antelope's extinction.