The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Sunday, January 22, 2012

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Sunday, January 22, 2012

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Carbon dioxide is 'driving fish crazy' (January 21, 2012) -- Rising human carbon dioxide emissions may be affecting the brains and central nervous system of sea fishes with serious consequences for their survival, an international scientific team has found. Carbon dioxide concentrations predicted to occur in the ocean by the end of this century will interfere with fishes' ability to hear, smell, turn and evade predators, says a professor. ... > full story

Manganese may have potential in neutralizing deadly Shiga toxin (January 21, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered that manganese, an element commonly found in nature, might provide a way to neutralize the potentially lethal effects Shiga toxin. New results could pave the way for future research aimed at creating an inexpensive treatment for infections caused by bacteria that produce the Shiga toxin. Currently there is no treatment for such infections that afflict more than 150 million people each year, resulting in more than one million deaths worldwide. ... > full story

In solar cells, tweaking the tiniest of parts yields big jump in efficiency (January 21, 2012) -- By tweaking the smallest of parts, engineers are hoping to dramatically increase the amount of sunlight that solar cells convert into electricity. ... > full story

Tiny amounts of alcohol dramatically extend a worm's life, but why? (January 21, 2012) -- Minuscule amounts of ethanol can at least double the life span of a tiny worm used as a model for aging studies, biochemists report. "This finding floored us; it's shocking" said the senior author of the study. ... > full story

High levels of MRSA bacteria in U.S. retail meat products, study suggests (January 21, 2012) -- Retail pork products in the U.S. have a higher prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) than previously identified, according to new research. ... > full story

'Bubblegram' imaging: Novel approach to view inner workings of viruses (January 20, 2012) -- Since the discovery of the microscope, scientists have tried to visualize smaller and smaller structures to provide insights into the inner workings of human cells, bacteria and viruses. Now, researchers have developed a new way to see structures within viruses that were not clearly seen before. ... > full story

NASA sees repeating La Niña hitting its peak (January 20, 2012) -- La Niña, "the diva of drought," is peaking, increasing the odds that the Pacific Northwest will have more stormy weather this winter and spring, while the southwestern and southern United States will be dry. Sea surface height data from NASA's Jason-1 and -2 satellites show that the milder repeat of last year's strong La Niña has recently intensified, as seen in the latest Jason-2 image of the Pacific Ocean. ... > full story

Toward twister forecasting: Scientists make progress in assessing tornado seasons (January 20, 2012) -- A new study of short-term climate trends offers the first framework for predicting tornado activity up to a month out with current technology, and possibly further out as climate models improve, giving communities a chance to plan. The study may also eventually open a window on the question of whether tornadoes are growing more frequent due to long-term climate warming. ... > full story

Mysterious flotsam in Gulf of Mexico came from Deepwater Horizon rig (January 20, 2012) -- Using state-of-the-art chemical forensics and a bit of old-fashioned detective work, scientists confirmed that mysterious material found floating in the Gulf of Mexico came from the Deepwater Horizon rig. They further determined that tracking debris from damaged rigs can help forecast coastal impacts and guide response efforts in future spills. ... > full story

Hearty bacteria help make case for life in the extreme (January 20, 2012) -- The bottom of a glacier is not the most hospitable place on Earth, but at least two types of bacteria happily live there, according to researchers. ... > full story

Horse fly named in honor of Beyoncé (January 20, 2012) -- A previously unnamed species of horse fly whose appearance is dominated by its glamorous golden lower abdomen has been named in honor of American pop diva, Beyoncé -- a member of the former group Destiny's Child that recorded the 2001 hit single "Bootylicious." ... > full story

Cheap beads offer alternative solar-heating storage (January 20, 2012) -- A cheap material that can store heat energy collected from the sun during the day that can be released slowly over night has been developed by researchers in the India. The material, based on paraffin wax and stearic acid, could help keep homes warm in sunny parts of the world that get very cold at night without burning wood or fossil fuels. ... > full story

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