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Central Asian horse riders played ball games 3,000 years ago
Researchers have investigated ancient leather balls discovered in the graves of horse riders in northwest China. According to the international research team, they are around 3,000 years old, making them the oldest balls in Eurasia. The find suggests amongst others that the mounted warriors of Central Asia played ball games to keep themselves fit. Today,…
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‘Right’ cover-crop mix good for both Chesapeake and bottom lines
Planting and growing a strategic mix of cover crops not only reduces the loss of nitrogen from farm fields, protecting water quality in the Chesapeake Bay, but the practice also contributes nitrogen to subsequent cash crops, improving yields, according to researchers. The economic benefits of taking cover-cropping to the next level are important because the…
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New method to remove dust on solar panels
Particle removal increased from 41% on hydrophilic smooth Si wafers to 98% on superhydrophobic Si-based nanotextured surfaces. The researchers confirmed these results by measuring the adhesion of a micron-sized particle to the flat and nanotextured substrate using an atomic force microscope. They found that the adhesion in water is reduced by a factor of 30.…
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Extraordinary Roman mosaic and villa discovered beneath farmer’s field in Rutland, UK
Archaeologists have unearthed the first Roman mosaic of its kind in the UK. The initial discovery of the mosaic was made during the 2020 lockdown by Jim Irvine, son of landowner Brian Naylor, who contacted the archaeological team at Leicestershire County Council, heritage advisors to the local authority. Given the exceptional nature of this discovery,…
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Physicists show how frequencies can easily be multiplied without special circuitry
A new discovery by physicists could make certain components in computers and smartphones obsolete. The team has succeeded in directly converting frequencies to higher ranges in a common magnetic material without the need for additional components. Frequency multiplication is a fundamental process in modern electronics. Digital technologies and devices are already responsible for about ten…
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The search for mountain snow microalgae
The life of the microscopic algae that inhabit snow at high elevations is still relatively unknown. Researchers have therefore created the ALPALGA consortium to study this little-known world, threatened by global warming. In a white ocean, well above sea level, the algae thrive. Normally invisible to the naked eye, they are often spotted by hikers…
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Protecting the ozone layer is delivering vast health benefits
An international agreement to protect the ozone layer is expected to prevent 443 million cases of skin cancer and 63 million cataract cases for people born in the United States through the end of this century, according to new research. The research team developed a computer modeling approach that revealed the effect of the Montreal…
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Common floral bacteria can induce pollen germination
Certain species of floral bacteria can enhance pollen germination, finds the first study documenting induction and stimulation of pollen germination by non-plants. «This is the first paper documenting stimulation of pollen germination by non-plants,» said first author Shawn Christensen, a doctoral candidate in associate professor Rachel Vannette’s laboratory in the Department of Entomology and Nematology.…
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Gut bacteria and flavonoid-rich foods are linked and improve blood pressure levels
Flavonoids found in plants and plant foods such as berries, apples, tea, wine and dark chocolate are known to offer health benefits, including some protective effects on the cardiovascular system. A study of over 900 adults in Germany evaluated the quantity and frequency of eating flavonoid-rich foods and measured bacteria in the gut microbiome to…
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Why four-legged animals are better sprinters
Scientists have studied the characteristics determining the maximum running speed in animals. The model they developed explains why humans cannot keep up with the fastest sprinters in the animal kingdom. Based on these calculations, the giant spider Shelob from ‘The Lord of the Rings’ would have reached a maximum speed of 60 km/h. The Tokyo…