Good News Notes: “It’s not quite the mythical fountain of youth but it is, perhaps, a start: Scientists have managed to engineer human skin cells to reverse 30 years of aging, resetting them to a much more youthful state in terms of certain molecular measurements. While it’s very early days for the research – so…
Tag: scientists
Microscopic ocean predator with a taste for carbon capture
Good News Notes: “Scientists at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have discovered a new species that has the potential to sequester carbon naturally, even as oceans warm and become more acidic. The microbe, abundant around the world, photosynthesises and releases a carbon-rich exopolymer that attracts and immobilizes other microbes. It then eats some of…
Coral resiliency offers encouraging signs despite warming oceans
Good News Notes: “Corals, forecast for doom in many future climate scenarios, could be more resilient to rising temperatures and ocean acidification than scientists once thought. New research, in which scientists spent 22 months studying several types of corals in Hawaii, suggests that several species, absent other stressors, could survive even if the world warms…
‘Most Wanted’ list leads to rediscovered species. Conservation group sets its sights on finding 8 more.
Good News Notes: “From Cuba to New Zealand, teams of scientists around the world are looking for rare species of animals, plants and fungi. How rare? They haven’t been seen by humans for at least 10 years — and in some cases, almost 200 years. This global effort is part of the Search for Lost Species,…
New snail species are the world’s smallest, tinier than grains of sand
Good News Notes: “Scientists have discovered two new snail species the size of a grain of sand—the tiniest known land snails on Earth. “It’s amazing how small they are—we wouldn’t have expected that,” says Adrienne Jochum, a researcher with Natural History Museum Bern in Switzerland. The new record-holder’s diminutive nature is reflected in its scientific name, Angustopila…
Polish researchers invent anti-smog sound cannon
Good News Notes: “In a battle against Poland’s constant smog, scientists are testing out a new “cannon” that uses soundwaves to push toxic particles higher into the atmosphere to allow residents to breathe. Installed on top of a metal container, the experimental device consists of a large upside-down cone that makes a loud sound every…
Rare, pristine coral reef found off Tahiti coast
Good News Notes: “Deep in the South Pacific, scientists have explored a rare stretch of pristine corals shaped like roses off the coast of Tahiti. The reef is thought to be one of the largest found at such depths and seems untouched by climate change or human activities. Laetitia Hédouin said she first saw the…
Conservationists using potato chip waste to create reefs and improve water quality off Sanibel Island
Good News Notes: “Sanibel’s shoreline is getting protected with help from overseas. Thanks to help from the Dutch government, scientists and volunteers on Sanibel Island installed structures to help oysters and mangroves thrive and slow down erosion. SCCF Marine Lab Director, Eric Milbrandt, said, “what we’re trying to do is plant mangroves and also establish…
Mammoth Tusk Found on Ocean Floor Offers Clues About Ancient Creatures
Good News Notes: “To the untrained eye, it may have looked like a giant wood log. In reality, scientists had spotted something unusual off the California coast two years ago: a 3-foot-long mammoth tusk. A research team at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute discovered the tusk in 2019 while exploring an underwater mountain roughly…
Glitter is an environmental disaster. So scientists invented an eco-friendly version
Good News Notes: “We have a love-hate relationship with glitter. It’s undeniably sparkly, cute and festive. But dip your hand into a jar of the iridescent plastic particles, and you’ll spend the next year finding specks of it in surprising places. Those places could range from your hair and clothes all the way to oceans…