Ghana Scientist Tries Gene Editing To Create Healthier Sweet Potatoes

The Cornell Alliance for Science seeks to build “a significant international alliance of partners” to “correct misinformation and counter conspiracy theories” slowing progress on climate change, synthetic biology, agricultural innovations, and other issues. Slashdot reader wooloohoo shares their article about research on Ghana’s first gene-edited crop — a high-yielding sweet potato with increased beta carotone content. “For sweet potatoes, we want…

Don’t Miss: Manchester Science Festival majors on our changing climate

New Scientist’s weekly round-up of the best books, films, TV series, games and more that you shouldn’t miss Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24933202-200-dont-miss-manchester-science-festival-majors-on-our-changing-climate/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Sally Ride: 1st American woman in space

Ride was the 1st American woman to go to space, flying on the STS-7 space shuttle Challenger mission in 1983, and later on another mission in 1984. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/sally-ride-1st-american-woman-in-space-june-18-1983…

Bees stab plants to make them flower

When pollen is scarce, bumblebees pierce the leaves of plants in order to force them to produce flowers more quickly, according to new research. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/bumblebees-stab-plants-to-make-them-flower…

New Neanderthal bones found at famous Shanidar Cave

The newly found bones were close to the site of the famous ‘flower burial’ in Shanidar Cave, which overturned notions of Neanderthals as brutish subhumans and suggested they buried their dead. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/new_neanderthal_bones_shanidar_cave…

Ancient humans in the Sahara ate fish before the lakes dried up

As a changing climate dried out the Sahara desert, ancient humans transitioned from eating lots of tilapia and catfish to more mammal-heavy meals Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2234637-ancient-humans-in-the-sahara-ate-fish-before-the-lakes-dried-up/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Meet the narwhal, ‘unicorn of the sea’

This Arctic whale has the only spiral tooth found in nature. But there’s more to the narwhal than its unique tusk. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/narwhal-unicorn-of-sea-arctic-whale…

Newfound Martian aurora actually the most common; sheds light on Mars’ changing climate

A type of Martian aurora first identified by NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft in 2016 is actually the most common form of aurora occurring on the Red Planet, according to new results from the mission. The aurora is known as a proton aurora and can help scientists track water loss from Mars’ atmosphere. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-12-newfound-martian-aurora-common-mars.html…

Algal blooms are getting worse in lakes worldwide

In a global study that analyzed almost 30 years of satellite images of freshwater lakes, most of the lakes showed signs of worsening algal blooms. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/satellite-algal-blooms-lakes…

What Earth’s changing climate can teach us about altering the surface of Mars

In a rare instance of environmental success, the United Nations has just announced it believes the damage to the Earth’s protective ozone layer will be fully restored by the year 2050. This stands in stark contrast to the increasing alarm over the climate emergency, caused by an increasing greenhouse effect. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-09-earth-climate-surface-mars.html…