National Science Foundation

Gray whale die-offs driven by food supply swings in changing Arctic conditions A long-term Arctic biological data set maintained by University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) scientists has been instrumental in determining the cause of a series of die-offs of eastern Pacific gray whales. According to a U.S… Published November 30, 2023 at 06:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

Researchers develop promising approach to smaller, more powerful, safer electric vehicle batteries Two factors dominate the development of batteries for electric vehicles: power, which determines the vehicle range; and cost, critical in the competition with internal combustion engines. The targets set by the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate… Published November 28, 2023 at 07:10AM Read more at nsf.gov

The moon is 40M years older than previously thought By analyzing tiny lunar zircon crystals gathered by Apollo 17 astronauts in 1972, researchers recalculated the age of the Earth's moon. Although previous assessments estimated the moon as over 4.42 billion years old, the new study has discovered it… Published November 28, 2023 at 07:05AM Read more at nsf.gov

Fruit, nectar, bugs and blood: How bat teeth and jaws evolved for a diverse dinnertime They don't know it, but Charles Darwin's finches changed the world. These closely related species — native to the Galapagos Islands — each sport a uniquely shaped beak that matches their preferred diet. Studying these birds helped Darwin develop the… Published November 21, 2023 at 07:35AM Read more at nsf.gov

Robotic prosthetic ankles improve 'natural' movement, stability Robotic prosthetic ankles controlled by nerve impulses allow amputees to move more "naturally," thereby improving their stability, according to a new study by researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at… Published November 21, 2023 at 07:31AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF Director Panchanathan headlines the Canadian Science Policy Conference in Ottawa, signs international collaboration arrangement In mid-November, U.S. National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan traveled to Ottawa, Canada, where he signed a bilateral research arrangement during a ceremony hosted by the U.S. Ambassador to Canada. He also served as a featured… Published November 20, 2023 at 09:54AM Read more at nsf.gov

Novel bacterial proteins from seafloor shine light on climate and astrobiology Gigatons of greenhouse gas are trapped under the seafloor, and that's a good thing. Around the coasts of the continents, where slopes sink down into the sea, tiny cages of ice trap methane gas, preventing it from escaping and bubbling up into the… Published November 16, 2023 at 06:00AM Read more at nsf.gov