Forced River Diversions in Russia: Opinions and Facts
The Russian Academy of Sciences will explore the feasibility of constructing a water pipeline from the Ob River to Uzbekistan—a similar project to the Soviet-era “diversion” of Siberian rivers to Central Asia, but using plastic pipes. It has also been announced when the RAS will consider the project to divert Siberian rivers to Donbas.
Coastal cities are predicted to be at risk of flooding by the end of the century
An oceanographer has warned of a possible rise in global sea levels of up to 1.3 meters by 2100. According to another new study, published in the journal Urban Sustainability, unless fossil fuel emissions are rapidly reduced, rising sea levels could put more than 100 million buildings at risk of regular flooding.
New developments in synthetic cells and artificial intelligence
Cells are the fundamental units of life, comprising the diversity of all living things on Earth, both individual cells and multicellular organisms. To better understand how cells perform life’s most important functions, scientists have begun developing synthetic cells—non-living fragments of cellular biochemistry enclosed in a membrane that mimics specific biological processes.
New research into astronaut nutrition
Nutrition has been crucial in every era of exploration on Earth, from the days when scurvy plagued sailors to the last century, when polar explorers died from malnutrition or, in some cases, nutrient toxicity. New research sheds light on the risks of inadequate nutrition and food supply, leading to poor health and performance of astronauts during missions, as well as to poor health in the long term (nutrition and food-related risks).
The past year has delighted scientists with new species of aquatic life
Three new species of pond snails, new species of deep-sea snails, a new giant sea bug called “Darth Vader,” a “big-butt star,” a “small sweet potato,” and dozens of previously unseen species have been discovered.
A Brief Excursion into the History of Ufology and the Secrets of the Pentagon
“Close Encounters of the First Kind” referred to UFOs seen at close enough range to discern some details. In “Close Encounters of the Second Kind,” the UFO exerted physical influence, such as burning trees, frightening animals, or causing car engines to stall. In “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” witnesses reported seeing people inside or near the UFO.
A couple of ideas for using artificial intelligence in disease diagnosis and treatment
Scientists will be able to understand the nature of most diseases within three to five years using artificial intelligence and find the key to their treatment, according to Stéphane Bancel, CEO of the American biotech company Moderna.
Studies of the cardiovascular and muscular systems under altered gravity conditions
Even intense physical activity by astronauts cannot compensate for the muscle atrophy caused by microgravity. This atrophy occurs, in part, due to the mechanism regulating calcium absorption. Recent studies have shown that spaceflight alters calcium absorption by muscles. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes are poorly understood.
Ethical issues of artificial intelligence
According to a new analysis of thousands of expert opinions, the emergence of artificial general intelligence (AGI)—an AI system with superhuman intelligence capable of successfully solving a variety of problems—is a matter of when, not if. The development of AGI has been spurred by the rapid advancement of large-scale language models (LLMs) based on Transformers. This technology underlies chatbots like ChatGPT and image generators like Dall-E. Before these advances, some scientists in 2019 predicted that AGI would emerge by 2060, and perhaps never.
Microbes as part of biodiversity in space flights
Astronauts arriving and returning from space stations carry trillions of microscopic organisms with them. For example, new species of space-adapted bacteria have been discovered on China’s Tiangong space station. Recently, 26 previously unknown species of bacteria were discovered in NASA’s cleanrooms—some of the most sterile environments ever created by humanity. Another study shows that, under stress, strains isolated from the ISS mutated and became genetically and functionally distinct from their terrestrial counterparts.
New and newly discovered species of the most amazing insects
A giant centipede disappeared 126 years ago, but researchers found it in the wild. New butterfly species have been discovered in the Kuril Nature Reserve. A new, terrifying giant insect may be the heaviest ever recorded in Australia.
Artificial General Intelligence and Hybrid Intelligence
The development of artificial intelligence is accelerating: some scientists predict that within the next few years, machines will become smarter than even the smartest humans. Artificial general intelligence (AGI) is a field of artificial intelligence (AI) research in which scientists strive to create a computer system that is generally smarter than humans. These hypothetical systems could possess a degree of self-awareness and self-control, including the ability to edit their own code, and be able to learn to solve problems like humans, without specialized training.
A new computer algorithm converts human thoughts into text
An enhancement to an existing AI-powered brain decoder can translate human thoughts into text without hours of training. Scientists have made new improvements to a “brain decoder” that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to convert thoughts into text. The AI model can scan a person’s brain using non-invasive equipment and convert thoughts into written sentences—without the need for implants.
Research mission discovers five new hydrothermal vents in highly volcanic region of eastern Pacific Ocean
Researchers have learned that the site responsible for more than 75 percent of the world’s volcanic activity is more active than previously thought as they recently discovered five new hydrothermal vents, each spewing fluids hotter than 570°F.
Different types of plankton have significantly changed the ocean’s color over the past two decades
The color of the Earth’s oceans has changed significantly over the past two decades, and these changes are the result of human-induced climate change. They cannot be explained by natural variability alone, and they affect more than 56 percent of our planet’s oceans, which is more than the total land area on our planet. At the same time, there has been an increase in the number of plankton species Noctiluca scintillans, which is destroying marine ecosystems by depleting oxygen and changing the shape of the food chain.
Antarctic and Atlantic currents weaken, La Niña delayed, scientists discover new ocean currents
Antarctic currents, which supply 40% of the world’s deep oceans with nutrients and oxygen, are slowing dramatically. These deep ocean tides supply nearly half the world’s oceans with vital nutrients and oxygen, but melting ice shelves are slowing them. Currents in the Atlantic Ocean are also weakening — which could make the climate in some regions unrecognizable. And a newly discovered body of water called Atlantic Equatorial Water stretches from Brazil to West Africa.
Acid zone could make up half of the world’s oceans by the end of the century
At 13,000 feet below the ocean’s surface is an acidic zone, and it’s growing. The carbonate compensation depth—the zone where high pressure and low temperatures create conditions so acidic that they dissolve shells and skeletons—could comprise half the world’s oceans by the end of the century. At the same time, declining oxygen levels in the water pose a critical threat to nature and society on Earth.
Oceanographers have explored the area around the Nazca Ridge in the Pacific Ocean and discovered a huge underwater mountain
Oceanographers led by the Schmidt Ocean Institute exploring the depths of the Pacific Ocean discovered a huge seamount in September 2024. The 3,109-meter-high seamount is a major find. It is one of many discoveries made during a 28-day survey in late summer by oceanographers on the research vessel Falkor. But satellites are no less important in exploring the ocean depths — satellites are mapping the Earth’s ocean floor in unprecedented detail.
Sea levels rose faster than expected in 2024
A NASA analysis showed a surprising rise in sea levels in 2024. Last year’s rise was driven by unusually strong ocean warming combined with the melting of land ice such as glaciers. As a result, Hawaii, for example, is sinking 40 times faster than scientists had previously thought, with some parts of the island chain sinking at a rate of 0.6 millimeters per year, but others are in much worse shape.
The Creepy and Not-So-Creepy Latest Advances in Robotics
Protoclone, an eerily lifelike humanoid robot designed for home use; a new artificial intelligence (AI)-based learning system that trains humanoid robots to rise incredibly quickly from a resting position; and a new type of robotic insect that can fly 100 times longer than previous generations are among the latest developments.
How to escape from heat and other climate changes? Think about it right now
We offer for your consideration modern and ancient architectural solutions: smart windows, green spaces and special buildings.
Deadly Heat: Global Organizations Sound Alarm
Over 20 years, heat-related mortality has increased by 30%. In July 2024, more than 120 people died from heatstroke in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Climatologists and doctors have found that heat waves in Europe in 2023 caused the death of over 47.6 thousand residents of all 35 European countries between June and October 2023. The number of heat-related deaths in Europe could triple by the end of the century.
The Moon’s gravity caused periods of rapid development of life on Earth
Researchers have found that Earth’s days once became longer by more than two hours because the moon shifted thousands of miles in its orbit over two periods. The extra hours of sunlight, in turn, may have led to oxygenation, which marked a period of rapid development of life on Earth, the researchers say.
Climate change is changing the policies of states
Switzerland and Italy have redrawn their Alpine border as glaciers melt, with changes affecting the area around the Matterhorn, one of Europe’s highest peaks, which borders the Swiss region of Zermatt. At the same time, richer countries are starting to pay poorer ones for the damage caused by climate change.
Scientists have recorded a slowdown and change in ocean currents
Antarctic currents, which supply 40% of the world’s deep oceans with nutrients and oxygen, are slowing dramatically. Other models show the Gulf Stream is weakening and the AMOC could be close to collapse, with serious implications for climate. The Italian findings suggest that current modeling used to track the flow of sediment and pollutants in the deep sea and reconstruct ancient ocean conditions needs to be updated.
The world is seeing a sharp drop in fresh water levels and rising sea levels
The Earth’s sea levels are rising, damaging the livelihoods and infrastructure of coastal communities around the world. Agencies and organizations are working to prepare people for the changing world around them. An international team of scientists, using observations from NASA-German satellites, has found evidence that the total amount of fresh water on Earth has dropped sharply since May 2014 and has remained low since then.
Thousands of birds killed by fuel oil spill in Kerch Strait
The number of dead and injured birds is estimated at first thousands. Heroic volunteers, veterinarians, and volunteer assistants washed more than 2,000 birds from fuel oil. Environmentalists are not ready to confirm the facts of dolphin deaths from fuel oil pollution, although isolated cases have been discovered in recent days. But the birds rescued after the oil spill died after they were released into the wild. Volunteers believe that the birds should not have been released, since their fat layer was washed away and their thermoregulation was disrupted, so they needed to undergo rehabilitation.
Melting permafrost triggers release of hazardous gases from deep underground sources
A new physics model suggests that meltwater from thawing permafrost on Russia’s Yamal Peninsula could release methane gas sources at depth, causing explosions that create huge craters on the surface. Meanwhile, thawing permafrost in the Arctic could release cancer-causing radioactive radon. And off the coast of Alaska, the U.S. Coast Guard says an underwater volcano-like structure is spewing gas.
NASA Analysis Shows Irreversible Sea Level Rise in Pacific Islands
NASA analysis shows irreversible sea level rise in Pacific islands as climate change rapidly changes a region of the world home to millions of people. Over the next 30 years, Pacific island nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati and Fiji will see sea levels rise by at least 6 inches (15 centimeters), according to an analysis by NASA’s Sea Level Change Science Group. That level of rise would occur regardless of whether greenhouse gas emissions change in the coming years.
Redistribution of the Earth’s water balance – desertification of southern Russia and Europe and filling of lakes in deserts
The director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research warned that precipitation, the source of all fresh water, can no longer be relied upon: the global water cycle has been disrupted for the first time in human history. Russian scientists have warned that deserts are gradually taking over southern Russia. Jim Skea, chairman of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said that deserts could appear in southern Europe; climate change has intensified droughts in Europe. Their formation will be caused by global warming. Satellites have taken photographs showing how the sands of the Sahara Desert are filling with water.
Climate change is having a detrimental effect on marine life
Climate change is affecting salmon migration. Coral die-offs off Australia in the summer of 2024 are linked to rising Pacific temperatures. The world’s largest and most devastating sponge die-off has been recorded off New Zealand. Global warming will reduce the survival rate of shark embryos during spawning by up to eight times. The University of California Institute of Marine Science, along with a large team from other institutions, has created early warning systems that predict where marine heat waves (MHWS) will occur.
30 previously unknown species of invertebrates and insects discovered on thawed glaciers of the Central Caucasus
Scientists have discovered 30 previously unknown species of invertebrates and insects in areas of the Central Caucasus glaciers that have thawed due to global warming. According to the press service of the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a total of 438 species of invertebrates live in the areas studied.
Deer and antelope have recently significantly expanded their habitat
Reindeer are expanding their range northwards. This could harm some species, such as the northern caribou. In recent decades, Taimyr reindeer and geese have significantly changed the timing and nature of their movements. Researchers have also recorded the largest wildlife migration in the world in eastern South Sudan.
Birds are changing their behavior and activities due to climate change
Climate change is preventing birds from reproducing. Scientists have already found out that changes in natural and climatic conditions have a negative impact on the population of seabirds. Accelerating trends in climate change on the planet are confirmed by new patterns in the behavior of animals and birds of Western Taimyr. New studies show that increasing tropical storms threaten seabirds. Southern birds and spiders get to the Arctic through “corridors” that have appeared due to the melting of permafrost.
The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton for the invention of machine learning using artificial neural networks
The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John Hopfield of Princeton University and Geoffrey Hinton of the University of Toronto “for their fundamental discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning using artificial neural networks.” Geoffrey Hinton, the 2024 Nobel laureate in Physics, expressed concerns about his own discoveries and inventions that made machine learning possible using artificial neural networks.
The Erigone family of asteroids are water-rich space rocks that offer a window into the solar system’s past
A family of primitive asteroids is giving astronomers a window into the past as they seek to unravel the history of these small space rocks that are believed to have once brought water to Earth.
Asteroids still pose a danger to our planet. Earth scientists are actively working on this problem
NASA’s new NEO Surveyor spacecraft will search for the hardest-to-find asteroids and comets that could pose a threat to our planet, making it the agency’s first space telescope designed specifically for planetary defense. The impact craters that scar the Earth’s surface are evidence of the enormous impact asteroids have had on the history and development of our planet.
Radioactive tritium from Fukushima found near the Southern Kuril Islands
Laboratory analyses of the first water samples obtained during the expedition of the research vessel Akademik Oparin showed elevated tritium levels in the main branch of the Kuroshio Current, which was to be expected based on the current pattern in the region, as well as elevated tritium levels in the area of the South Kuril Islands. Therefore, the goal of the new expedition is a more thorough study of the waters of the Kuril Islands and the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk, which is the most important fishing zone in Russia, the press service of the V. I. Ilychev Pacific Oceanological Institute (TOI) of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences told TASS.
Increased number of extreme forest fires due to climate change has become a global problem
Energetically extreme fires have a huge impact on the Earth system, releasing huge plumes of smoke into the atmosphere comparable to volcanic eruptions. They release vast stores of carbon and cause severe damage to ecosystems and societies, sometimes destroying entire cities or suburbs. A new study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution has tracked the rapid increase in energetically extreme wildfires across the planet over the past two decades.
Jet fuel and fires are new global air pollutants
Wildfires in Canada have emitted more CO2 than almost all of the world’s countries combined in a year. They have released 647 million tons of carbon atoms into the atmosphere, equivalent to 2.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide. Ultrafine particles from jet fuel pose a health risk.
Invasive house mice eat wandering albatrosses alive in southern South Africa
Marion Island’s wandering albatrosses can’t protect themselves from an invasive mouse population that’s eating the birds alive, but conservationists say a rodenticide ‘bomb’ could save them. Invasive mice are eating albatrosses alive on a remote Indian Ocean island, so conservationists have come up with an explosive solution: ‘mouse bombing’.
Earthquakes continue to rage along the Pacific coast
A strong earthquake occurred off the coast of Sakhalin on August 10, a powerful earthquake occurred off the coast of Japan on August 8, and an earthquake occurred off the coast of the Southern Kuril Islands on July 30. A strong earthquake occurred in Taiwan on April 3, which was the most powerful on the island in the last 25 years.
The Arctic and Antarctica continue to melt rapidly, revealing ancient things hidden beneath the ice
The Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth. Ice and snow are melting, and Arctic sea ice is thinning and retreating. This means that algae living on the bottom of the sea ice are getting more sunlight, leading to an annual summer bloom once there is enough light. Erebus, located on Antarctica’s Ross Island (separated from the mainland by McMurdo Sound), is the southernmost active volcano on Earth; the second-tallest on the sixth continent, at 3,794 metres.
The mortality rate in megacities from heat waves is 46% higher than in villages. By 2050, this figure will increase
A person who is 40 today will be about 70 years old in 2050. The world is undergoing unprecedented and inexorable change: scientists predict that by 2050, more than 20% of the world’s population will be over 60. This demographic shift coincides with another major change: the warming of the Earth due to human-caused climate change.
Global warming or Ice Age? Dangerous games of carbon dioxide
According to research by experts from the University of Colorado Boulder, more and more fresh water has been entering the Arctic Ocean over the past two decades. If this trend continues, the freshening of the North Atlantic could disrupt ocean currents, the authors of the study fear. During the last ice age, the Earth experienced the highest increase in CO2: 14 parts per million in just 55 years. Deep beneath the ice of Antarctica, a giant river system has been discovered that existed 40 million years ago.
Extreme heat waves cause deadly heat stress and fires around the world
Unbearable temperatures exceeding 40° and 50° are increasingly observed in many parts of the world, paralyzing society and creating a serious threat to the health and well-being of people. One of the main consequences of global warming is extreme weather events, which include, in particular, periods of abnormally high temperatures in winter, heat waves in summer. They can cause severe heat stress for the human body, against which background already existing diseases are most often exacerbated.
Tropical rains have moved north and deadly thunderstorms have become more frequent
Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, have found that carbon dioxide emissions will cause tropical rains to shift north in the coming decades. This will have a profound impact on agriculture and the economy of the Earth’s equatorial belt. Eastern China has seen heavy rains that have caused significant water levels in the Yangtze and other rivers, forcing the evacuation of nearly a quarter of a million people. In 2022, lightning strikes across India killed nearly 3,000 people. In Central America, continuous rainfall has killed at least 27 people in landslides and floods over the past week.
Magnetic field and sea
German zoologists have found that bottlenose dolphins are as good as sharks and other fish in their ability to sense very weak electric fields, which allows these cetaceans to use the Earth’s magnetic field for orientation in space. Underwater compasses have recorded disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field deep under water.
Scientists have linked the development of life with a magnetic field and concluded about magnetic fields on other planets
The weakening of the Earth’s magnetic field has led to a dramatic acceleration in the evolution of multicellular life. Fossil evidence has been found in Brazil and South Africa that the strength of the Earth’s magnetic field was about 30 times weaker than today’s values at the end of the Ediacaran period, about 590 to 560 million years ago. One of the defining features of the Earth is its magnetic field. It forms a protective shield against high-energy particles ejected by the Sun, and thus may have provided a safer place for life to grow into the complex array of organisms we see today.
Scientists have found that life on our planet could not have appeared without the Earth’s magnetic field
The movement of the iron core generates electricity, which results in a magnetic orientation of the entire planet. Scientists can trace the magnetic history of our planet through cooled lava. Because the planet’s magnetism deflects solar radiation, it allows life to exist on Earth. In fact, throughout the history of our planet, the poles have even changed their position several times, and the magnetic field strength has increased and decreased. The rocks indicate that Earth had a strong magnetic field 3.7 billion years ago, but scientists are not sure where the field might have come from. Magnetized boulders have also been discovered on the Moon.