Archive for the ‘Science’ Category
Turkey litter could partially replace coal as fuel
Friday, February 9th, 2018That leftover Thanksgiving turkey on your plate? The waste it produced over the course of its life could be repurposed as vast amounts of energy-dense fuel, according to a new study published in Applied Energy. In fact, poultry litter could be a sustainable replacement for 10% of the coal that’s used for global electricity generation, the study’s [...]
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Dietary recommendations for a warming planet
Friday, February 9th, 2018Eating a balanced diet isn’t only a boon to our health; it’s also a surefire way to save the environment, according to recent research. By examining the national diet guidelines of several countries, a PNAS study has shown that if recommended dietary measures were widely adopted–in high-income nations especially–they could significantly reduce global environmental impacts.
In fact, [...]Leia mais
Don’t bypass Brazil’s environmental protections
Sunday, November 27th, 2016Brazil has had its ups and downs when it comes to protecting the environment, but on paper, at least, many of the country’s policies are admirably green. The right to an “ecologically balanced environment” is even enshrined in the Brazilian constitution. Now, however, a loose-knit coalition of agricultural and industrial interests is working to undermine [...]
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Interdisciplinary proposals struggle to get funded
Tuesday, July 5th, 2016Scientists have long suspected that proposals that bridge diverse disciplines of science have lower odds of being funded. A study of Australian funding decisions now suggests that this is true.
The findings seem to confirm the anecdotal evidence, says Rick Rylance, a chair of Research Councils UK, a major funding agency in the United Kingdom. “I [...]Leia mais
At risk: The next generation of scientists
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015Many young scientists, facing the decline in research funding, have been leaving the academic workforce, placing the future of science at risk, according to a recent article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by Ronald J. Daniels, President of Johns Hopkins University. Not only has there been a decline in inflation-adjusted federal spending [...]
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Should you Tweet about your research?
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015If the answer to the above question is no, perhaps you should consider using social media as a mechanism to call greater attention to your work. In a recent article in Ideas in Ecology and Evolution, Emily Darling, David Shiffman, Isabelle Cote and Joshua Drew discuss “The role of Twitter in the life cycle of a scientific publication.”
In [...]Leia mais
Costs and consequences of research misconduct
Friday, November 7th, 2014Does it seem like the number of scientific articles that have been retracted has increased in recent years? Most retractions involve research misconduct, which is defined by the Office of Science and Technology Policy as “fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.”
In August 2014, Ferric Fang and colleagues [...]Leia mais
Fund Scientists…not Projects: A Potential New Model for Funding Science
Friday, April 11th, 2014If you are (or have been) responsible for your own research program, you have probably dreamt of spending less time trying to get funding and more time doing research.
Since the end of World War II, most federal funding agencies have relied on a traditional peer review system in which highly qualified scientists identify the most [...]Leia mais
Sewage Potential Limitless
Tuesday, March 25th, 2014Most people would rather not think twice about their waste, but Kartik Chandran spends hours a day considering the limitless potential of sewage. Chandran, an associate professor of earth and environmental engineering, studies how to improve wastewater treatment and extract energy from sewage.
His latest work involves converting the dangerous greenhouse gas methane, a byproduct of [...]Leia mais
Brazil Can Use Land More Efficiently to Simultaneously Grow Agricultural Production and Protect Natural Resources
Saturday, December 14th, 2013Brazil has vast natural resources that carry immense potential for the country’s economic and environmental goals. Yet efficient land use, which can help the nation achieve both goals concurrently, still stands as a great challenge.
A new Climate Policy Initiative study, “Production and Protection: A First Look at Key Challenges in Brazil,” finds the nation has [...]Leia mais