science news 11.1.2019

Today's round-up of science stories. Links are normally to press releases on EurekAlert (at the bottom end I may also add a couple of newspaper stories). I include quotes from the summary (using quotation marks) in cases where the title alone doesn't reveal what the story is about.

(Categories are still evolving. Don't really want to put stuff in boxes, but have to have some kind of structure here.)


creepy-crawlies

Termites mitigate effects of drought in Tropical Rainforest

Bizarre 'bristle-jaw' creatures finally placed on tree of life
this one is about chaetognaths, aka arrow worms



Chaetognaths, or arrow worms, have a distinct jaw structure composed of dense protein matrix and a fibrous substance called chitin. These organisms display an ambiguous set of developmental and morphological features, making them difficult to categorize on the Tree of Life.
source


environment

Social and environmental costs of hydropower are underestimated, study shows
see also my feature on megadam mania, now in the open archives.

How dangerous is microplastic?
"Natalia Ivleva, a researcher with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), has developed new analytical methods for the identification and quantification of microplastic. In this interview, she shares her latest findings." (there is a new publication, dated 2019, referenced too.)

Ocean warming is accelerating


marine biology

Far-ranging fin whales find year-round residence in Gulf of California

Fish farmers of the Caribbean
that could be a 21st century sequel to those movies ...


neuroscience

Neuroimaging shows social exclusion spurs extremism in those vulnerable to radicalisation


technology

Chirality in 'real-time'
"a method that uses ultrashort deep-ultraviolet pulses to accurately probe [chirality] changes in real-time in (bio)molecular systems."

Saving energy by taking a close look inside transistors

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reclaim your time, says Linda Geddes in the Guardian.