Wednesday, March 27, 2019

science news 27.3.2019

Today's selection of science news. 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. My own thoughts appear without quotation marks, if I have any.


astrobiology

In hunt for life, astronomers identify most promising stars


climate

Tracing the process of nitrous oxide formation in the ocean

Half a degree more warming may cause dramatic differences on drought-flood compound risks
NB that's the half degree between 1.5 and 2.0 C warming.


ecology

New tool maps a key food source for grizzly bears: huckleberries

Widespread losses of pollinating insects in Britain

'Scuba-diving' lizard can stay underwater for 16 minutes

Study finds people who feed birds impact conservation
Researchers analyzed how people who feed birds notice and respond to natural events at their feeders by collaborating with Project FeederWatch, a program managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that engages more than 25,000 people to observe and collect data on their backyard birds.



A dark-eyed junco, an American goldfinch, and a house finch feed on sunflower seeds on a snowy day. Bird watchers report that cold weather influences how much they feed birds, more so than time or money. Photo by Cynthia Raught.
Credit: Virginia Tech


humans

Face off -- Cyclists not human enough for drivers: study
"A new Australian study has found that more than half of car drivers think cyclists are not completely human, with a link between the dehumanisation of bike riders and acts of deliberate aggression towards them on the road."
I find this a bit surprising as the human on the bike is in full view - and very worrying ...



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