science news 28.1.2020

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 in italics in cases where the title alone doesn't reveal what the story is about. My own thoughts appear without italics if I have any.



astrobiology

Tiny, ancient meteorites suggest early Earth's atmosphere was rich in carbon dioxide



These tiny meteorites, about half a millimeter across, fell into the ocean and were collected from the deep sea. Like the samples used in the new study, these more recent micrometeorites are made of iron.
Credit: Donald Brownlee/University of Washington


evolution

Finely tuned nervous systems allowed birds and mammals to adopt smoother strides
A study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, authored by a New York Institute of Technology anatomy professor, suggests that neuromuscular adaptations in mammals and birds may have allowed them to become more nimble than reptiles and amphibians.


ecology and behaviour

Prairie plants need fiery romance
In a new study, researchers found that prescribed, expert-controlled fires are critically important to successful reproduction in prairie plants. Fires cause prairie plants to flower at the same time, which increases mating opportunities and seed production.

19th-century bee cells in a Panamanian cathedral shed light on human impact on ecosystems

Wasps learn to recognize faces


nanoworld

Nanoparticle chomps away plaques that cause heart attacks


food and drink

Wine regions could shrink dramatically with climate change unless growers swap varieties


sustainability

Buildings can become a global CO2 sink if made out of wood instead of cement and steel


humans

Driven by Earth's orbit, climate changes in Africa may have aided human migration

New study debunks myth of Cahokia's Native American lost civilization


dystopian futures

The great e-scooter hack
New research out of UTSA finds e-scooters have risks beyond the perils of potential collisions. Computer science experts at UTSA have published the first review of the security and privacy risks posed by e-scooters and their related software services and applications.

APS tip sheet: Network dynamics of online polarization
Interaction dynamics reveals the mechanisms behind online polarization and social media echo chambers.

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From the news media:

An alternative theory of gravity could fix the dark energy problem, suggests this report in the Guardian. I shared this on twitter and got lots of replies I didn't understand, but I gather it's very much a hypothesis.