University of Padua (UNIPD)

Paul Ehrlich and others use highly conservative estimates to prove that species are disappearing faster than at any time since the dinosaurs’ demise There is no longer any doubt: We are entering a mass extinction that threatens humanity’s existence. That is the bad news at the center of a new study by a group of scientists

New stamping technique creates functional features at nanoscale dimensions. The next time you place your coffee order, imagine slapping onto your to-go cup a sticker that acts as an electronic decal, letting you know the precise temperature of your triple-venti no-foam latte. Someday, the high-tech stamping that produces such a sticker might also bring us

As the latest rover arrives on Mars to assess its hospitality, astronomers are learning more about possibly habitable worlds beyond the solar system. IF MARTIANS exist, then any in the vicinity of Gale Crater on the Martian equator are in for a treat. On August 6th, assuming its complex landing system works, a plutonium-powered rover

For military missions in particular, these MAVs must be able to fly successfully through complex urban environments To improve the next generation of insect-size flying machines, Johns Hopkins engineers have been aiming high-speed video cameras at some of the prettiest bugs on the planet. By figuring out how butterflies flutter among flowers with amazing grace

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common incurable neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. It is characterised by the accumulation of protein deposits in dopaminergic neurons (in charge of producing dopamine) in the form of amyloid fibres. These aggregates are formed mainly by the alpha-synuclein protein and in a very complex manner, which makes it complicated

Growing “Dead Zone” Could Short-Circuit Food Chain A growing “dead zone” in the middle of the Arabian Sea has allowed plankton uniquely suited to low- oxygen water to take over the base of the food chain. Their rise to dominance over the last decade could be disastrous for the predator fish that sustain 120 million

DEAR reader, what kept you? Perhaps you were visiting film-streaming service Netflix, discussion forum Reddit, blogging site WordPress or any of dozens of other popular websites where users are halted at an endlessly spinning “loading” icon. If your first thought was to send an angry missive about your internet provision, the stunt has worked. September

A two-stage power management and storage system could dramatically improve the efficiency of triboelectric generators that harvest energy from irregular human motion such as walking, running or finger tapping. The system uses a small capacitor to capture alternating current generated by the biomechanical activity. When the first capacitor fills, a power management circuit then feeds