The right temperature plays a key role in a microbial community’s ability to form biofilms. In this particular image, sheets of algae are enmeshed in a mass of amorphous biofilm. (CDC/ Janice Haney Carr)
The right temperature plays a key role in a microbial community’s ability to form biofilms. In this particular image, sheets of algae are enmeshed in a mass of amorphous biofilm. (CDC/ Janice Haney Carr) A new study with implications for environmental and medical research found that the ability of bacterial communities to work together to form biofilms, the thin layers of microbes found throughout nature and in the human body, is highly dependent on temperature.

Artist impression of a relativistic jet of a gamma-ray burst, breaking out of a collapsing star and emitting very-high-energy photons. (DESY, Science Communication Lab)
Artist impression of a relativistic jet of a gamma-ray burst, breaking out of a collapsing star and emitting very-high-energy photons. (DESY, Science Communication Lab) In 2019, astronomers detected one of the most energetically extreme cosmological events ever observed: a faraway exploding star that produced jets of radiation in a gamma-ray burst. A new analysis of the event has raised questions about prevailing theories on gamma-ray bursts and other violent occurrences in the universe.

MIT researchers have created the first fabric fiber to have digital capabilities ready to collect, store and analyze data using a neural network. (Anna Gittelson/Photo by Roni Cnaani)
MIT researchers have created the first fabric fiber to have digital capabilities ready to collect, store and analyze data using a neural network. (Anna Gittelson/Photo by Roni Cnaani) Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have designed the world's first fiber with digital capabilities that can be incorporated into fabric. Capable of storing music, videos or other files in clothing, the thread can also collect physiological data from the wearer in order to analyze and predict their activity, potentially revolutionizing the personal health technology industry.

Close- up image of a rare-earth doped crystal used as a quantum memory. (©ICFO)
Close- up image of a rare-earth doped crystal used as a quantum memory. (©ICFO) The coming world of quantum technology will require an internet to transfer data within the quantum domain, and society is well on its way to achieving such a network because researchers have successfully entangled quantum memories at a record distance and for the longest duration to date.

A new bioreactor system can use algae to remove chemicals from water that has been contaminated with runoff from fertilizer. (Unsplash/Jordan Whitfield)
A new bioreactor system can use algae to remove chemicals from water that has been contaminated with runoff from fertilizer. (Unsplash/Jordan Whitfield) Researchers have invented a natural bioreactor system to remove organophosphate pesticides and nitrate from groundwater, using algae to filter well water before it can enter a treatment facility and contaminate an area's water supply.

A new bioplastic bottle for wine packaging could replace boxed wine and protect its flavor. (Shutterstock)
A new bioplastic bottle for wine packaging could replace boxed wine and protect its flavor. (Shutterstock) Researchers have developed a prototype bioplastic bottle that could provide a more environmentally friendly way to enjoy a glass of vino.

Typically, alkaline batteries cannot be charged, but with new elements added to a battery’s composition, it may be possible to reuse the battery forever. (Unsplash/John Cameron)
Typically, alkaline batteries cannot be charged, but with new elements added to a battery’s composition, it may be possible to reuse the battery forever. (Unsplash/John Cameron) Researchers are generating modified alkaline batteries that can be recharged thousands of times and perhaps even indefinitely, offering affordable energy storage for areas prone to severe storms, as well as to off-grid regions, such as the Navajo Nation.

The Marble Bar chert in Pilbara, Western Australia is a 3.5 billion-year-old banded iron formation. The sediments seen here: chert (light) and iron oxides (red), have precipitated from an ancient ocean. The oxygen isotopic composition of such chert samples indicate hot precipitation temperatures. (Christian S. Marien)
The Marble Bar chert in Pilbara, Western Australia is a 3.5 billion-year-old banded iron formation. The sediments seen here: chert (light) and iron oxides (red), have precipitated from an ancient ocean. The oxygen isotopic composition of such chert samples indicate hot precipitation temperatures. (Christian S. Marien) Abundant carbon dioxide in the ancient Earth’s atmosphere warmed the planet through the greenhouse effect, making up for the limited light cast by the young sun, scientists reported Monday in a study that examined how seawater chemistry billions of years ago differed from that of today.

Climate change, and the rising temperatures that accompany it, are expected to significantly increase heat stress throughout the world, with more frequent and extreme heat waves. Here, a woman cools herself on a hot day in Melbourne, Australia. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)
Climate change, and the rising temperatures that accompany it, are expected to significantly increase heat stress throughout the world, with more frequent and extreme heat waves. Here, a woman cools herself on a hot day in Melbourne, Australia. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill) More than one-third of summer deaths caused by heat can be attributed to human-caused climate change, according to a new study of 43 countries over nearly three decades. Its authors said their findings highlight the "urgent need" for climate action that limits harm to the health of the public.

Coral reef restoration can reduce coastal flooding. (Unsplash/Hiroko Yoshii)
Coral reef restoration can reduce coastal flooding. (Unsplash/Hiroko Yoshii) Coral reefs can reduce coastal flooding by as much as 30% if restorers focus on building up specific reef locations that sap waves of their destructive power, which could help protect millions in coastal communities worldwide.

A chinook salmon during spawning. (Shutterstock)
A chinook salmon during spawning. (Shutterstock) The average size of the endangered chinook salmon could increase by five millimeters in the next century due to rising water temperatures, new research predicts, but the amount of suitable habitat for breeding could decrease, leading to a dramatic reduction in the fish’s ability to reproduce.

Your THC-free CBD gummies may, in fact, contain THC. (Pixabay/Hans Braxmeier)
Your THC-free CBD gummies may, in fact, contain THC. (Pixabay/Hans Braxmeier) An Indiana researcher has developed a new type of test that can determine concentrations of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, rather than its presence alone, potentially introducing a more convenient means for manufacturers to protect consumers from unwanted and potentially illegal amounts of THC in legal CBD products.