Earth

Unconventional superconductivity and topological quantum phenomena are two frontier research directions of condensed matter physics. A special topic published in 2016(5) issue of Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy collected several works covering important progress in these two directions. Superconductivity was discovered in Hg in 1911 by the group of Kamerling Onnes in Leiden (Holland). The mystery of superconductivity was, however, not uncovered until 1957 when Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) proposed the electron-phonon coupling picture.

The launch of the GOES-R geostationary satellite in October 2016 could herald a new era for predicting hurricanes, according to Penn State researchers. The wealth of information from this new satellite, at time and space scales not previously possible, combined with advanced statistical hurricane prediction models, could enable more accurate predictions in the future.

As organic chemistry evolved, techniques for catalyzing hydrocarbons advanced and one by one a method was created for their manipulation. Ethane, propane, butane, pentane -- all the alkanes followed a similar pattern and their reactions had predictable results. Only one alkane-methane- refused to follow suit and this confounded chemists for decades. Methane had been just too difficult to work with; its C-H bond could not be manipulated.

Methane is the world's most abundant hydrocarbon. It's the major component of natural gas and shale gas and, when burned, is an effective fuel. But it's also a major contributor to climate change, with 24 times greater potency as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

With a new method, a research team led by chemists at the University of Pennsylvania has demonstrated the potential to use methane not as a fossil fuel but as a versatile chemical building block with which to make more complex molecules, such as pharmaceuticals and other value-added substances.

With the world's population exploding to well over 7 billion, feeding the human race is getting even more challenging. Increasing the yield from crops such as wheat, maize, rice and barley, is paramount to growing enough food.

In addition, crop production is now affected by stressors such as drought, climate change and the salinization of fields -- presenting obstacles to our future food supply.

As electronic components are becoming ever smaller, the industry is gradually approaching the limits of what is achievable using the traditional approach with silicon as a semiconductor material. Graphene, the material with a number of "miraculous" properties, is considered a possible replacement. The one atom thin carbon film is ultra-light, extremely flexible and highly conductive.

HANOVER, N.H. - Outbreaks of the southern pine beetle can't be stopped by its main predator, but risks to forests from this tree-killing insect can be predicted with a simple, inexpensive monitoring program, according to a study by Dartmouth College and other institutions.

COLUMBIA, Mo. - When seeking clues to how well conservation efforts are working in the present, sometimes scientists look to the past -- and there may be no better historical record than the forest surveys conducted in Missouri by the Bureau of Land Management in the 1800s. Using these historical records, University of Missouri researchers were able to shed new light on how the interaction of natural disturbances, such as wildfires, and human actions shape forest conditions and the ecosystem services that forests provide today.

Images of the Snake River Plain and research team available at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jqfwogc4yy5aje1/AABeZbko4OOkOs17_-oM6_RPa?dl=0

A number of giant super-eruptions between 8 and 12 million years ago that could be larger than the colossal eruptions known to have taken place at Yellowstone have been identified in the United States through research led by the University of Leicester.

The earliest definitions of time and time-interval quantities were based on observed astronomical phenomena, such as apparent solar or lunar time, and as such, time as measured by clocks, and frequency, as measured by devices were derived quantities. In contrast, time is now based on the properties of atoms, making time and time intervals themselves derived quantities. Today's definition of time uses a combination of atomic and astronomical time. However, their connection could be modified in the future to reconcile the divergence between the astronomic and atomic definitions.

As electronic components are becoming ever smaller, the industry is gradually approaching the limits of what is achievable using the traditional approach with silicon as a semiconductor material. Graphene, the material with a number of "miraculous" properties, is considered a possible replacement. The one atom thin carbon film is ultra-light, extremely flexible and highly conductive. However, in order to be able to use graphene for electronic components such as field effect transistors, the material has to be "transformed" into a semiconductor.

Researchers in the Doyle lab at Princeton have developed a direct cross-coupling reaction to produce nitrogen-containing compounds called 1,2-dihydropyridines, versatile building blocks that are highly useful in pharmaceutical research.

Published in Chemical Science, the reaction employs a chiral nickel catalyst and an activating agent at low temperatures to couple nucleophilic arenes, common motifs in bioactive compounds, with a feedstock chemical known as pyridine.

LA JOLLA, CA -- March 23, 2016 -- In a landmark feat of chemical synthesis, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have developed a 19-step process for making the naturally occurring compound phorbol in the laboratory, in quantities that are useful for pharmaceutical research.

The impact humans have made on Earth in terms of how we produce and consume resources has formed a 'striking new pattern' in the planet's global energy flow, according to researchers from the University of Leicester.

The research suggests that the Earth is now characterised by a geologically unprecedented pattern of global energy flow that is pervasively influenced by humans - and which is necessary for maintaining the complexity of modern human societies.

Blowing tiny bubbles through seawater could help protect coral reefs and oyster farms from oceans turned increasingly acidic through human activities by stripping carbon dioxide (CO2) from coastal marine environments and transferring it to the atmosphere, Stanford scientists say.