In Physics of Fluids, researchers develop a computational model of outdoor airflow through trees to study how a tree’s geometry affects the dispersion of its airborne pollen grains. They modeled the porosity of a tree and incorporated an algorithm sensitive to small wind forces, taking into account the force required to detach a pollen grain. They applied their techniques to various known structures, compared the outcomes to real data, and found that the type and topology of a tree can lead to distinct pollen dispersion dynamics.

A Harvard study shows that snakes “stand” by focusing bending and muscle activity in a small region near their base.

In a gift that supports basic research toward a clean geothermal resource that could transform the world’s energy transition, Quaise Energy has given $750,000 to Oregon State University (OSU). The gift will help OSU scientists recreate in the lab the conditions found miles underground common to the superhot rock which, if tapped, could  power the world, according to Carlos Araque, CEO of Quaise and a co-founder. The goal is to learn ever more about this geothermal resource, which is not easy to study in the field.

Deep-sea waters are warming due to heat waves and climate change, and it could spell trouble for the oceans’ delicate chemical and biological balance. A new study demonstrates that the microbes may already be adapting well to warmer, nutrient-poor waters. Researchers predict that these surprisingly adaptable archaea will play an important role in reshaping ocean chemistry in a changing climate. 

By combining solution chemistry and on-surface reactions on metal substrates, the team has constructed a phthalocyanine pentamer—a novel nanoarchitecture that integrates relevant electronic and magnetic properties into a single molecule. The CiQUS study has been recognized as a Very Important Paper and featured on the cover of Angewandte Chemie.