Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used simulations to show that a newly developed, compact X-ray telescope could be used to map the chemical composition of the entire Moon surface, a vital breakthrough for understanding its geological evolution. Detailed modeling of the detector and a realistic satellite mission show that two years would be enough to map five key elements, while an array of five-by-five detectors could improve resolution and get results faster.

As the planet warms, soils may release more nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas linked to agriculture, fertilizer use, and microbial nitrogen cycling. A new study published in Biochar shows that biochar, a carbon-rich material made by heating biomass with limited oxygen, can change how strongly soil nitrous oxide emissions respond to rising temperatures. But the effect is not one-size-fits-all.

A new study published in Biochar presents a greener way to make slow-release fertilizers that could help farmers grow healthier crops while reducing nutrient loss to the environment.

Rice feeds more than half of the world’s population, but producing it often requires large amounts of water and nitrogen fertilizer. Conventional flooded rice fields can support stable yields, yet they also place heavy pressure on water resources and contribute to ammonia emissions from agriculture. A new two-year field study published in Biochar suggests that a combined strategy using alternate wetting and drying irrigation and nitrogen-loaded biochar may offer a practical path toward more sustainable rice production.

Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) have found a surprisingly simple method to create and control a broad variety of entangled quantum states. 

The IAA SETI Committee announced today updated rules for evaluating and revealing the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence.

The revised Declaration of Principles marks the first major update to the protocols in more than 15 years and reflects a media landscape transformed by social media, artificial intelligence and the 24-hour news cycle.

“The release of these updated rules and protocols marks an important step in acknowledging both the radically different media landscape that science functions within today, and the vastly expanded efforts in terms of technology and resources being deployed in the search for intelligent life beyond Earth” said Bill Diamond, President and CEO of the SETI Institute and IAA SETI Committee member.