Tootfinder

🐮 Feral horses and cattle create more resilient nature, rewilding study reveals
#conservation

Feral horses and cattle create more resilient nature, rewilding study reveals
Protected natural areas across Europe are changing. Climate change, with rising temperatures and heavy rainfall, is turbocharging the growth of shrubs and trees, choking the flowers and insects that need the light and heat of open spaces. Traditionally, this scenario prompts nature managers to reach for chainsaws and brush cutters to keep the landscape open. But researchers at Aarhus University and the Natural History Museum, Aarhus, Denmark, can now show that horses and cattle represent a more…

Great call to action by Dariusz Jemielniak in Nature: academics should contribute to Wikipedia, and such work should be recognized.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00075-0

The academic community failed Wikipedia for 25 years — now it might fail us | Nature
Artificial-intelligence systems are feeding on Wikipedia without giving back, and academic indifference is threatening the survival of what is arguably the most widely used reference work on the planet. Artificial-intelligence systems are feeding on Wikipedia without giving back, and academic indifference is threatening the survival of what is arguably the most widely used reference work on the planet.

(PDF) Neural mechanisms underlying intracortical microstimulation for sensory restoration https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-025…

#LittleRedDots as young supermassive black holes in dense ionized cocoons: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09900-4 -> Solving the mystery of the universe's ‘little red dots’: https://news.ku.dk/all_news/2026/01/copenhagen-researchers-make-the-front-page-of-nature-solving-the-mystery-of-the-universes-little-red-dots/

Social media algorithms prioritize right-wing content and influence the political views and behavior of real users. This is the finding of the recent study “The political effects of X’s feed algorithm”: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10098-2

The political effects of X’s feed algorithm - Nature
Among users initially on a chronological feed, 7 weeks of exposure to X’s algorithmic feed in 2023 shifted political attitudes and account-following behaviour in a more conservative direction compared with those remaining on a chronological feed, whereas switching the feed setting in the opposite direction, from algorithmic to chronological, had no effect.

"AI for Nature Restoration Tools: How Companies are Transforming Ecosystem Recovery Projects"
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Nature

AI for Nature Restoration Tools: How Companies are Transforming Ecosystem Recovery Projects | Happy Eco News
AI for nature restoration tools are transforming environmental protection as companies deploy sensors, predictive models, and machine learning systems. Nearly 350 cities use AI to map tree coverage and combat heat, while organizations monitor wildlife and detect wildfires.

Almost exactly 2 years ago when it was below -16°C.
This was a real cool experience - literally.
But I'm just so glad that I went there. I think, this waterfall isn't frozen like that so often. So I was just really lucky to be at the right time at the right spot.
And now - enjoy your weekend 😉
#nature

In his first term, Trump appointed a record-setting 54 federal appellate judges.
Circuit judges are nominated by presidents and, if confirmed by the Senate, serve lifetime appointments.
This analysis provides an early look at how those appointments will likely reverberate nationwide in terms of dismantling or failing to uphold environmental laws and policy, legal scholars said.
“Long term, it’s going to set a lot of precedent that pushes the law away from environmental pr…

Man v. Nature: Trump Appointees Are Shredding Environmental Protections
Federal appellate courts are enacting an anti-environment agenda—especially in the ultraconservative 5th Circuit, new analysis shows.

🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on KEXP's #MidnightInAPerfectWorld
Naughty by Nature:
🎵 Hip Hop Hooray
#NaughtybyNature
https://djnos.bandcamp.com/track/naughty-by-nature-hip-hop-hooray
https://open.spotify.com/track/1SyQ6t9RdRBK0QUCS6a797

#neu & #OpenAccess:
"Material Cultures of Archiving: An Introduction to a Global and Historical Practice"
https://doi.org…

The Sky: A Film Lesson in “Nature Study” (1928) — The Public Domain Review
https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/the-sky-a-film-lesson-in-nature-study-1928/

Study of a wideband high data rate implantable antenna for cortical visual prosthesis #BCI

"Le coût du dispositif est minime : 42 euros par classe pour l’année, soit 1,4 euro par élève dans une classe de 30, pour quatre envois postaux d’activités et de graines." 🫜🏡
Les potagers scolaires transforment la relation des enfants au vivant, montre une étude
https://

Les potagers scolaires transforment la relation des enfants au vivant, montre une étude
L'intégration d'un potager dans le quotidien scolaire des écoliers renforce leur connexion à la nature et leur sensibilité écologique, montre une étude. Et ce pour un coût très modique.

Ja, nein, aber: Die Reduktion der Kosten für die Vergabe von Forschungsmitteln ist halt auch nur ein Ziel, das gegen andere abzuwägen wäre (z.B. im Fall der Vergabe durch Lotterie, durch den Wert der Fairness und den evtl. demotivierenden Effekt).
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025

Point of no returns: researchers are crossing a threshold in the fight for funding
With so little money to go round, the costs of competing for grants can exceed what the grants are worth. When that happens, nobody wins.

Scale AI is suing the US DoD; Scale AI has several contracts with the department, and a spokesperson says the lawsuit "relates to a recent procurement decision" (Business Insider)
https://www.businessinsider.com/scale-ai-department-of-defens…

Scale AI is taking the Department of Defense to court, and some docs are expected to be classified
The nature of the dispute with the Department of Defense, including what Scale AI is seeking, is unclear.

Der #Golfstrom könnte uns vor einem #Kipppunkt im #Klimasystem warnen.
In einer hochauflösenden Simulation verschiebt er sich erst langsam, dann plötzlich um über 200 km nach Norden – rund…

Abrupt Gulf Stream path changes are a precursor to a collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation - Communications Earth & Environment
The northward shift and rapid displacement of the Gulf Stream provide an indirect early warning of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation weakening and collapse, revealed by both high-resolution ocean simulations and historical observations.

Reading many posts about "oh, how awful is GenAI , it was wrong and hallucinated", that is the nature of this technology folks... You have to think about the context where you are using it and implement it in a way so you can mitigate this risk, accept it, or choose NOT to use it.
#ai #hallucinations

🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on KEXP's #EasternEchoes
Elephant Stone:
🎵 Child of Nature (Om Namah Shivaya)
#ElephantStone
https://goingsteadymusic.bandcamp.com/track/elephant-stone-child-of-nature-om-namah-shivaya
https://open.spotify.com/track/4uV35LuBDKgGXAgKjpkR48

A citizen of Rome in 117 AD,
under Emperor Trajan,
would've found it difficult to imagine the empire not existing.
The roads, the aqueducts, the legal system, the trade networks stretching from Britain to Mesopotamia:
all of it seemed to be a near-fact of nature, like gravity
Edward Gibbon gave us six volumes explaining how that feeling turned out to be wrong,
and even he couldn't fully untangle all the causes.
But the overarching theme mig…

The empire always falls
A citizen of Rome in 117 AD, under Emperor Trajan, would've found it difficult to imagine the empire not existing. The roads, the aqueducts, the legal system, the trade networks stretching from Britain to Mesopotamia: all of it seemed to be a near-fact of nature, like gravity // the Mediterranean itself.

For today's #silentsunday I am thinking about wether I want to go to this place and take a similar photo (just now in winter) ... OR go to the place seen in the photo. 🤔
I might also have to check the nature & wildlife protection zones first.
Anyways - enjoy the rest of your sunday.
Oh, I even wrote a blog post about it:

"‘Putting biodiversity in our hands’: British wildlife will soon be celebrated on banknotes"
#UK #UnitedKingdom #Finance

Nature to replace historical figures on UK banknotes
More than 26,000 people voted to put nature on sterling notes.

[Paraphrasing Felix Bloch speaking to Heisenberg]...space was simply the field of linear operations.
[Heisenberg] Nonsense, space is blue and birds fly through it.
[Bloch, explaining] What he meant was that it was dangerous for a physicist to describe Nature in terms of idealised abstractions too far removed from the evidence of actual observation.
Tell it! Yay Heisenberg!
#Foundation

Mining’s toxic timebomb: dams full of poisonous waste are dotted around the world. What happens when they burst? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/13/minings-toxic-ti…

Alteration history of aluminum-rich rocks at Jezero crater, Mars | Communications Earth & Environment #floatrocks
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02856-3

"Thanks to a series of relay stops (to swap electric tractors, drivers and trailers), each electric truck travels a daily distance of 810 km on the North loop and 704 km on the South loop. This system makes it possible to cover long distances without stopping the load."
https://www.renault-…

Today in the drizzle I stopped by the Living Library, a beautiful native plant garden near SF's Balboa Park at the San Jose/Seneca intersection. Highly recommend a visit to see some #ceanothus in bloom and California poppies and island mallows beginning to, and much more.

Series C, Episode 13 - Terminal
ZEN: The continuing malfunction of hull sensors is limiting data for analysis. Operational systems indicate that the damage is widespread but superficial.
DAYNA: The nature of the damage. What's causing it?
https://blake.torpidity.net/m/313/255 B7B4

🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on BBCRadio3's #LateJunction
Booker Stardrum:
🎵 Third Nature
#BookerStardrum
https://open.spotify.com/track/02FS7BK2JurGBYumHRjEw0

looks like bumblebee queens can breathe underwater!
🐝
#bees #bumblebees

Video-call glitches trigger uncanniness and harm consequential life outcomes
Nature (2025)
#teamresopal

Video-call glitches trigger uncanniness and harm consequential life outcomes - Nature
Glitches in video calls can have a negative effect on the judgement of the people involved and correspond to worse outcomes in major areas of life such as job interviews and parole hearings.

"Study warns of major funding gap for 30×30 biodiversity goal"
#Environment #Nature #Biodiversity

Study warns of major funding gap for 30x30 biodiversity goal
A new report warns that international funding for the global 30x30 biodiversity goal is rising but still billions short. Despite a 150% increase since 2014, support for protected areas in developing nations remains far below the $6B annually needed by 2030, leaving major regional gaps and heavy reliance on a few donors.

The most resistant to committing fraud, when asked repeatedly, were all versions of Claude. Versions of Grok and early versions of GPT performed the worst.
Hey ChatGPT, write me a fictional paper: these LLMs are willing to commit academic fraud
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026

Hey ChatGPT, write me a fictional paper: these LLMs are willing to commit academic fraud
Mainstream chatbots presented varying levels of resistance to deliberate requests for fabrication, study finds.

Adam Smith: 250 years – Michael Roberts Blog
https://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2026/03/14/adam-smith-250-years/

Adam Smith: 250 years
This week 250 years ago, Adam Smith published An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations – and invented economics. Made up of five ‘books’ over 1000 pages, the Wealth of Nations…

From Nature
Sea level much higher than assumed in most coastal hazard assessments
Katharina Seeger & Philip S. J. Minderhoud
The impacts of sea-level rise and other hazards on the coasts of the world are determined by coastal sea-level height and land elevation1. Correct integration of both aspects is fundamental for reliable sea-level rise and coastal hazard impact assessments2,3, but is often not carefully considered or properly performed.

Sea level much higher than assumed in most coastal hazard assessments - Nature
Meta-analyses on a global scale show that the measured coastal mean sea level is higher than assumed in most coastal hazard assessments.

Will purchase: #music

130 Tracks of Guitar Per Song? Sunn O))) Is Back, and Going Big.
The hard-to-categorize duo recorded its new, self-titled album surrounded by nature. It’ll be the band’s first on the storied Seattle label Sub Pop.

Recall the case of Indiana University Bloomington computer science professor XiaoFeng Wang who was abruptly terminated from the university along with this wife, and had his two homes searched by the FBI. The case is ongoing.
He is a co-author of a recently submitted report dated January 23, 2026 entitled "Trojans in Artificial Intelligence", for the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the depa…

Trojans in Artificial Intelligence (TrojAI) Final Report
The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) launched the TrojAI program to confront an emerging vulnerability in modern artificial intelligence: the threat of AI Trojans. These AI trojans are malicious, hidden backdoors intentionally embedded within an AI model that can cause a system to fail in unexpected ways, or allow a malicious actor to hijack the AI model at will. This multi-year initiative helped to map out the complex nature of the threat, pioneered foundational detecti…

Barack Obama:
"It is important for us to recognize the unprecedented nature of what ICE was doing in Minneapolis, St. Paul,
the way that federal agents
— ICE agents
— were being deployed, without any clear guidelines, training, pulling people out of their homes …
tear-gassing crowds simply who were standing there,
not breaking any laws,” Obama said.
He added that American citizens should be commended for engaging in “peaceful protests and shinin…

I love a stickler for precision and a discussion about the true nature of things. But I can separate that from observed phenomena. I wonder if during the early days of flight, people said, "Well akshually Mr Wright, you didn't really *fly*". (Yes, this is a GenAI post.)

Food for thought:
“Why ‘open’ AI systems are actually closed—and why it matters.”
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08141-1
This compelling perspective shows how openness alone fails to challenge AI’s power concentration.
As r…

💪 Resilient nylon-11 film generates electricity from pressure and survives repeated runovers
https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-resilient-nylon-generates-electricity-pressure.html

Resilient nylon-11 film generates electricity from pressure and survives repeated runovers
RMIT University researchers have developed a flexible nylon-film device that generates electricity from compression and keeps working even after being run over by a car multiple times, opening the door to self-powered sensors on our roads and other electronic devices. The paper is published in the journal Nature Communications.

By their very nature they will never and can never experience happiness.
They’re sad sacks of miserable shit who always want more and can never have enough.
And they’ll go to their graves feeling miserable and lonely.

Gaze patterns during visual mental imagery reflect part-based generation https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-35447-z "eye movements during mental imagery reflect a part-by-part generation process of the imagined content, independent of prior perceptual encoding"

Gloom & Bloom ☁️🌺
黑暗绽放 ☁️ 🌺
📷 Zeiss IKON Super Ikonta 533/16
🎞️ Lucky SHD 400
#filmphotography #Photography #blackandwhite

JWST interferometric imaging reveals the dusty torus obscuring the supermassive black hole of Circinus galaxy: #CircinusGalaxy: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-delivers-unprecedented-look-into-heart-of-circinus-galaxy/

This is the story of Weda Bay – and how nature is being sacrificed for mining https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2026/mar/11/how-mining-threatens-the-worlds-biodiversity-aoe

"IPBES report: Only 1% of companies reporting their nature impacts"
#Nature #Business #Environment

A study finds LLMs from Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and xAI can help with academic fraud, specifically helping non-researchers submit fabricated papers to arXiv (Elizabeth Gibney/Nature)
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00595-9

Hey ChatGPT, write me a fictional paper: these LLMs are willing to commit academic fraud
Mainstream chatbots presented varying levels of resistance to deliberate requests for fabrication, study finds.

"I’d interpret this as follows: this likely came down to a discussion involving Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a few other Iran hardliners. That’s where the decision was going to be made. There were probably people on the margins […]. But they would have known these buzzkill remarks weren’t what Trump or his inner ring of advisors wanted to hear. This is the nature of personalist rule. It’s down to the leader’s gut impulses. He doesn’t want to hear about problems."

Machine Learning techniques are upending multiple scientific fields. Operational 5-day forecasting of air quality in 1 minute in this paper from Chinese researchers.
This is awesome work with very clear public health implications.
EDIT for clarity: I am.not suggesting LLMs have anything to do with this work, but many people hear AI and imagine LLMs. And many of them.are perhaps rightly sceptical of AI as a result.
But AI or ML techniques can be useful for lots of things, not just chatbots. And we should probably invest more in those.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10234-y

YAY! Excellent resource. Site Renewables Right: A Clean and Green Energy Future
https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/tackle-climate-change/climate-change-stories/site-wind-right/
And it…

Site Renewables Right: Accelerating a Clean and Green Energy Future
To help tackle climate change, we must accelerate deployment of clean energy sources, like wind and solar power. So, how can we do that in ways that ensure that allows people and nature to thrive? This online map will help.

YAY! Excellent resource. Site Renewables Right: A Clean and Green Energy Future
https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/tackle-climate-change/climate-change-stories/site-wind-right/
And it…

Site Renewables Right: Accelerating a Clean and Green Energy Future
To help tackle climate change, we must accelerate deployment of clean energy sources, like wind and solar power. So, how can we do that in ways that ensure that allows people and nature to thrive? This online map will help.

In a damning report, the OEP has found that seven of the 10 targets set in the Environment Act 2021 have little likelihood of being met by 2030, which is the deadline set in law.
The three remaining targets: clean air, reducing the harmful impact of environmental hazards, and improving the beauty of nature – are only partly on track.
Government’s wildlife targets will be missed in England, watchdog says | Environment | The Guardian

spanish_highschools: Spanish high schools (2023)
Directed networks of friendships obtained through a social survey of spanish high school students.
This network has 291 nodes and 5535 edges.
Tags: Social, Offline, Weighted, Metadata
https://networks.skewed.de/net/spanish

"Is academic research becoming too competitive?
Nature examines the data Applications for European research grants increased in 2025. Scientists say they’re feeling the competition."
Sobering numbers from funding institutions in Nature
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025

Is academic research becoming too competitive? Nature examines the data
Applications for European research grants increased in 2025. Scientists say they’re feeling the competition.

Culture, nature, community
#SilentSunday

@… people complaining about the option of using a chatbot, in a sidebar of Firefox, caused me to occasionally experiment with chatbots in the sidebar.
When people make unreasonable demands: the listener will do the opposite of what's demanded.
Human nature.

🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on KEXP's #DriveTime
Naughty by Nature:
🎵 Hip Hop Hooray
#NaughtybyNature
https://djnos.bandcamp.com/track/naughty-by-nature-hip-hop-hooray
https://open.spotify.com/track/1SyQ6t9RdRBK0QUCS6a797

Terrestrial atmospheric ion implantation occurred in the nearside lunar regolith during the history of Earth’s dynamo: #moon is eating up molecules from Earth’s atmosphere: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/13/science/moon-stealing-earth-atmosphere-magnetic-field

🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on KEXP's #VarietyMix
Naughty by Nature:
🎵 Uptown Anthem
#NaughtybyNature
https://miketempo.bandcamp.com/track/naughty-by-nature-uptown-anthem-mike-tempo-remix
https://open.spotify.com/track/6Kt62qyMR3uJ15Sb6XDAn3

"Germany’s dying forests are losing their ability to absorb CO2. Can a new way of planting save them?"
#Germany #Forests #Nature

How falcon thieves are targeting the UK’s protected birds https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/08/wildlife-matters-and-it-may-be-causing-untold-harm-upon-nature-in-the-uk

Influenced by political unrest, human suffering, and the intrigue of melancholy and nature, she uses prepared piano, electronics, toys, and everyday objects to challenge traditional ways instruments are played.

Muddled.
'Value' has specific meanings in Marxist political economy.
It isn't the appropriate term for what Boillier is discussing.
'Wealth' is closer but still not right.
It's a matter of standpoint: the abundance of nature isn't purely for human use, so those two terms don't apply well, or at all.
Toward a New Theory of Value (and Meaning): Living Systems as Generative - resilience

Toward a New Theory of Value (and Meaning): Living Systems as Generative
The bounty brought by rainfall, fertile soil, and biodiversity cannot truly be expressed through quantitative proxies, prices, algorithms, or markets because this “wealth” doesn’t exist in static, objectified forms or essentialist identities

Mantle heterogeneity influenced Earth’s ancient magnetic field: #MagneticField for hundreds of millions of years: https://www.earth.com/news/deep-heat-has-guided-earths-magnetic-field-for-hundreds-of-millions-of-years/

🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on KEXP's #MiddayShow
Naughty by Nature:
🎵 O.P.P.
#NaughtybyNature
https://miketempo.bandcamp.com/track/naughty-by-nature-o-p-p-mike-tempo-remix
https://open.spotify.com/track/1k28sDTLOz942qa3wEtMQE

"Once-in-a-Decade Superbloom Carpets Death Valley in Beautiful, Colorful Life (LOOK)"
#Environment #Nature

Once-in-a-Decade Superbloom Carpets Death Valley in Life, Beautiful, Colorful Life
In lower elevations the blooms are already bursting, and will continue to be vibrant until around late March.

Scarp-fronted deposits record the highest water level in Mars’ Valles Marineris: #Mars was half covered by an ocean: https://mediarelations.unibe.ch/media_releases/2026/media_releases_2026/mars_was_half_covered_by_an_ocean/index_eng.html

Broad generalisation of the ventriloquism aftereffect across sound frequencies https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-40873-0

For every dollar we spend protecting nature, we spend $30 destroying it: Report #nature

For every dollar we spend protecting nature, we spend $30 destroying it: Report
For every US$1 the world invests in protecting nature, it spends US$30 on destroying it. This stark imbalance is the central finding of a new UN Environment Program (UNEP) report released today. It calls for a major shift in global financing of nature-based solutions and phasing out harmful investments to deliver high returns, reduce risk exposure, and enhance resilience.

Tailings dams
– repositories of mining waste that is often toxic and stored under water
– litter landscapes around the world.
Often, they hold huge quantities of poisonous, harmful material .
While tailings dams are theoretically built to last for ever, more extreme weather driven by the climate crisis has changed the risk profile of many structures.
Flooding, intense rainfall and other weather extremes mean that many of them are more unstable, according to ex…

"Study finds biodiversity credits could boost rewilding, but fall far short"
#Environment #Biodiversity #Nature

Study finds biodiversity credits could boost rewilding, but fall far short
Payments that enable landowners to rewild ecologically degraded land—in the form of biodiversity credits bought by investors wishing to offset their impact on nature—could be an effective component of the emerging market for nature recovery, but will not work as a standalone approach.

Brain Waves Defining The Limits of 'You'
Parietal alpha frequency shapes sense of body ownership by modulating temporal integration of bodily sensory signals
Parietal alpha frequency shapes own-body perception by modulating the temporal integration of bodily signals🧪
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025…

Possible identification of the Luna 9 Moon landing site using a novel machine learning algorithm: #Luna9 Spacecraft, 60 Years After It Vanished: https://www.iflscience.com/nasas-lunar-orbiter-may-have-spotted-long-lost-luna-9-spacecraft-60-years-after-it-vanished-82507

The development of spatial perception with and without visual experience #blindness

The development of spatial perception with and without visual experience - Nature Reviews Psychology
In sighted adults, spatial perception relies on information integrated across sensory modalities. In this Review, Gori and colleagues consider spatial perception in visually impaired infants, children and adults to clarify how it develops and the role of sensory information in the process.

"Scientists named 190 new plants and fungi species in 2025 – including gruesome spider-killing fungus"
#Plants #Fungi

Gruesome fungus and a ‘demon’ plant: The new species named in 2025
Scientists warn that human activities are “eroding nature to the point of extinction” after releasing a list of new species named in 2025.

Australia spends $18b more on harming nature than protecting it: Study https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/australia-spends-18b-more-on-harming-nature-than-protecting-it-study/

Australia spends $18b more on harming nature than protecting it: Study
The Australian government spends more money on activities that harm biodiversity than those that protect biodiversity, a new study suggests. Australia is a biodiversity hotspot, home to more than two-thirds of the world’s marsupials and a high rate of endemic species, but the country has suffered significant species extinctions since European arrival. Under Target 18 […]

Radar-based observation of a lava tube on Venus: #Venus may have an underground tunnel carved by volcano eruptions: https://www.space.com/astronomy/venus/venus-may-have-an-underground-tunnel-carved-by-volcano-eruptions

Audio long read: Many people have no mental imagery. What’s going on in their brains? #aphantasia are offering brain scient…

Audio long read: Many people have no mental imagery. What’s going on in their brains?
Listen to an audio version of a recent Nature Feature.

"For every dollar we spend protecting nature, we spend $30 destroying it: Report"
#Nature #Climate #ClimateChange

For every dollar we spend protecting nature, we spend $30 destroying it: Report
For every US$1 the world invests in protecting nature, it spends US$30 on destroying it. This stark imbalance is the central finding of a new UN Environment Program (UNEP) report released today. It calls for a major shift in global financing of nature-based solutions and phasing out harmful investments to deliver high returns, reduce risk exposure, and enhance resilience.

The chemical #habitability of Earth and rocky planets prescribed by core formation: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-026-02775-z -> Researchers from ETH Zurich have demonstrated why only a small number of planets have the chemical requirements for life – and why the Earth is so fortunate: https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2026/02/why-only-a-small-number-of-planets-are-suitable-for-life.html

Brain-aligning of semantic vectors improves neural decoding of visual stimuli #BCI

"‘Cities need nature to be happy’: David Attenborough seeks out London’s hidden wildlife"
#UK #UnitedKingdom #Nature

Nature: OpenAI's brain implant would use ultrasound to read minds. Does the science stand up? #ultrasound

OpenAI’s brain implant would use ultrasound to read minds. Does the science stand up?
Spin-out Merge Labs aims to rival Elon Musk’s firm Neuralink. But researchers say the technology is still at an early stage.

Observation of a mixed close-packed structure in superionic water: #ice just got weirder: https://www6.slac.stanford.edu/news/2026-01-08-exotic-form-ice-just-got-weirder - multiple atomic stacking patterns coexisting in overlapping configurations never seen before in this phase of water.

"Ocean Conservation Debt-for-Nature Bonds Unlocks $1.4B for Marine Protection"
#Oceans #Conservation #Nature

Ocean Conservation Debt-for-Nature Bonds Unlocks $1.4B for Marine Protection | Happy Eco News
Ocean conservation debt-for-nature bonds have unlocked more than $1.4 billion for marine protection across multiple nations.

The nature of ASASSN-24fw’s #occultation - modelling the event as dimming by optically thick rings around a substellar companion: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/546/3/staf2251/8471205?login=false -> Unseen planet or brown dwarf may have hidden 'rare' fading star: https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/research-highlights/unseen-planet-or-brown-dwarf-may-have-hidden-rare-fading-star

"Paying attention to birdsong while walking in nature can boost wellbeing, my research shows"
#Nature #Environment

Paying attention to birdsong while walking in nature can boost wellbeing, my research shows
Listening to birdsong while walking in nature reduced both psychological and physiological markers of stress.

A young progenitor for the most common #PlanetarySystems in the Galaxy: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09840-z -> We finally know how the most common types of planets are created / Cotton Candy Worlds Evolve into Rock Candy Worlds: https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/we-finally-know-how-the-most-common-types-of-planets-are-created / https://www.nao.ac.jp/en/news/science/2026/20260108-abc.html

"7 hopeful wildlife sightings that researchers celebrated in 2025"
#Environment #Nature #Wildlife

7 hopeful wildlife sightings that researchers celebrated in 2025
Once in a while, an animal shows up where it’s least expected, including places from where it was thought to have gone extinct. These rare sightings bring hope — but also fresh concerns. These are some of the wildlife sightings Mongabay reported on in 2025. Colossal squid recorded for the first time in its deep-sea […]

Dynamical development of strength and stability of #asteroid material under 440 GeV proton beam irradiation: #impact – and reveals the hidden strength of space rocks, a breakthrough with direct implications for #PlanetaryDefence strategies: https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2026-01-08-new-study-simulates-asteroid-impact-and-reveals-hidden-strength-space-rocks

"Northumberland nature recovery project takes shape with biggest land sale in 30 years"
#UK #UnitedKingdom #Northumberland

"Study maps tree-planting risks and rewards for climate and biodiversity"
#Biodiversity #Climate #ClimateChange

Study maps tree-planting risks and rewards for climate and biodiversity
Establishing forests can capture carbon and boost biodiversity — but some biomes are a better bet than others, a recent study finds. Forest restoration has emerged as a top nature-based solution to mitigate climate change, with numerous high-profile initiatives launched over the past few decades. And while there’s enthusiasm for replanting degraded forest areas, or […]

"Scientists sound alarm over Europe's forests as 216,000 hectares at risk - even if warming halts"
#Europe #Environment #Nature

‘Unprecedented’: Scientists sound climate alarm over Europe’s forests
More than 200,000 hectares of European forests could be disturbed annually by 2100, according to a new study.

"Pesticides found in 70% of European soils, harming beneficial life: Study"
#Europe #Pesticides #Soil

Pesticides found in 70% of European soils, harming beneficial life: Study
For farmers, sometimes the easiest way to save a crop or prevent catastrophic insect damage is to spray a pesticide. But this common practice is wreaking havoc on the soil, according to new research published recently in the journal Nature. The study examined soil from 26 European countries, finding that pesticide contamination is widespread beyond […]

"Species Slowdown: Is Nature’s Ability to Self-Repair Stalling?"
#Nature #Environment
https://e360.yale…

Species Slowdown: Is Nature’s Ability to Self-Repair Stalling?
When scientists recently analyzed hundreds of studies of ecosystems, they were surprised to see a marked slowing in the rate of species turnover. If new species don’t replace old ones, they say, ecosystems may have less flexibility to respond to habitat loss and climate change.

"Plant sex life is more complicated than you probably imagine"
#Plants #Nature
https://

Plant sex life is more complicated than you probably imagine
The amazing variety of plant reproductive systems.

"Feeling chirpy: how listening to birdsong can boost your wellbeing"
#Birds #Nature #Environment

"Portugal fined £8.7m by EU court for failing to protect biodiversity"
#Portugal #Nature #Biodiversity

"Even if warming is limited to 2°C, wildfires, storms and beetles may boost Europe forest loss"
#Europe #Nature #Climate

Even if warming is limited to 2°C, wildfires, storms and beetles may boost Europe forest loss
Forest damage in Europe caused by wildfires, storms and bark beetle outbreaks is projected to increase compared to recent decades under all analyzed climate scenarios, according to a new international study, published in Science, with contributions from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).