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As if making food from light were not impressive enough, it may be time to add another advanced skill to the botanical repertoire: the ability to perform — at least at the molecular level — arithmetic division. Computer-generated models published in the journal eLife illustrate how plants might use molecular mathematics to regulate the rate at which they devour starch reserves to provide energy throughout the night, when energy from the Sun is off the menu....

Snowpack in the northern Rocky Mountains has shrunk at an unusually rapid pace during the past 30 years, according to a new study. The decline is “almost unprecedented” over the past 800 years, say researchers who used tree rings to reconstruct a centuries-long record of snowpack throughout the entire Rocky Mountain range. Their work, published yesterday in the journal Science, suggests that the plummeting snowpack could have serious consequences for more than 70 million people who depend on water from the runoff-fed Columbia, Colorado and Missouri rivers....

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Snakes have been slithering on Earth far longer than anyone ever realized. Scientists on Tuesday described the four oldest-known snake fossils, the most ancient of which was a roughly 10-inch-long (25 cm) reptile called Eophis underwoodi unearthed in a quarry near Oxford, England, that lived about 167 million years ago. The remarkable fossils from Britain, Portugal and the United States rewrite the history of snake evolution, pushing back snake origins by tens of millions of years....

Rett syndrome (RS) is among the most physically disabling of the autism spectrum disorders, affecting one in every 10,000 to 15,000 females born, according to the National Institutes of Health. After its outset—usually within 18 months of birth—young girls suffering from the illness begin to display asocial symptoms similar to those of autism. RS primarily affects the nervous system and can eventually lead to problems with speech and movement, often leaving patients with a stiff gait or confined to a wheelchair....

This month in my Scientific American column I bemoaned the business model that drives the tech industry: feature incentives. Each year you’re enticed to upgrade to a newer software or hardware product—to get the new features. Over time these products become bloated with features, unwieldy and calcified. Over the years software designers have tried various approaches to solve the feature-bloat problem—often by trying to hide the complexity until you need it....

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Snow-bound residents of western New York awoke to as much as another foot of accumulation on Thursday with possibly another 30 inches expected, meteorologists said. At least eight deaths were blamed on the wintry blast, officials said. The snow is forecast to continue through midday Friday, the National Weather Service said on its website. Temperatures were likely to remain below freezing. Hoping to clear its snow-filled stadium in time for a game on Sunday, the Buffalo Bills were offering $10 an hour plus game tickets to people willing to shovel....

Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, Zoloft, Lexapro. These so-called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the U.S. Although they are typically used to treat depression and anxiety disorders, they are also prescribed off-label for conditions such as chronic pain, premature ejaculation, bulimia, irritable bowel syndrome, premenstrual syndrome and hot flashes. Even if you have never taken an SSRI, chances are you know someone who has. About one in every 10 American adults is being prescribed one now....

Although overuse of fertilizer has caused environmental damage around the world, some scientists are calling for an increase in its application in African agriculture. In a paper published today in Science, a group of 16 researchers from the U.S., Brazil and China want to provide more subsidies for fertilizer use to enrich poor quality soil in Africa, while decreasing fertilizer use in other parts of the world. “The situation in Africa is totally different from where China is now or where the U....

The Energy Department may proceed with a “modified” plan to build a prototype coal-burning power plant that would capture and store carbon dioxide as part of new efforts to expand international collaboration on carbon-management technologies, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said today. His comments are the strongest indication yet that DOE might reverse a Bush administration decision to pull the plug on FutureGen, a federal-industry project that was to be built in Illinois and has faced significant cost overruns....

The summer flounder – one of the most sought-after catches on the U.S. East Coast – is stirring up a climate change battle as it glides through the sand and grasses at the bottom of a warming North Atlantic. Also known as “fluke,” the flat, toothy fish is remarkable for its ability to change color to adapt to its surroundings, rendering it almost invisible to predators and prey. Some scientists say in recent years the species has begun adapting in another way....

The matter of mastering a building’s energy use, getting maximum performance out of each calorie and electron, is to many people a black art. Buildings account for about 40 percent of the U.S. energy appetite, as well as 40 percent of its carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Department of Energy. Experts say that applying energy efficiency to this area could make major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, but actually achieving these savings is hard for a variety of reasons....

A new study has found that the wavy jet stream pattern that tends to bring warm winter weather to the U.S. West and cold weather to the East was set in place 4,000 years ago. The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, also suggests that climate change may help keep the wavy pattern in place. “It’s possible the kinds of changes we are seeing with increased jet stream sinuosity might continue into the future as a result of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, although it’s not a perfect comparison,” said Gabriel Bowen, a geochemist at the University of Utah and an author on the study....

Did you like this article? Editorial Review This article has been reviewed for accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards prior to publication. The “Ancient Japan” initiative at Ancient History Encyclopedia arose as there is a dearth of open access and digitally curated information concerning early Japanese history available online and in English. East and Southeast Asia are arguably the most exciting regions in the world today due to their respective nations’ economic growth and rich cultural heritage....

Did you like this article? Editorial Review This article has been reviewed for accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards prior to publication. Cyrus the Great (558-530 BCE) built the first universal empire, stretching from Greece to the Indus River. This was the famous Achaemenid Dynasty of Persia. An inscription at Naqsh-i-Rustam, the tomb of his able successor Darius I (521-486 BCE), near Persepolis, records Gadara (Gandhara) along with Hindush (Hindus, Sindh) in the long list of satrapies of the Persian Empire....

Did you like this article? Editorial Review This article has been reviewed for accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards prior to publication. In 1508 CE the Pope commissioned the celebrated Florentine sculptor and painter Michelangelo (1475-1564 CE) to paint scenes on the ceiling of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. The walls of the chapel had already received decoration from some of the greatest of Renaissance artists, but in four years of toil, Michelangelo would outshine them all with his ambition and technical skill, producing one of the defining works of Western art of any century....

Did you like this article? Editorial Review This article has been reviewed for accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards prior to publication. Passover is a Jewish festival celebrated since at least the 5th century BCE, typically associated with the tradition of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. According to historical evidence and modern-day practice, the festival was originally celebrated on the 14th of Nissan. Directly after Passover is the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which most traditions describe as originating when the Israelites left Egypt and they did not have sufficient time to add yeast to the bread to allow it to rise....

Did you like this article? Editorial Review This article has been reviewed for accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards prior to publication. The World Heritage-listed Nazca lines are a well-known part of the ancient heritage of Peru. One woman spent over 50 years studying and protecting them. Ana Maria Cogorno Mendoza shares the story of Dr Maria Reiche. The lines and geoglyphs of Nazca are one of the most impressive-looking archaeological areas in the world and an extraordinary example of the traditional and millenary magical-religious world of the ancient Pre-Hispanic societies....

Did you like this article? Editorial Review This article has been reviewed for accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards prior to publication. The BCE/CE dating system was first used in the 17th century and has been used since in scholarly publications read by people of all faiths and cultures in an effort to be inclusive. This system is also more accurate in that it makes no claim to date the year of Christ’s birth which no one knows....

By Roberta KwokOn the far side of the Moon, a river of dark rock spills from a 3-kilometer-wide crater and divides like a forked tongue. The flow was formed when an asteroid or comet slammed into the surface and heated the rocks to more than 1,000degrees Celsius, causing molten material to spread 3kilometers from the crater rim. “It really stands out,” says Brett Denevi, a planetary scientist at Arizona State University in Tempe....

Key concepts Engineering Robotics Vibration Design Introduction Bristlebots are a fun and popular type of robot made from the head of a toothbrush, a small watch battery and a tiny vibrating motor like the kind found in electric toothbrushes. Although these electronic parts can be hard to find around the house, you can still build bristlebots if you make a simple vibrating table instead. This project will show you how to do it—no electronic parts required!...