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How COVID-19 Is Changing Science

The coronavirus pandemic is a terrible crisis, of course. But it also presents an opportunity to change the way that research is conducted and shared, so that science can become more open, more efficient and more collaborative. At ResearchGate, a professional network for scientists that advocates for open research, we are pragmatic optimists. We are […]

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COVID-19 Could Help Solve Climate Riddles

As the world scrambles to contain the spread of COVID-19, many economic activities have ground to a halt, leading to marked reductions in air pollution. And with the skies clearing, researchers are getting an unprecedented chance to help answer one of climate science’s thorniest open questions: the impact of atmospheric aerosols. What they learn could […]

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How Herbivore Herds Might Help Permafrost

The Arctic’s permafrost is melting—and fast. That’s bad news, because these frozen soils store billions of tons of carbon, just waiting to be unleashed. So is there a way to save the permafrost? One team of researchers thinks it may have found a possible solution: big animals, herbivores—animals that eat only plants. Back in 1996, […]

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Coronavirus Roundup for April 11-17

The items below are highlights from the newsletter, “Smart, useful, science stuff about COVID-19.” To receive newsletter issues daily in your inbox, sign up here. Tanya Lewis at Scientific American provides this update on the most widely discussed drugs and treatments for COVID-19 currently being tested for their effectiveness and safety in humans (4/15/20). Doctors […]

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Climate Change Has Helped Fuel a Megadrought in the Southwest

A “megadrought” gripping the western United States is the worst one in 500 years, scientists say. And it’s the first to be influenced by human-caused climate change. A study published this week in the journal Science investigates the occurrence of megadroughts in western North America over the last 1,200 years. While a megadrought has no strict scientific definition, most […]