Global warming is producing a rapid loss of plant species — according to estimates, roughly 600 plant species have died out since 1750 — twice the number of animal species lost. But which species are hit hardest? And how does altered biodiversity actually affect interactions between plants? Experts have tackled these questions and, in two recent studies, presented the answers they found buried in the past: using fragments of plant genetic material (DNA) deposited in lake sediments, they were able to gain new insights into how the composition of flora changed 15,000 to 11,000 years ago during the warming at the end of the last ice age, which is considered to be the last major mass extinction event before today. This comparison can offer an inkling of what might await us in the future.

Climate scientists present a realistic supercomputer simulation that resolves the complex interactions between fire, vegetation, smoke and the atmosphere. The authors find that increasing greenhouse gas emissions will likely increase the global lightning frequency by about 1.6% per degree Celsius global warming, with regional hotspots in the eastern United States, Kenya, Uganda and Argentina. Locally this could intensify wildfire occurrences. However, the dominant drivers for the growing area burned by fires each year remain shifts in global humidity and a more rapid growth of vegetation, which can serve as wildfire fuel.

Colorado’s forests store a massive amount of carbon, but dying trees — mostly due to insects and disease — have caused the state’s forests to emit more carbon than they absorbed in recent years, according to a new report.

Combustion engines, the engines in gas-powered cars, only use a quarter of the fuel’s potential energy while the rest is lost as heat through exhaust. Now, a study demonstrates how to convert exhaust heat into electricity. The researchers present a prototype thermoelectric generator system that could reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions — an opportunity for improving sustainable energy initiatives in a rapidly changing world.

Changes to the intermediate filament (IF) protein, vimentin, were found to promote tumor growth by increasing cancer stemness in an oestrogen independent manner. Targeting vimentin and/or the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) ‘XIST’ could be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating aggressive breast cancer.

Foods that evoke a sense of nostalgia and comfort and have good texture variety are important considerations in prepared meals aimed at older adults, according to new research.

A complementary drug to combat Alzheimer’s disease could target a specific part of the nerve cell protein tau. This is the finding of new research which also offers a better way to measure the effect of treatment among patients.

Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that will help predict endangered whale habitat, guiding ships along the Atlantic coast to avoid them. The tool is designed to prevent deadly accidents and inform conservation strategies and responsible ocean development.

In 2018, the side of the Anak Krakatau volcano collapsed in a powerful eruption and produced a tsunami that killed hundreds and injured thousands on nearby Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. A new analysis of satellite data showed the mountainside was slipping for years and accelerated before the eruption — information that could have potentially offered a warning of the collapse.

A major challenge in self-powered wearable sensors for health care monitoring is distinguishing different signals when they occur at the same time. Researchers addressed this issue by uncovering a new property of a sensor material, enabling the team to develop a new type of flexible sensor that can accurately measure both temperature and physical strain simultaneously but separately to more precisely pinpoint various signals.