A new study by astrophysicists at the University of Utah and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Mass., has found a new explanation for the growth of supermassive black holes: they repeatedly capture and swallow single stars from pairs of stars that get too close.

The post Steady diet of binary star partners makes black holes grow “supermassive” appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Sometimes there’s just no telling what will turn up at the local market. Fish biologist Jeff Williams of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History […]

The post Surprise: Distinctive new surgeonfish species makes an improbable debut appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Rock ’n’ roll musicians live forever in the mind’s eye thanks to iconic photos of them in their element, playing live: Chuck Berry and his […]

The post What makes a great rock ’n’ roll photo? appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Now the Global Plants Initiativeis catapulting biodiversity research to a new level by sharing these historic plant collections in a massive online database of high-resolution scans.

The post Online initiative makes massive database of herbarium specimens accessible worldwide appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Phragmites australis, the common reed, has been a component of North American marshes for thousands of years. However, a novel genetic lineage, Phragmites australis australis, […]

The post Climate change conundrum: Invasive reed makes much more methane appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

As of today all PDF versions of books published by the National Academies Press will be downloadable to anyone free of charge. This includes a current catalog of more than 4,000 books plus future reports produced by the Press.

The U.S. DRIVE Partnership – a government-industry partnership that fosters the development of precompetitive and innovative technologies for clean and efficient light-duty vehicles – has made significant progress in many technical areas including advanced combustion technologies, durability and cost of hydrogen fuel cells, and electric drive systems such as motors, power electronics, and batteries, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Despite significant cuts to NASAs Planetary Science Division budget early in this decade, the space agency has made impressive progress in meeting goals outlined in the 2013-2022 planetary decadal survey by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, says a new midterm assessment from the National Academies.

Even small areas of semi-natural vegetation, farmlands and abandoned farmlands provide important ecosystem services in urban environments. However, there is widespread loss of these non-urbanised areas (NUAs) owing to poor planning and urban sprawl. A new five-step process has now been developed that can inform effective planning to protect and enhance the value of urban green spaces.

Even small areas of semi-natural vegetation, farmlands and abandoned farmlands provide important ecosystem services in urban environments. However, there is widespread loss of these non-urbanised areas (NUAs) owing to poor planning and urban sprawl. A new five-step process has now been developed that can inform effective planning to protect and enhance the value of urban green spaces.

A team of researchers from Florida State University, Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health has found existing drug compounds that can both stop Zika from replicating in the body and from damaging the crucial fetal brain cells that lead to birth defects in newborns.

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A target level of 20 micrograms of phosphorus per litre of lake water could help keep many lakes safe for recreation by restricting the growth of harmful algal blooms, European research suggests. The scientists analysed the relationship between phosphorus levels in medium- and high-alkalinity lakes, the growth of cyanobacteria blooms and the concentrations of cyanobacteria that trigger World Health Organization (WHO) warnings.

A new study into the impact of railway noise has revealed that it is not just the level of noise that contributes to annoyance for local residents, but also the number of trains and the vibrations they cause. As railway transport is likely to increase in coming years, plans are needed to reduce these effects.

A new report indicates that some progress has been made towards meeting key sustainable transport targets, but challenges remain. Improvements in passenger vehicle efficiency has led to reductions in emissions, however, reductions in oil consumption are not sufficient to meet targets, with more policy initiatives and continued monitoring needed to ensure that sustainability goals are achieved.

Better fuel economy, lower emissions and longer driving ranges are important factors for people considering the purchase of alternatively-powered vehicles (APVs), new research suggests. The German study also found that people would consider paying more for an APV if they could enjoy vehicle tax exemptions, free parking or bus lane access.

A target level of 20 micrograms of phosphorus per litre of lake water could help keep many lakes safe for recreation by restricting the growth of harmful algal blooms, European research suggests. The scientists analysed the relationship between phosphorus levels in medium- and high-alkalinity lakes, the growth of cyanobacteria blooms and the concentrations of cyanobacteria that trigger World Health Organization (WHO) warnings.

A method for assessing urban neighbourhoods’ resilience to flooding has been presented in a recent study. The method identifies features of urban landscapes that contribute to three elements of flood resilience: resistance, absorption and recovery. In a German case study, the tool shows that the features which make a waterfront neighbourhood of Hamburg more flood resilient include high bridges, open public spaces and flood-protected basements.

Yusuf Pachmariwala, EVP & Head Operations, Tata AIA LI talks about the use of AI and ML at the Insurer to automate tasks and reduce fraud.

Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) have been shown to adapt to local environments that are as little as 20 km apart, and these adaptations can be passed on to offspring. In this study, oysters that originated from less saline areas tended to be more resilient to extremely low saline conditions than oysters from more saline areas. Since episodes of reduced salinity are a predicted effect of climate change in the San Francisco Bay area under study, the authors say their findings could be useful for future conservation and restoration efforts.

A new report indicates that some progress has been made towards meeting key sustainable transport targets, but challenges remain. Improvements in passenger vehicle efficiency has led to reductions in emissions, however, reductions in oil consumption are not sufficient to meet targets, with more policy initiatives and continued monitoring needed to ensure that sustainability goals are achieved.

Care isn’t just part of the name at GSK Nutritional Healthcare. It’s at the heart of its customer help lines. But Ashley Thomas knew that the company’s legacy telephone technology was becoming a bit of a hindrance. Keen to boost customer service with new technology, a review of the market led Ashley to BT Cloud Contact

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Williams will provide offshore natural gas transportation services to the Anchor development, thanks to an agreement with co-owners Chevron and Total E&P USA, Inc.

A petition to to the USDA to allow food stamps to be used online could make affordable, healthy foods easily available to people in food deserts.

Video: Maps can provide real-time traffic information and 'fastest route' suggestions using geo-immersion — new technology that blends the real and the virtua

If you think kosher wine is only for a specific group of wine drinkers, think again.

It's one of many bold claims made by the late physicist Stephen Hawking in his final book, "Brief Answers to the Big Questions," published posthumously.

A boy from Thousand Oaks started making Braille labels for his local grocery store and now Whole Foods.

Real maple syrup is worth the extra expense, but why choose maple syrup over other natural sweeteners like honey or sugar? Here's why and what to look for.

Pipeline spills aren't good for the environment and they aren't good for politics. They are especially bad for business.

The Vegetable Orchestra has been stunned crowds and serving soup for 17 years.

Scientists have created a microbe that converts carbon dioxide into biofuel, a discovery that might boost the battle against climate change.

It really is important to learn to love your stuff. But that love comes so much easier when there is less stuff to love.

For starters, it's more energy efficient than a standard door that swings.

Food, supplies, gear — and possibly Easter treats — successfully made their way to the space station.

The vision of an energy-efficient super grid that allows powers companies to communicate real-time may be possible through Google-Spectrum Bridge partnership.

An unstoppable smart home start-up faces its first major bump in the road: Safety concerns over the Nest Protect smoke detector's 'Nest Wave' function.

Thelma Taormina isn't exactly keen on smart meters. So when a utility worker arrived at her Houston home to install one of the devices, she did what any totally

When you can’t properly chew or shallow, eating can be a chore, but specialty created food can help.

Design and architecture professionals John Riordan and Kristen Becker have compiled 25 remarkable, sustainable workspaces in their book The Good Office: Green D

New research suggests long, happy marriages may be in the genes.

'Golden Boy' star Theo James hates waste.

Green 'Family Weekend'; nature TV premieres.

Shark expert Jeff Kurr talks with MNN about Discovery's 'Shark Week' and his new documentary for this year's celebration.

The secret to a longer, healthy life might have been living in our guts this whole time.

The secret to chicken soup's medicinal properties have been revealed by dietician Sandy Allonen.

Video: President Obama explains about how clean energy investments can diminish the environmental risks of fossil fuels and provide new jobs and opportunities a

A new report from KPMG sees 500 billion annual miles from people who might have otherwise stayed home.