In Oregon and Montana, researchers and landowners have been experimenting with drones to scare off predators who might otherwise prey on livestock. The approach is promising, but is limited by expense, regulations, impacts on other wildlife, and battery life.

via Undark Magazine https://undark.org/2024/04/30/protect-livestock-predators-drone/

There is no question that the planet’s oceans contain enormous amounts of energy. But can that energy be harnessed economically — or is the idea of pulling watts from the water doomed to be a sideshow in the quest for green energy? In Scotland, companies have been testing their technology to find out.

via Undark Magazine https://undark.org/2024/04/29/scotland-ocean-power/

In her new book, “Alien Worlds: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos,” astronomer Lisa Kaltenegger, who founded the Carl Sagan Institute, explores how scientists might find life elsewhere in the universe, and what that has to do with life here on Earth.

via Undark Magazine https://undark.org/2024/04/26/book-review-alien-earths/

Russian scientists publish extensively on fossils taken from Taurida Cave in occupied Crimea. The editorial boards and publishers of international journals, as well as the scientific community, appear to be ignoring the legal and ethical issues of this practice, according to legal scholar Paul P. Stewens.

via Undark Magazine https://undark.org/2024/04/25/opinion-academic-publishers-ukrainian-fossils-theft/

The long-term effects of firearm violence in urban communities — and among young people in particular — are understudied, researchers say. But several recent papers use new methods and datasets to assess the consequences for health outcomes and rates of gun carrying.

via Undark Magazine https://undark.org/2024/04/24/longterm-impact-gun-violence-youth/

Propelled by the draining of local aquifers, Mexico City’s land is sinking fast. New research surveys how uneven changes in the landscape are impacting the sprawling transportation system — a problem that could impact millions on the U.S. East Coast as well.

via Undark Magazine https://undark.org/2024/04/23/mexico-city-metro-sinking/

The Atacama boasts high altitudes and clear skies, making it a haven for stargazing. And by 2030, Chile will be home to almost 70 percent of the world’s astronomical infrastructure. Light pollution, though, threatens frontier research. Can a recently announced nationwide lighting standard make a difference?

via Undark Magazine https://undark.org/2024/04/22/darkness-in-chile-atacama-desert/

Can scientists unlock the keys to a longer life? The field is flush with hope and hype. In “Why We Die,” biologist and Nobel laureate Venki Ramakrishnan explores the science of aging, and helps readers make sense of billionaire antics, breathless press releases, and splashy scientific advances.

via Undark Magazine https://undark.org/2024/04/19/book-review-why-we-die/

Precision livestock farming tools that make use of artificial intelligence offer a way to continuously and precisely monitor animals in real time. But to a group of scientists who advocate for a move to plant-based diets, such technologies won’t solve animal agriculture’s fundamental problems.

via Undark Magazine https://undark.org/2024/04/18/opinion-ai-wont-fix-animal-agriculture/

One startup has said a genetically modified microbe could prevent cavities. Experts, though, have safety and ethical concerns: The treatment has never been tested on humans in a clinical study. There’s also no data about whether it could spread between people.

via Undark Magazine https://undark.org/2024/04/17/brushing-with-bacteria-lumina/