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Watering and fertilizing crops to provide enough food for a changing world is a major challenge in agriculture. Now, scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a “smart soil” that can keep plants better hydrated and provide a controlled release of nutrients. In tests it drastically improved crop growth while using far less water.Continue ReadingCategory: ScienceTags: Plants, Crops, Agriculture, Agricultural, Food,...

When scientists recently dug up fossilized bones of a species of megafauna by a riverbank in Argentina, they found something even more fascinating than the remnants of this glyptodont. On those bones they found the type of cut marks not inflicted by other animals but by stone tools, in the process of primitive butchering. This would put human presence in the area at 21,000...

China is looking to get into the planetary defense business. A new paper by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirms that in 2030, the country plans to conduct a test mission to deflect a small asteroid from its current course.Continue ReadingCategory: Space, ScienceTags: Asteroid, Asteroid Redirect Mission, China National Space Administration, China

Carabiner-type multitools with integrated bit drivers may be a dime a dozen, but the new EH4 distinguishes itself in one important way. It provides storage space for three double-ended bits, offering users a total of six onboard bit options.Continue ReadingCategory: Outdoors, LifestyleTags: Multitools, Titanium, Kickstarter

The world's largest renewable energy and transmission project has received key approval from government officials. The Australia-Asia Power Link project will send Australian solar power to Singapore via 4,300 kilometer-long undersea cables.Continue ReadingCategory: Energy, ScienceTags: Solar Power, Clean Energy, Grid-Level Energy Storage, Australia, Singapore

Two 650-foot-tall (200-m) towers have risen in China's Gansu Province. Combined with an array of 30,000 mirrors arranged in concentric circles, the new facility is expected to generate over 1.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year.Continue ReadingCategory: Energy, ScienceTags: Clean Energy, Solar Thermal, Solar Power, Renewable Energy, Power, Electricity, China

The first expedition to the Titanic since last year's Titan submersible disaster that killed five people is on its way. The goal is to make the most detailed imaging survey yet of the historic wreck to ascertain how the sea environment is affecting it.Continue ReadingCategory: Marine, TransportTags: Underwater drones, Titanic, Ships, History

Playing the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with others has a positive impact on mental health, according to a new study. The researchers say that the game should be included as a therapeutic tool as part of a holistic approach to mental health.Continue ReadingCategory: Health & Wellbeing, LifestyleTags: mental health, Games, University College Cork