Large boulders help shape huge canyons, researchers find

Anyone who enjoys whitewater rafting in places like the Colorado River owes a debt of gratitude to the enormous boulders that create the foaming undulation known as rapids, and new research appears to shed more light on how ...

Supercomputing dynamic earthquake rupture models

Some of the world's most powerful earthquakes involve multiple faults, and scientists are using supercomputers to better predict their behavior. Multi-fault earthquakes can span fault systems of tens to hundreds of kilometers, ...

Just how much does enhancing photosynthesis improve crop yield?

In the next two decades, crop yields need to increase dramatically to feed the growing global population. Wouldn't it be incredibly useful if we had a crystal ball to show us what are the best strategies available to increase ...

Improvised dance embodies complexities of social decisions

A work of art evolves from a series of decisions, as an artist combines brushstrokes, dance steps or musical notes to convey a feeling or idea. When a group of interacting dancers improvises a performance from a repertoire ...

Adaptive models capture complexity of the brain and behavior

For the scientists that study animal behavior, even the simplest roundworm poses huge challenges. The movement of squirming worms, flocking birds and walking humans changes from moment to moment, in ways that the naked eye ...

Big cities feed on their hinterlands to sustain growth

Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden call into question an influential theory of the self-reinforcing dynamics of urban growth. Their research, published in Science Advances, shows that big cities feed on their ...

New mathematical model to save endangered species

What does the blue whale have in common with the Bengal tiger and the green turtle? They share the risk of extinction and are classified as endangered species. There are multiple reasons for species to die out, and climate ...

Can social interactions affect spread of disease?

Most real-world systems, such as biological, social, and economic schemes evolve constantly. The dynamics of such systems are characterized by significantly enhanced activity levels over short periods of time (or "bursts") ...

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