NSF's Science Matters

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04/04/2022



SCIENCE MATTERS


Friday, April 1, 2022
Happy National Fun at Work Day!

Some of our team members took the opportunity to have a little fun with some of the animals that are the focus of NSF-supported research. Of course, we have fun learning, so below we also share bits of knowledge gained through that research. It's March, so cue the band, turn down the lights and let's introduce the players — it's March Animal Madness! Inspired by the yearly basketball tournament and March Mammal Madness, we've pitted some members of kingdom Animalia against each other in fun and friendly competitions that highlight some of the interesting biological research NSF has recently supported – making each of our "players" student-athletes. NSF experts have weighed in on who they think will win in each bracket below and you can let us know your thoughts via social media.
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For more National Science Foundation Science Matters blog, visit our blog site. Contact the blog team.

What’s hot in science and engineering? Check out NSF research news for the day of April 4, 2022
04/04/2022
Keep up with today’s research news from the U.S. National Science Foundation. This is a daily look at noteworthy scientific findings from researchers around the country.


Mon, 04 Apr 2022
Hawaiian corals show surprising resilience to warming oceans

22-month study provides realistic conditions, scientists say
A long-term study of Hawaiian coral species offers a surprisingly optimistic view of how they might survive warmer and more acidic oceans resulting from climate change.
Researchers found that three coral species studied experienced significant mortality under ...
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Mon, 04 Apr 2022
Freshwater streams and rivers are getting saltier and more alkaline

Five-stage scoring scale gauges the harmful effects of road salt on freshwater
A new study led by U.S. National Science Foundation grantee researchers at the University of Maryland reveals how salinization from road salt combined with other pollutants can affect the ecological balance of freshwater bodies, and can create conditions that harm aquatic life and pollute drinking water.
"This is a problem that's caused ...
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Keep up with today’s research news from the U.S. National Science Foundation. This is a daily look at noteworthy scientific findings from researchers around the country.



Tue, 05 Apr 2022
Cities can be part of the solution in sustaining species

Study identified hotspots predicted to have large impacts on species habitats
Within the next 30 years, the global urban human population is projected to increase by 2.5 billion, which will accelerate urban spread. Much of this expansion is predicted in biodiversity hot spots -- areas rich with species that are at high risk for destruction due to human ...

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Tue, 05 Apr 2022
Tree cover helps gray foxes coexist with coyotes in rural areas

Preserving tree cover may be essential in helping the gray fox survive with coyotes
As coyotes have spread outside their native range into the eastern United States, they've been known to harass and kill North Carolina's two native species of fox. A new study finds that preserving tree cover may be essential in helping the gray fox survive with coyotes in ...
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Tuesday, April 5, 2022
From the magic of nature to the marvels of the Milky Way … this Citizen Science Month, explore how you can volunteer to advance science

April is Citizen Science Month, and NSF is recognizing the contributions that volunteers from all walks of life, age groups and demographics have made to scientific discovery – and will continue to make. NSF has launched dozens of citizen science projects, from birds to ladybugs, accessible sidewalks to safaris and auroras to aquatic species. Nearly all of these projects partner with SciStarter, an online portal where individuals, educators and groups can search through more than 3,000 projects by location, topic or age level.

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Keep up with today’s research news from the U.S. National Science Foundation. This is a daily look at noteworthy scientific findings from researchers around the country.


Wed, 06 Apr 2022
The longest drought, redefined

Climate scientists reconsider the meaning and implications of drought

Maps of the American West have featured ever darker shades of red over the past two decades. The colors illustrate the unprecedented drought blighting the region. In some areas, conditions have blown past severe and extreme drought into exceptional drought. But rather than ...
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Wed, 06 Apr 2022
Laboratory experiments replicate volatile plasma at the center of galaxy clusters

Scientists use simulations and high-power lasers to explain how turbulent plasma can stay hot
A team of U.S. National Science Foundation grantee astronomers and astrophysicists based at the University of Rochester and other institutions examined the inner workings of heat conduction in galaxy clusters -- thousands of galaxies held together by gravity.
The matter in galaxy clusters ...
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Dear Colleague Letter: CHE FY22 International Supplement

Available Formats:
HTML: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2022/nsf22070/nsf22070.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_34&WT.mc_ev=click
PDF: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2022/nsf22070/nsf22070.pdf?WT.mc_id=USNSF_34&WT.mc_ev=click

Document Number: nsf22070
Public Comment:


This is an NSF Program Announcements and Information - Math/Physical Sciences item.

What’s hot in science and engineering? Check out NSF research news for the day of April 7, 2022
04/07/2022
Keep up with today’s research news from the U.S. National Science Foundation. This is a daily look at noteworthy scientific findings from researchers around the country.


Thu, 07 Apr 2022
Ancient DNA confirms marine mammal tuberculosis strains were found in inland people

Complex web of disease transmission in pre-colonial South America
Tuberculosis is the second most common cause of death worldwide by an infectious pathogen; COVID-19 is the first. However, many aspects of TB's long history remain controversial.
Scientists studying ancient TB genomes are assembling pieces of this complex evolutionary ...

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Thu, 07 Apr 2022
Researchers find humans have given wild animals their diseases nearly 100 times
Diseases have undergone 'spillback' from humans to wild animals
A research team led by scientists at Georgetown University has found that humans give viruses back to animals more often than previously thought.
In a study published in Ecology Letters, the authors describe nearly 100 different cases where diseases have undergone "spillback" from humans to wild animals, much like how SARS-CoV-2 has spread in mink ...
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Thursday, April 7, 2022
Measuring progress (and gaps) in the US skilled technical workforce

The National Science Board and NCSES have made an important change to how they describe and quantify the STEM workforce, providing for the first time data on all people who use science skills in their jobs, not just those with a bachelor's or advanced degree. Using this more expansive definition, the science workforce represented 23% of the total U.S. workforce in 2019, and more than half of those working in STEM fields are skilled technical workers, defined as those who work in a STEM job but who do not have a bachelor's degree.
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National Science Foundation Science Matters blog, visit our blog site. Contact the blog team.