Scientific news in small doses

A few milligrams of all the scientific news of the week

Eric-Pierre Champagne
The Press

Smaller humans?

Global warming could make humans less tall in the future, believes a British paleontologist, who has just released a book called The Rise and Reign of the Mammals. Steve Brusatte, a professor at the University of Edinburgh, points out that animals living in warmer regions are generally smaller than those living in colder zones. In daily interview The Guardian, Mr Brusatte said this physical change was a fairly common way for mammals to cope with climate change. A hypothesis that is not supported, however, by all scientists with regard to humans. The answer in several thousand years…

Quiz

Can tomatoes improve the performance of solar panels?

Chinese researchers have discovered that they can improve the performance of a new generation of solar panels by adding lycopene. This substance is found in particular in tomatoes and other red or orange fruits and vegetables. Lycopene improves the performance of solar panels made of perovskite and not silicone. Perovskite is an ore composed of titanium and calcium which would allow better performance for solar panels. The tomato pigment would make it possible to slow down the degradation of the new generations of solar cells which are destined to be increasingly popular. The study was published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials.

The number

15,000

We now know that climate change increases the risk of new pandemics. As a result of global warming and the destruction of their habitats, more and more animals are moving closer to inhabited areas, thereby increasing the risk of transmission of new viruses. Researchers from Georgetown University in the US have calculated that at least 15,000 new cross-species viral transmissions are expected to occur by 2070, even limiting warming to 2 ^ohC. These risks will be higher in certain regions of the world such as tropical Africa and Southeast Asia.

Health and trails

In Winnipeg, people living near newly constructed multi-use (walking and biking) trails have seen their health improve. This is the finding of a study conducted by the University of Manitoba about four trails built in Manitoba’s capital between 2010 and 2012. People living within 400 m of one of these trails saw their health cardiovascular disease and had a lower risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. Risk factors decreased by 8% to 15%, depending on the trail. The authors believe that their study should encourage cities to provide more paths for pedestrians and cyclists.

Australia’s underestimated methane emissions

The amount of methane released by coal mines in Australia is grossly underestimated, according to an analysis by Ember, a British think tank. According to their calculations, these methane emissions are actually twice as high as the official figures released by the government. The official calculation method does not provide an exact picture, since it takes into account the quantity of coal produced to calculate emissions. In some cases, the results were up to 10 times lower than reality. Remember that Australia is the world’s second largest coal exporter. Methane is a greenhouse gas up to 80 times more potent than carbon. An international agreement was adopted last year to reduce global methane emissions by 30% by 2030, but without Australia’s signature.