Ecosystems need maths not random nature to survive |

A previously unknown mathematical property has been found to be behind one of nature's greatest mysteries – how ecosystems survive. Found in nature and common to all ecosystems the property, Trophic Coherence, is a measure of how plant and animal life interact within the food web of each ecosystem – providing scientists with the first ever mathematical understanding of their architecture and how food webs are able to grow larger while also becoming more stable. Read More:

An aircraft with a parallel hybrid engine – the first ever to be able to recharge its batteries in flight |

"Our mission is to keep our sights on finding innovative solutions and technologies that solve our industry's toughest challenges and continually improve environmental performance," said Marty Bradley, Boeing's principal investigator for the programme. "Hybrid electric is one of several important elements of our research efforts, and we are learning more every day about the feasibility of these technologies and how they could be used in the future."
"Although hybrid cars have been available for more than a decade, what's been holding back the development of hybrid or fully-electric aircraft until now is battery technology," said Dr. Paul Robertson of Cambridge's Department of Engineering, who led the project. "Until recently, they have been too heavy and didn't have enough energy capacity. But with the advent of improved lithium-polymer batteries, similar to what you'd find in a laptop computer, hybrid aircraft – albeit at a small scale – are now starting to become viable." Continue reading: Watch Video On Youtube |

‘Tipping points’ for sea level rise related flooding determined

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Summary: By 2050, a majority of US coastal areas are likely to be threatened by 30 or more days of flooding each year due to dramatically accelerating impacts from sea level rise, according to a new study. Mitigation decisions could range from retreating further inland to coastal fortification or to a combination of “green” infrastructure using both natural resources such as dunes and wetland, along with “gray” human-made infrastructure such as sea walls and redesigned storm water systems. Read More |