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Sydney reopens beaches after tar ball scare

AFP The clean-up on Coogee Beach on Thursday Beaches in the Australian city of Sydney have reopened for swimmers after being closed earlier this week when thousands of mysterious black tar-like balls washed ashore, prompting health concerns. Officials say tests found the balls to be formed from chemicals similar to those in cosmetics and cleaning […]

Five surprising ways that trees help prevent flooding

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Think of flood prevention and you might imagine huge concrete dams, levees or the shiny Thames barrier. But some of the most powerful tools for reducing flood risk are far more natural and widely recognizable: woodlands and green spaces. Trees offer much more than beauty and oxygen. Here’s how trees help […]

Finding could help turn trees into affordable, greener industrial chemicals

Trees are the most abundant natural resource living on Earth’s land masses, and North Carolina State University scientists and engineers are making headway in finding ways to use them as sustainable, environmentally benign alternatives to producing industrial chemicals from petroleum. Lignin, a polymer that makes trees rigid and resistant to degradation, has proven problematic. Now […]

Professor tackles graph mining challenges with new algorithm

University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science professor Nikolaos Sidiropoulos has introduced a breakthrough in graph mining with the development of a new computational algorithm. Graph mining, a method of analyzing networks like social media connections or biological systems, helps researchers discover meaningful patterns in how different elements interact. The new algorithm addresses […]

Why creativity thrives on challenges

Filmmaker Jon M. Chu has enjoyed an incredible run of success, directing films like “Crazy Rich Asians,” “In the Heights” and the highly anticipated adaptation of “Wicked” in theaters soon. But he wasn’t always sure he’d make it big. In a wide-ranging conversation, Chu gives his thoughts on nurturing creativity, embracing failure and finding inspiration […]