Earth & The Environment News: AI Systems Lack Internal Awareness of Physical Constraints & more...

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:00:12 -0700

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AI Systems Lack Internal Awareness of Physical Constraints

How does AI manage real-world settings without a physical body? This is what a recent study published in Neuron hopes to address as a team of researchers investigated how AI would respond with external inputs (i.e., a physical body) as opposed to strictly internal inputs (i.e., data and visual). This study has the ...

Peanut Shell Biochar Boosts Soil Health and Crop Quality

How can peanut shell biochar (charcoal-like heated biomass) reshape soil microbes for better crops? This is what a recent study published in Biochar hopes to address as a team of researchers from China investigated the long-term impacts of peanut shell biochar on microbial communities. This study has the potential ...

Sun's Magnetic Engine More Complex Than Previously Thought

How does the Sun’s magnetic field react during solar storms? This is what a recent study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters hopes to address as a team of scientists led by the Southwest Research Institute investigated the processes the Sun’s magnetic field undergoes during solar activity ...

Legged Robots Could Search for Life on Mars and Moon Resources

Can autonomous robots help cut space exploration times? This is what a recent study published in Frontiers in Space Technologies hopes to address as a team of scientists from Switzerland and the Netherlands investigated how semi-autonomous robots could be used to explore the surfaces of the Moon and Mars. This ...

JWST Data Reveals Saturn's Aurora Acts as a "Heat Pump"

How do Saturn’s northern lights drive the planet’s atmospheric winds? This conundrum has baffled scientists for decades, but now a recent study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics might bring some long-sought answers from an international team of researchers investigating ...

NEW PODCASTS

Dr. Suanna Crowley on Applied Anthropology and Global Science Communication

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S2 E6 | Life of Her Mind

What drives women in science to challenge the status quo?  The Life of Her Mind host, Mia Wood, discusses this question and more with Dr. Suanna Crowley, anthropologist, geoscientist, founder of Headfort Consulting, science communications specialist, and Lead Archaeologist with SWCA, a national environmental consulting firm. Hear Dr. Crowly  Discuss her path to science ... . . .

Fieldwork and Biological Anthropology with Dr. Stephanie Poindexter

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S1 E8 | Life of Her Mind

Dr. Stephanie Poindexter is a biological anthropologist at the University of Buffalo specializing in primatology. Doctor Poindexter conducts field, lab, and desk-based research into how primates use and navigate their habitats. More specifically, Doctor Poindexter investigates primate movement, morphology, and cognition. Of particular interest is the slow loris. Dr. Poindexter investigates how the ... . . .

Understanding Brain Plasticity with Dr. Gina Turrigiano

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S1 E5 | Life of Her Mind

Groundbreaking neurobiologist, Dr. Gina Turrigiano heads up the Turrigiano Lab in Brandeis University’s Biology Department. Dr. Turrigiano’s work focuses on brain plasticity. Our conversation covered a wide range of topics, including the following: How Dr. Turrigiano and her husband, electrophysiologist, Dr. Sasha Nelson, navigated the challenges involved in ... . . .

The Life of Her Mind Series Trailer

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Life of Her Mind

Labroots is excited to announce the relaunch of The Life of Her Mind, a podcast series focusing on the lives, perspectives, career pathways, and research of women working across STEM fields. . . .

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UPCOMING WEBINARS

Innovating for Impact: Sustainable Solutions for Cell Culture Labs

Sune Sporring, MSc, PhD - Sr. Manager, R&D, Thermo Fisher Scientific

Sustainability in the cell culture lab is no longer optional, but knowing what truly makes an impact can be challenging. With increasing claims and product labels in the market, it can be difficult to distinguish meaningful environmental improvements from greenwashing. At the same time, researchers cannot compromise performance or reproducibility in pursuit of sustainability goals. This ...

APR 22, 2026 9:00 AM PDT

High Performance, Low Impact: Where Safety Meets Sustainability

Kasey Fulmer - Product Manager, Labconco

Jeremy Sandler, PhD - Product Manager, Labconco

Biosafety cabinets (BSCs) and chemical fume hoods are essential for protecting people and the laboratory environment from biological and chemical hazards. From introductory teaching labs to advanced research facilities, these systems play a central role in maintaining safe ventilation and controlling exposure to harmful materials. Understanding how they work — and why they are so important ...

APR 27, 2026 9:00 AM PDT

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