The northern pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) brings unexpected ecosystem benefits
All Canada Photos/Alamy
Two years after Mount St Helens erupted in 1980, a team of researchers helicoptered in a gopher to the ash-covered landscape. Decades later, the activity of that single gopher burrowing for a single day may have helped the decimated ecosystem regrow by boosting the diversity of soil fungi.
“There’s something to be said about learning lessons from the gophers,” says Mia Maltz at the University of Connecticut, who has used the eruption to understand how forests might recover from other stresses – including wildfires and…
How government use of AI could hurt democracy
AI could automate some government paperwork, but it comes with serious risksBrett Hondow / Alamy Many countries are exploring how...
Surgical robots take step towards fully autonomous operations
A surgical robot operating on a dead pigJuo-Tung Chen/Johns Hopkins University An AI-powered robot was able to remove a gall...
Fig trees may benefit climate by turning carbon dioxide into stone
Fig trees may be especially good at removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphereRaimund Linke/mauritius images GmbH/Alamy Some fig trees can...
3D printing could enable a safer long-term therapy for type 1 diabetes
People with type 1 diabetes can’t produce enough insulin to regulate their blood sugarHalfpoint Images/Getty Images Researchers have 3D printed...
