James Woodford

South Coast

Reporter at New Scientist

Author, journalist, Ocean Correspondent at Guardian Australia, co-owner http://t.co/wih6cPWzGl

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Articles

Iron Age site was a purple dye factory for centuries

1 week ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

For centuries, a coastal settlement in modern-day Israel was home to the industrial-scale production from marine snails of a purple dye that was one of the ancient worldâ€™s most precious commodities. Known as Tyrian purple, it was especially sought after to colour woollen textiles and was highly prized by the wealthy and powerful in Iron Age Mediterranean societies. But until now the direct evidence of any sites of large-scale production has been sparse.
Ancient humans may have faced radiation risk 41,000 years ago

1 week ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

Around 41,000 years ago, Earth’s magnetic field weakened to just a fraction of modern levels, leading to a huge increase in the radiation hitting the surface of the planet. Some researchers suggest the Laschamps event, as it is known, could have pushed Neanderthals towards extinction, while modern humans might have protected themselves using tailored clothing and ochre sunscreen. Earth’s magnetic field extends into space and acts as a protective shield against harmful radiation.
Living material made from fungus could make buildings more sustainable

1 week ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

A fungus and bacteria have been used to create a living building material that is able to grow and repair itself. One of the great challenges facing the world as we attempt to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions is finding more sustainable building materials. The manufacture of concrete alone accounts for more than 5 per cent of total human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
Lab-grown chicken could be made chewier using artificial capillaries

1 week ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

A thick, bite-sized piece of chicken fillet has been grown in a lab using tiny tubes to mimic the capillaries found in real muscle. Researchers say this gives the product a chewier texture. When growing thick pieces of cultured meat, one major problem is that cells in the centre don’t get enough oxygen or nutrients, so they die and break down, says Shoji Takeuchi at the University of Tokyo. “This leads to necrosis and makes it hard to grow meat with good texture and taste,” he says.
Antarctic teams drill oldest ice cores yet in search of climate clues

1 week ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

More than a century ago, explorers from several countries raced to reach the globe’s southernmost point, driven by fierce international rivalries. Now, a new race is under way in Antarctica, this time motivated by the need to understand one of the gravest threats facing humanity. While other ancient climate records exist, only the ancient ice near the poles holds a perfect record of the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide levels and temperature.
Denisovan fossil from Taiwan gives clue to mysterious ancient humans

2 weeks ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

A fossil found by fishers in Taiwan has been identified as a jawbone from the mysterious Denisovan group of ancient humans. Denisovans were first described in 2010 from a fossil fingerbone found in Denisova cave in the Altai mountains, Russia. Although few fossils have been found, traces of their DNA still exist in some modern humans, indicating they were widespread in East Asia. The newly identified fossil mandible was recovered from the Penghu Channel by commercial fishers while…
Plant-based waterproof material could replace single-use plastics

2 weeks ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

Chemistry Cellulose, the main component of paper, can be turned into clear, waterproof objects such as cups that are almost indistinguishable from plastic, but break down more quickly A waterproof, plant-based material that degrades quickly in the ocean could offer a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics in cups and straws. Transparent paperboard is, like cellophane, made from cellulose, the molecule that makes up plant cell walls.
How long is a day on Uranus? Slightly longer than we thought, it seems

2 weeks ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

A day on Uranus just got slightly longer, thanks to more accurate measurements of its rotation period that should help scientists plan missions to probe the gas giant. Figuring out the rotation period of the solar systemâ€™s giant planets is much harder than for the likes of Mars and Earth, because ferocious wind storms make direct measurements impossible. The first measurement of Uranusâ€™ rotation came from the Voyager 2 probe, which made its closest approach on 24 January 1986.
Bizarre fossil may have been an entirely new type of life

1 month ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

Chemical analysis suggests the 400-million-year-old fossil Prototaxites was neither plant, animal or fungus – hinting at a mysterious life form that went extinct long agoPrototaxites formed tall structures like tree trunks, shown in this illustration of a landscape from the Silurian PeriodA bizarre ancient organism previously thought to be a giant fungus may actually belong to an undiscovered branch of the tree of life that mysteriously went extinct.
Nuclear fusion fuel could be made greener with new way to supply lithium

1 month ago | newscientist.com | James Woodford

Limitless power from nuclear fusion may be a step closer following the accidental discovery of a new process to supply the isotope lithium-6, which is vital to providing fuel for a sustainable fusion reactor. The least challenging fusion process involves combining two isotopes of hydrogen, deuterium and tritium, to yield helium, a neutron and a lot of energy. Tritium, a rare, radioactive isotope of hydrogen, is difficult and expensive to source.