Latest news with #SpringerNature
Washington Post
12-07-2025
- Science
- Washington Post
Shipping traffic can trigger methane emissions from seafloor, study finds
Ships trigger seafloor methane emissions while moving through shallow water, researchers report in Communications Earth & Environment. The scientists say the unexpected discovery has nothing to do with the type of fuel used by the ship. Instead, 'ship-induced pressure changes and turbulent mixing' trigger the release of the gas from the seafloor. Bubbles and gas diffusion push the methane into the atmosphere, where it acts as a greenhouse gas. Scientists had noticed unexpected methane emissions in the Baltic Sea's Neva Bay shipping lane while conducting other research, the researchers say in a 'Behind the Paper' article for Springer Nature Research Communities. The team was in the 'right place at the right time, looking for everything else than methane plumes, but with a methane sensor they didn't expect to give any interesting signals,' they write. But they did find methane — lots of it. Years later, they assembled an interdisciplinary team to solve the mystery. It turns out the ships were triggering the emissions, filling the shipping lane with bubbles and causing the sediment below to release methane gas in periodic fluxes. Container and cruise ships triggered the largest and most frequent methane emissions, but the study suggests that ships of all kinds, regardless of their type of engine or size, trigger methane emissions. Researchers said they observed emissions that were 20 times higher in the shipping lane than in undisturbed nearby areas. Given the number of ports in similarly shallow areas worldwide, it's important to learn more about emissions in shipping lanes and to better estimate their 'hitherto unknown impact,' study co-author Johan Mellqvist, a professor of optical remote sensing at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, said in a news release.
South China Morning Post
09-07-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
China's Chang'e-6 findings reveal asteroid strike may have altered moon's far-side mantle
China's Chang'e-6 lunar mission has yielded groundbreaking findings about the moon's hidden history, revealing evidence that a colossal asteroid strike more than 4 billion years ago could have fundamentally altered the deep interior of its far side. The research was published as four open-access papers on Wednesday in Nature, one of the world's oldest and most prestigious scientific journals with headquarters in London. While these papers are available to all readers regardless of subscriber status, Chinese teams are reporting a wave of scientific findings from the country's lunar programme that American government scientists may be locked out of because of a US decision to cancel subscriptions to Nature and other Springer Nature journals. 01:57 China's Chang'e-6 mission returns to Earth with first samples from moon's far side China's Chang'e-6 mission returns to Earth with first samples from moon's far side Officials cited budget concerns and dismissed the journals as 'junk science', which could hinder government scientists – including key Nasa researchers – from having access to major discoveries. The new analysis of the returned far-side rocks suggests that part of the moon's deep interior was stripped of important chemical ingredients more than 4 billion years ago – likely during a giant asteroid impact. The collision was so powerful it not only carved out a 2,500km-wide (1,550-mile) crater on the moon's far side – the largest of its kind in the solar system – but also changed the make-up of the moon's mantle hundreds of kilometres below the surface, according to a team led by scientists at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics in Beijing. Lava later erupted from this damaged mantle and cooled into volcanic rock that is depleted in elements such as titanium and thorium, as well as water. These samples are the most chemically depleted moon rocks ever studied – more so than any returned by the US, Soviet or earlier Chinese missions, which all came from the moon's near side, the team reported in Nature on Wednesday. Chang'e-6 is the first and only mission to return samples from the moon's far side. It landed in the South Pole-Aitken basin in June 2024 and brought back 1.9kg (4.2lbs) of soil, mostly from a 2.8 billion-year-old volcanic eruption.
Japan Forward
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Forward
'Modern Japan's Place in World History: From Meiji to Reiwa'
Modern Japan's Place in World History (Springer Nature, open access) is an ambitious collection of essays spanning 211 pages. Edited by Masayuki Yamauchi and Yuichi Hosoya, it was published in early 2023. The volume traces Japan's journey from the transformative Meiji Restoration through the symbolic Reiwa era, offering a panoramic view of how Japan has navigated its role on the global stage. With contributions from 14 leading Japanese historians, the book zeroes in on critical junctures — wars, diplomacy, economy, and identity — with both empirical rigor and philosophical depth. The project began as a series of lectures conducted at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party headquarters from December 2015 to July 2018. They were part of a group established at the time to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the LDP (p vii). Called the "Study History, Consider the Future Group," it comprised politicians and scholars. A Japanese version of the compilation was published first in 2019, followed by this English version in 2023. Emperor Meiji Emperor Naruhito The editors organized the volume in a broadly chronological sequence, anchoring each chapter to a decisive historical turning point. While there are no subsections to the 15 chapters (including an Introduction and Afterword), key themes include: Meiji Restoration and Westernization Exploring Meiji's early drive toward bunmei-kaika (civilization and enlightenment), the essays show how Japan selectively emulated Western models in education, governance, and industry — not merely copying, but synthesizing new forms of identity and statehood. Imperial Wars and Expansion Chapters on the First Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, and Manchurian Crisis examine how military victories and territorial ambitions reshaped national confidence and global perception, establishing Japan as an imperial power. The interconnected narratives of World War I and World War II illustrate how global conflicts forced Japan into alliance systems, total war, and ultimately, collapse. These provide raw material for the book's central inquiry: how Japan moved from aggressor to ally. Postwar Reconstruction and United States Occupation Reflective essays cover economic revival under American oversight, constitutional reform, and the paradigm shift from imperial empire to pacifist democracy — laying the groundwork for Japan's new alignment in the Asia-Pacific. Japan–China Relations & Regional Diplomacy The editors dedicate thoughtful space to the normalization of diplomatic ties in the 1970s, and the evolving Sino-Japanese relationship — from Cold War tensions through modern interdependence. Contemporary Japan in Global Context These concluding essays consider Japan's role in globalization, decolonization, and multilateral institutions, into the Reiwa era. They touch on soft power, technological influence, and ongoing identity negotiations. Modern Japan's Place in History shines through its integration of fresh research and historiographical self-reflection. The Japanese contributors challenge traditional Western-centered narratives. For example: The Meiji modernization is reframed as Japan crafting a hybridized identity, not merely West-mimicking, but West-informed innovation. Imperial military actions are analyzed in light of domestic political struggles and emergent pan-Asian ideologies. The postwar occupation is revisited not as a unilateral imposition, but as a negotiated transformation with shared, though unequal, agency. By weaving global history with Japanese perspectives, the book achieves a conceptual unity: Japan has been inseparable from the world — sometimes leading, sometimes following, and always adapting There are several strengths to the book, including: Each essay connects Japanese domestic developments to international forces, reinforcing the thesis that Japan has never been historically insular. With fourteen specialists — including editors Yamauchi (Musashino University / University of Tokyo) and Hosoya (Keio University), who each wrote chapters — the book guarantees scholarly depth from an entirely Japanese perspective. At 211 pages, it's condensed yet wide-ranging, suitable for scholars, students, and informed lay readers. Open access publication lowers barriers, facilitating global scholarly engagement. This is particularly valuable in current debates on intellectual equity. Introduction (Yuichi Hosoya) First Chapter: The Meiji Restoration as a Constitutional Revolution (Kazuhiro Takii) Second Chapter: The First Sino-Japanese War and East Asia (Takashi Okamoto) Third Chapter: The Russo-Japanese War and Modern International Society (Yuichi Hosoya) Fourth Chapter: World War I and the Origin of the Sino-Japanese Conflict (Soichi Naraoka) Fifth Chapter: Transformational Period in Japan-China Modern Relations (Shin Kawashima) Sixth Chapter: The Manchurian Incident and Party Cabinets (Michihiko Kobayashi) Seventh Chapter: Disarmament Conferences and a Crisis of Diplomacy in the Interwar Period (Ken Kotani) Eighth Chapter: The Southward Advance and Going to War with the United States (Atsushi Moriyama) Ninth Chapter: US Policy for the Occupation of Japan and Changes to It (Ayako Kusunoki) Tenth Chapter: Law and Politics in the Tokyo Trial (Yoshinobu Higurashi) Eleventh Chapter: Japanese Colonial Rule and the Issue of Perceptions of History (Kan Kimura) Twelfth Chapter: Postwar Japan-China Relations (Masaya Inoue) Thirteenth Chapter: The Issue of Historical Perspective from the Post-Heisei Era (Hiroshi Nakanishi) Afterword: Japan's Modern History: A Reiwa Era Perspective (Masayuki Yamauchi) In publishing in English, the editors clearly hoped the book would reach an international audience. This is hinted at in the Acknowledgments (p xi) to the English version. They seem to have in mind fellow students of modern Japan as the main audience. Additionally, this book will likely interest non-specialists curious about Japanese modern history, who will appreciate its accessible essays and rich historical arcs, as well as scholars exploring global history, war and diplomacy, cultural imperialism, and postcolonial studies. In short, the writing balances academic rigor with broader readability. The global framing helps those less versed in Japanese specifics. Book cover Title: Modern Japan's Place in World History From Meiji to Reiwa Editors: Masayuki Yamauchi, Yuichi Hosoya Publisher: Springer Nature, 2023 ISBN-10 : 9811995923 ISBN-13 : 978-9811995927 Additional Information: This is an Open Access book. It is available to readers for free on the publisher's website. It is also available in softcover or hardback versions, at a cost, from the publisher or through online booksellers. Reviewed by Robert D Eldridge
eNCA
07-07-2025
- General
- eNCA
Houses made from rice: Kyrgyzstan's eco-friendly revolution
It may look like an ordinary building site but Akmatbek Uraimov's new house in Kyrgyzstan is being built with blocks of rice. The eco-friendly alternative to conventional construction materials is booming in the Central Asian country, which is vulnerable to global warming and grapples with water shortages. Before selecting the unorthodox material, Uraimov had researched other options, but concluded that the relatively cheap blocks made from rice husks were his best option. "In terms of insulation, cost, as well as for builders, it turned out to be convenient," said Uraimov, who lives in the village of Kyzyl-Kiya in southern Kyrgyzstan. "People didn't know about it. Now they see it, they are interested, they call," he told AFP. Nursultan Taabaldyev is one of the pioneers of the technology in Central Asia hailed as an environmentally friendly alternative to water-intensive concrete. In a workshop in his home region of Batken, rice dust was billowing into the air from the husks, the rough outer shell of rice which is normally thrown away or burned. Workers with protective masks over their faces were compressing the bricks before rushing to dry them, and helping clients load the finished blocks onto trucks. AFP | Guliza Urustambek kyzy They are "made of 60 percent rice husks. The rest is clay, cement and a chemical-free glue," Taabaldyev told AFP. When dry, they are as strong as cement thanks to silica naturally present inside the husks. "This idea came to me as a child, while doing carpentry with my father," said Taabaldyev. The 27-year-old has already built "300 houses" in five years -- first with sawdust, then with rice. - 'No particular danger' - When he started, there was little robust research into the technology. That is starting to change. Several initial studies from various countries have highlighted the potential economic and environmental benefits of using rice blocks in construction. Crucially, they require less cement, which is responsible for approximately eight percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to 2023 figures from the World Economic Forum. AFP | Guliza Urustambek kyzy In her village in a mountainous and arid region, Ykhval Boriyeva has also opted for rice blocks, praising their insulating qualities. Her house remains "warm in winter and cool in spring" thanks to its low thermal conductivity. "We save on coal. The walls retain heat and coolness well," she said. The material is also well within reach, with the Batken region producing a third of Kyrgyzstan's rice crop. "Rice waste is thrown into the fields, slowly burns, harms the environment, and is not used as fertiliser. So we decided to recycle it," Taabaldyev said. The problem of dealing with rice waste is even more acute in large rice producers like India. There "31.4 million tons of rice husks fill landfills and cause environmental problems," according to a study late last year published by Springer Nature. "Farmers are happy for us to remove rice waste because its accumulation creates a fire risk" in barns if ventilation is poor, said Taabaldyev. But as for the fire hazard to buildings made of rice, a regional official from Kyrgyzstan's emergency situations ministry said there was "no particular danger". - Next up 'crushed reed' - Farmer Abdimamat Saparov is another who has welcomed Taabaldyev's innovative approach, pointing at the mounds of rice waste. "After harvesting and drying the rice, about 40 percent of waste remains, which we have no way of processing," said Saparov. AFP | Guliza Urustambek kyzy Such abundance makes the blocks cheaper than ordinary building bricks -- another crucial factor in southern Kyrgyzstan, where the average monthly salary is around $230. Cement is more expensive in Kyrgyzstan than anywhere else in Central Asia and the government is mulling adding it to a list of socially sensitive products, alongside bread and oil, that would allow it to dampen surging prices. Having proved the concept in the mountainous region, Taabaldyev dreams of industrialising production, expanding internationally and eyeing up even more potential materials. "I want to go to (neighbouring) Kazakhstan to make bricks from crushed reed and straw," he said.
Fox News
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump cuts millions in taxpayer funding for pushing COVID ‘cover-up'
At the frenetic pace of the Trump administration wins, it's easy to lose sight of smaller but still important successes. The administration just terminated a contract, and let three others lapse, with Springer Nature. Springer Nature is an academic publishing company which includes a consortium of science publications. Funding such a thing may seem innocuous, but Springer is a behemoth in the scientific publishing world and prone to error and politicized decision-making. As Brian Flood reported at Fox News in late June, "The German-owned Springer Nature was forced to issue 2,923 retractions in 2024, according to Retraction Watch. The publishing giant has also been accused of significantly downplaying the COVID lab-leak theory and censoring content to appease the Chinese government. It also has a peer review process that critics believe is dominated by woke groupthink." Springer has long been considered a company dedicated to political goals and not scientific ones. Their journals had spent much of the pandemic downplaying the COVID-19 lab leak theory concluding in the journal Nature Medicine, as early as March 17, 2020, that, "since we observed all notable SARS-CoV-2 features, including the optimized RBD and polybasic cleavage site, in related coronaviruses in nature, we do not believe that any type of laboratory-based scenario is plausible." The paper was called "The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2" and its goal was to remove all discussion of the lab leak theory. A House Oversight committee, in July 2023, found that "Dr. Fauci and Dr. Collins tracked the paper through the review and publication process. And finally, Dr. Collins expressed dismay when Proximal Origin did not successfully kill the lab leak theory. He subsequently asked Dr. Fauci if there was anything more they could do. The next day, Dr. Fauci directly cited Proximal Origin from the White House podium." The committee concluded, "Dr. Collins and Dr. Fauci used Proximal Origin to attempt to kill the lab leak theory. This is the anatomy of a cover-up." In 2017, Springer "confirmed that it is restricting access to hundreds of articles that cover topics deemed sensitive to Chinese authorities." The censorship isn't limited to Covid and China. Two years ago, Springer retracted a peer-reviewed paper on gender dysphoria after pressure from activists who did not approve of the findings. Michael Bailey, the author of the study, had never had an article retracted before. This is not science. This is a political point of view. Springer Nature also charges scientists exorbitant amounts to publish their work. One study found that in just three years, Springer collected $589.7 million in "article processing charges." The researcher on that study found the scientific publishing companies "reach between 30% and 40%, well above most industries." This is not a company that should be receiving public funds and it's exactly the sort of thing that would have gone unnoticed in previous Republican administrations. Why are we funding any private publishing company, much less a foreign one with a leftist political bent? The Trump administration's laser focus on cost-cutting, but also on making the cuts specifically to politicized, bloated, entities like Springer is worth celebrating. Transparency is also a focus of the administration. On July 1, National Institutes of Health head Jay Bhattacharya posted about a new NIH policy to release all research to the public as soon as it is published. "The American people should have immediate free access to the science that we so generously fund through the @NIH. Starting today, we do." The Trump administration cuts to Springer are around $20 million and, a source told Axios, billions more are being evaluated. It's a strong start. Most Americans will be asking why we ever funded a company like this in the first place. President Donald Trump gets to say: we don't anymore.
