Innovations to combat climate-warming agriculture

+ science of New England stone walls; science as a human right US Edition - Today's top story: COP28: 7 food and agriculture innovations needed to protect the climate and feed a rapidly growing world [View in browser]( US Edition | 6 December 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( One of the outcomes of the ongoing COP28 climate conference is a declaration, signed by more than 130 countries, to tackle planet-warming emissions from food production. University of Notre Dame agricultural economist Paul Winters details a few priority practices that could [help farmers continue to feed the world and slow emissions](, including better use of technology for weather forecasting, microbial fertilizers and reducing methane emissions from livestock. He notes that underinvestment from the commercial sector has held these and other innovations back, and he points to the importance of “public and philanthropic investment.” The idea of using electricity to trigger seizures in the brain to treat depression may seem kind of scary. But University of San Diego neuroscientist Sydney E. Smith argues that the method should be less stigmatized, and her recent study provides insight into why it can be effective. In a study, Smith and her colleagues probed the mechanism behind electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, to better understand how it operates on brain waves. The experiment indicates that ECT may work by [resetting the brain’s “electrical background noise”]( and restoring the function of inhibitory neurons, which play a key role in responding to stress. As someone who lives in New England and spends time on hiking trails, I often encounter stone walls. To University of Connecticut geologist Robert M. Thorson, stone walls are a lot more than just attractive scenery. With colleagues, he is working to [develop a formal interdisciplinary science of stone walls]( to help researchers understand and preserve their ecological and historical value. Also in this week’s science news: - [Why no one can hear you scream in space]( - [‘Inert’ chemicals in pesticides harm bees]( - [Crab migrations show climate change in action]( If there’s a subject you’d like our team of science editors to investigate, please reply to this email. Martin LaMonica Director of Editorial Projects and Newsletters Managing methane from belching cattle is a top innovation priority. Lance Cheung/USDA [COP28: 7 food and agriculture innovations needed to protect the climate and feed a rapidly growing world]( Paul Winters, University of Notre Dame Food systems are increasingly disrupted by climate disasters, while also being a major contributor to climate change. World leaders at COP28 are vowing to do something about it. Electroconvulsive therapy involves inducing a controlled seizure under anesthesia. Inkoly/iStock via Getty Images Plus [How electroconvulsive therapy heals the brain − new insights into ECT, a stigmatized yet highly effective treatment for depression]( Sydney E. Smith, University of California, San Diego Electroconvulsive therapy often evokes inaccurate images of seizing bodies and smoking ears. Better understanding of how it reduces depression symptoms can illuminate new ways to treat mental illness. A typical New England stone wall in Hebron, Conn. Robert M. Thorson [New England stone walls lie at the intersection of history, archaeology, ecology and geoscience, and deserve a science of their own]( Robert M. Thorson, University of Connecticut New England has thousands of miles of stone walls. A geoscientist explains why analyzing them scientifically is a solid step toward preserving them [Science is a human right − and its future is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights]( Andrea Boggio, Bryant University Decades ago, the international community codified science as a cultural right and protected expression of human creativity. Reaffirming science’s value can help it better serve humanity. [Real or artificial? A forestry scientist explains how to choose the most sustainable Christmas tree, no matter what it’s made of]( Curtis VanderSchaaf, Mississippi State University How many years you reuse a fake holiday tree matters. So does what happens to a live tree when you’ve packed up the ornaments. [Massive planet too big for its own sun pushes astronomers to rethink exoplanet formation]( Suvrath Mahadevan, Penn State; Guðmundur Kári Stefánsson, Princeton University; Megan Delamer, Penn State A newly discovered planet that should be too big to have formed around a tiny star is throwing into question what researchers know about planet formation. [Online ‘likes’ for toxic social media posts prompt more − and more hateful − messages]( Joseph B. Walther, University of California, Santa Barbara Hate is for the haters. Much of the thrill of posting toxic messages can come from the attention and social approval a poster gets from like-minded people. - [Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup, is showing up in pregnant women living near farm fields – that raises health concerns]( Cynthia Curl, Boise State University; Carly Hyland, University of California, Berkeley New research provides evidence for the first time that the primary chemical in Roundup is reaching people in nearby homes, and it isn’t just from the food they eat. - [ChatGPT turns 1: AI chatbot’s success says as much about humans as technology]( Tim Gorichanaz, Drexel University ChatGPT’s interface fueled the technology’s phenomenal rise to prominence. By being good at talking with us, it spoke to us. - [As plastic production grows, treaty negotiations to reduce plastic waste are stuck in low gear]( Sarah J. Morath, Wake Forest University A central question remains unresolved in the draft treaty: Is plastic pollution basically a waste management problem, or can it be solved only with a cap on production? - [Your car might be watching you to keep you safe − at the expense of your privacy]( M. Hadi Amini, Florida International University Your car’s safety technology takes you into account. But a lot of that technology helps car companies collect data about you. Researchers are working on closing the gap between safety and privacy. - [Who is still getting HIV in America? Medication is only half the fight – homing in on disparities can help get care to those who need it most]( - [Why isn’t there any sound in space? An astronomer explains why in space no one can hear you scream]( - [‘Inert’ ingredients in pesticides may be more toxic to bees than scientists thought]( - [How a thumb-sized climate migrant with a giant crab claw is disrupting the Northeast’s Great Marsh ecosystem]( - Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly emails: [Politics Weekly]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Global Economy & Business]( - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](