Examining age, sustainability of fossil aquifers in Arabian Peninsula

What does the presence of 1,000 year old water mean for the future of water supplies under the desert regions of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates? New research has sought to identify how much good water is available in the Arabian Peninsula, where water is stored in what are known as 'fossil aquifers.'

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Survival strategy found in living corals which was only seen in fossil records

Some corals can recover after massive mortality episodes caused by the water temperature rise. This survival mechanism in the marine environment — known as rejuvenation — had only been described in some fossil corals so far. A new study reveals the first scientific evidence of the rejuvenation phenomenon in vivo in Cladocora caespitosa coral colonies, in the marine reserve in Columbrets, in the coast of Castellón.

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Reading the past like an open book: Researchers use text to measure 200 years of happiness

Using innovative new methods researchers have built a new index that uses data from books and newspaper to track levels of national happiness from 1820. Their research could help governments to make better decisions about policy priorities.

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Scientists identify molecule that could have helped cells thrive on early Earth

A new study offers an explanation for how ''protocells'' could have emerged on early Earth, eventually leading to the cells we know today. The work suggests that molecules called cyclophospholipids may have been the ingredient necessary for protocells to form important internal structures called vesicles, which likely kicked off the evolutionary process.

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