Internet

Cellular networks vulnerable to wildfires across U.S.

About one in four people in the United States lives in an area served by cellular phone towers at risk of an outage caused by wildfires, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Engineering

Fire blankets can protect buildings from wildfires

Wrapping a building in a fire-protective blanket is a viable way of protecting it against wildfires, finds the first study to scientifically assesses this method of defense.

Energy & Green Tech

Self-powered wearable tech

For emerging wearable tech to advance, it needs improved power sources. Now researchers from Michigan State University have provided a potential solution via crumpled carbon nanotube forests, or CNT forests.

Energy & Green Tech

Is bioenergy ever truly green? It depends on five key questions

Plans to revive an old coal-fired power station using bioenergy are being considered in the Hunter region of New South Wales. Similar plans for the station have previously not gone ahead. As we grapple with decarbonization, ...

Consumer & Gadgets

With a new app, smart devices can use GPS underwater

Even for scuba and snorkeling enthusiasts, the plunge into open water can be dislocating. Divers frequently swim with limited visibility, which can become a safety hazard for teams trying to find each other in an emergency. ...

Energy & Green Tech

Turning pine needles from fire risk to renewable fuel

The flammability of pine needles, a major fire hazard in the coniferous forests of India's vast sub-Himalayan belt, makes them an abundant source of renewable energy, say researchers.

Energy & Green Tech

Why we need hydropower for a resilient grid

America's most critical piece of energy infrastructure—the grid—is more vulnerable than ever before. The reasons are two-fold: a shift in power source mix is affecting grid stability, combined with an uptick in natural ...

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Forest

A forest is an area with a high density of trees. There are many definitions of a forest, based on the various criteria. These plant communities presently cover approximately 9.4% of the Earth's surface (or 30% of total land area) in many different regions and function as habitats for organisms, hydrologic flow modulators, and soil conservers, constituting one of the most important aspects of the Earth's biosphere. Although a forest is classified primarily by trees a forest ecosystem is defined intrinsically with additional species such as fungi. A woodland, with more open space between trees, is ecologically distinct from a forest.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA