GoKawiilA sharp rise in carbon dioxide around 56 million years ago was catastrophic for forests. Plus, mRNA-based flu vaccines have been approved in the United States and Anthropic is to introduce an AI watermark.
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Satellite data shows a browning trend across the planet since around the turn of the century. Credit: ezypix/Getty
Around 56 million years ago, a sharp rise in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere led to severe global warming that transformed the planet’s surface, which led to a widespread decline in forest cover. This decline during the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) could have parallels for what could happen as a result of human-driven climate change, say researchers. The PETM isn’t a perfect analogue for modern day, but “what we’re looking for is guides from the past about what can happen”, says palaeoclimatologist Gabriel Bowen.
Nature | 5 min read
Reference: Science paper
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new mRNA-based flu vaccine for adults aged 50 or older. The vaccine is also being reviewed by regulatory agencies in the European Union, Canada and Australia. An mRNA platform allows for the vaccine to be rapidly reformulated to match circulating influenza strains, which could be a “game changer”, says public-health researcher Emanuele Montomoli. But some scientists still have questions about how well this vaccine will perform when it’s rolled out to millions of people. “We will have to wait for the real-world data”, Montomoli says.
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Neighbourhoods in the United States that experienced a growth in their population of undocumented immigrants between 2010 and 2018 also saw property-related and violent crime fall, not rise. The study, which analysed non-public demographic data for 11,500 neighbourhoods in more than 100 cities, found no link between immigration and crimes such as homicide and motor-vehicle theft, but found higher rates of robberies. The research team hope the findings can inform public perception of immigration, which often “doesn’t match the evidence that's been produced from researchers”, says Ben Brindle, who studies migration.
Nature | 5 min read
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