Scientists identify "D-Rex," a giant new fungus in China whose lineage dates back 65 million years
Researchers from the Kunming Institute of Botany described a newly identified fungus, Dianjunus rex, found in Yunnan Province, China, with fruiting bodies reaching about 50 centimeters tall and weighing close to 2.2 kilograms, making it the largest known member of its phylum, Ascomycota. The find, published in Frontiers in Fungal Biology, represents not just a new species but an entirely new genus and family, Dianjunaceae, within the order Xylariales. Molecular dating places the fungus's evolutionary lineage at roughly 65 million years old, meaning its ancestors likely emerged in the aftermath of the asteroid impact that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs. Researchers say the discovery underscores how much of the world's fungal diversity, a group critical to forest ecosystems, remains undocumented even today.
Read more →Scientists identify "D-Rex," a giant new fungus in China whose lineage dates back 65 million years
Researchers from the Kunming Institute of Botany described a newly identified fungus, Dianjunus rex, found in Yunnan Province, China, with fruiting bodies reaching about 50 centimeters tall and weighing close to 2.2 kilograms, making it the largest known member of its phylum, Ascomycota. The find, published in Frontiers in Fungal Biology, represents not just a new species but an entirely new genus and family, Dianjunaceae, within the order Xylariales. Molecular dating places the fungus's evolutionary lineage at roughly 65 million years old, meaning its ancestors likely emerged in the aftermath of the asteroid impact that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs. Researchers say the discovery underscores how much of the world's fungal diversity, a group critical to forest ecosystems, remains undocumented even today.
Wild water buffalo return to India's Kanha Tiger Reserve after nearly a century's absence
Madhya Pradesh's chief minister released eight wild water buffalo, six females and two males, into a 17-hectare enclosure in the Supkhar range of Kanha Tiger Reserve on October 11, the latest step in a state-led effort to reestablish the critically endangered species after roughly a century without a breeding population in the park. The animals were brought about 2,200 kilometers by road from Assam's Kaziranga National Park, following two earlier batches of four buffalo each that arrived in April and May and have since been held in quarantine enclosures. State officials say they aim to build the population to 50 animals within three years, with plans to begin releasing acclimated buffalo into the open forest after the monsoon season.
Read more →Wild water buffalo return to India's Kanha Tiger Reserve after nearly a century's absence
Madhya Pradesh's chief minister released eight wild water buffalo, six females and two males, into a 17-hectare enclosure in the Supkhar range of Kanha Tiger Reserve on October 11, the latest step in a state-led effort to reestablish the critically endangered species after roughly a century without a breeding population in the park. The animals were brought about 2,200 kilometers by road from Assam's Kaziranga National Park, following two earlier batches of four buffalo each that arrived in April and May and have since been held in quarantine enclosures. State officials say they aim to build the population to 50 animals within three years, with plans to begin releasing acclimated buffalo into the open forest after the monsoon season.
US clean energy on track for a record year as solar, storage and wind additions surge
BloombergNEF projects the United States will add a record 89 gigawatts of clean energy capacity in 2026, driven by developers rushing to complete projects before federal tax credits expire and by surging demand from data centers. Roughly 26 gigawatts were already added in just the first half of the year, including 11.5 gigawatts of solar, 8.3 gigawatts of battery storage and 6.3 gigawatts of wind, according to industry tracking cited by Rinnovabili, with New Mexico leading the country on the strength of the 3.6-gigawatt SunZia transmission and wind project. Battery storage capacity nationwide has now passed 50 gigawatts for the first time. Analysts caution that a growing number of project cancellations elsewhere in the pipeline could temper the pace in later years, but 2026 itself is on pace to be the strongest half-year on record for US clean power deployment.
Read more →US clean energy on track for a record year as solar, storage and wind additions surge
BloombergNEF projects the United States will add a record 89 gigawatts of clean energy capacity in 2026, driven by developers rushing to complete projects before federal tax credits expire and by surging demand from data centers. Roughly 26 gigawatts were already added in just the first half of the year, including 11.5 gigawatts of solar, 8.3 gigawatts of battery storage and 6.3 gigawatts of wind, according to industry tracking cited by Rinnovabili, with New Mexico leading the country on the strength of the 3.6-gigawatt SunZia transmission and wind project. Battery storage capacity nationwide has now passed 50 gigawatts for the first time. Analysts caution that a growing number of project cancellations elsewhere in the pipeline could temper the pace in later years, but 2026 itself is on pace to be the strongest half-year on record for US clean power deployment.
Major US trial finds a painted-on silver liquid stops childhood cavities without drilling
A Phase III clinical trial led by the University of Michigan found that silver diamine fluoride (SDF), a 38% liquid solution brushed onto teeth with a sponge-tipped applicator in seconds, stopped decay in more than half of affected baby teeth among the 830 children under age six enrolled across research sites in Michigan, New York and Iowa. Published in JAMA Pediatrics, the double-blinded trial offers some of the strongest evidence yet for an approach that requires no drilling, needles or sedation, a particular benefit for very young or anxious patients, though the treatment arrests rather than repairs decay and permanently darkens the treated area. SDF has been used off-label by US dentists since 2014 and for decades longer in other countries; researchers say the new trial data could support a push for formal FDA approval of the treatment for cavities rather than just tooth sensitivity.
Read more →Major US trial finds a painted-on silver liquid stops childhood cavities without drilling
A Phase III clinical trial led by the University of Michigan found that silver diamine fluoride (SDF), a 38% liquid solution brushed onto teeth with a sponge-tipped applicator in seconds, stopped decay in more than half of affected baby teeth among the 830 children under age six enrolled across research sites in Michigan, New York and Iowa. Published in JAMA Pediatrics, the double-blinded trial offers some of the strongest evidence yet for an approach that requires no drilling, needles or sedation, a particular benefit for very young or anxious patients, though the treatment arrests rather than repairs decay and permanently darkens the treated area. SDF has been used off-label by US dentists since 2014 and for decades longer in other countries; researchers say the new trial data could support a push for formal FDA approval of the treatment for cavities rather than just tooth sensitivity.