Plants may run out of time to grow under ongoing climate change

A key potential ‘benefit’ of global warming–namely, that plants at northern latitudes will thrive in a warmer world–is challenged by a new study released by University of Hawai’i scientists today. The prevailing assumption ignores the fact that plants in the North will remain limited by solar radiation, curbing positive effects of warming and additional CO2 availability. In addition, that same warming …

Adults only really catch flu about twice a decade, suggests study

Adults over the age of 30 only catch flu about twice a decade, a new study suggests. Flu-like illness can be caused by many pathogens, making it difficult to assess how often people are infected by influenza. Researchers analysed blood samples from volunteers in Southern China, looking at antibody levels against nine different influenza strains that circulated from 1968 to …