Latest news with #BeeMachine
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers use innovative new tool to reveal urgent crisis along coastlines: 'We've seen massive changes'
A groundbreaking new tool is helping people in the United Kingdom better understand one of the most visible effects of our overheating planet, and what it reveals is both shocking and urgent. Researchers at Ulster University in Northern Ireland have launched a publicly accessible tool that maps shoreline changes around the nation's coast, the BBC reported. With 200 years of coastal data, the tool lets users zoom in on over 7,500 miles of coastline and view in plain language how far inland or seaward the coast has moved over time. "We've seen massive changes that we didn't realise actually took place," professor Derek Jackson, a coastal geographer, said. In some areas, the coast has grown outward. Other locations have experienced dramatic erosion. Magilligan in County Londonderry, for example, has seen severe retreat, while parts of County Down have expanded. Coastlines are always changing, but the difference now is how quickly those changes are happening. Human pollution from burning dirty energy such as coal and gas traps heat in the atmosphere, increasing global temperatures and causing sea levels to rise. When water levels rise, erosion speeds up, putting homes, ecosystems, and infrastructure at risk. In Northern Ireland, some coastal areas have been partially protected due to land rebounding from the last ice age, but experts say that advantage is quickly running out. Do you think EVs will dominate our roads in 15 years? No way Absolutely yes Only in some areas I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "We probably should not be building on dynamic coasts because they're so mobile," Jackson added in the BBC interview. Scientists agree that while extreme weather has always existed, human-induced overheating supercharges climate events, making them stronger and more frequent. The new mapping tool not only helps residents see how their local coastline is changing but also provides vital context for policymakers and city planners. That information can support better decisions around coastal development and infrastructure for the future. In Turkey, plasma-powered tech is helping farmers fight drought by boosting crop growth and using water more efficiently. Scientists are also leveraging artificial intelligence-powered tools such as BeeMachine to monitor bee populations in Kansas, enhancing ecosystem resilience. For individuals, switching to clean energy is one of the most impactful steps to reduce heat-trapping pollution. Installing solar panels with a battery system can make your home more resilient during extreme weather events with grid outages while cutting your energy costs to or near $0. EnergySage makes it easy to compare vetted local installers and save up to $10,000 on solar installations. Buying panels can be challenging due to the high upfront cost, but leasing programs such as Palmetto's LightReach can be a great alternative, offering no money down and fixed, low energy rates. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Google shares K-State researcher's work to save bees
KANSAS (KSNT) – Google is sharing a K-State entomologist's work using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify, track and help conserve the world's bees. K-State Entomologist Brian Spiesman has developed a bee-tracking app, BeeMachine, using Google's TensorFlow AI models to recognize hard-to-categorize bees. The app uses photos to provide a top three predictions for the bee species. The app lets users share bee sightings through a community feature. 'I realized AI might be the answer,' Spiesman said. 'I started gathering data sets and adapting pre-trained models within Google's TensorFlow so they would start to recognize hard-to-categorize bees, and it just grew from there. That's how the BeeMachine, an AI-powered app and website for identifying bee species, was born.' Topeka prepares for 'No Kings' protest on Saturday Since launching the app, more than 6,200 users have submitted more than 20,000 sightings, according to the Google article on Spiesman. Spiesman said the goal is to get people excited about bees. He said there's been a similar effort to collect data on birds that's been invaluable to research and conservation. He hopes that his app project will do the same for bees. 'I think we're at a spot where we're not limited by what the AI models are able to do,' Spiesman said. 'We're more limited by the inputs we have available to train them, so that's really what we're working on right now.' Topeka Stealth joining Midwest baseball league in 2026 The app was funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, and Kansas State University, according to BeeMachine's website. You can learn more about BeeMachine by clicking here. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
