All posts by Nicholas Gerbis

A Corpse Flower Blooms in Tucson

Photo courtesy Tucson Botanical Garden.

One of the world’s rarest, largest and foulest flowers will bloom Thursday night at the Tucson Botanical Gardens.

Amorphophallus titanum, better known as the corpse flower for its signature rotting-carcass odor, can take 7-10 years or longer to bloom.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Tucson Garden Offers Rare Chance To See Corpse Flower Bloom

Brain Combats Rare Dementia by Recruiting New Neurons

Image by Aneta Kielar / University of Arizona

A team of researchers at University of Arizona and the University of Toronto have published a study of a rare dementia called primary progressive aphasia, or PPA.

The research linked improved patient outcomes to the brain’s capacity to “recruit” other areas of the brain to make up for deficits.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
UA Study Examines How Brain Rewires Itself To Cope With Rare Dementia

Salty Subglacial Lakes Could Host Cousins to Otherwordly Life

Figure by Anja Rutishauser.

An international team of researchers has reported what may be the first two isolated, salty, subglacial lakes found on Earth.

The water pockets — one roughly the area of Arizona’s Saguaro Lake, the other about four-fifths the size of the state’s Apache Lake — differ from 400 other subglacial pools in that they are 4-5 times as salty as Earth’s oceans.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Finding An Alien World Half A Mile Beneath Canadian Ice

Arizona Utility Looks Into Robots to Maintain Canals

Maintaining water quality across Salt River Project’s 131 miles of canals, connected by more than 1,000 miles of lateral ditches and pipes, poses unique technical and workforce problems.

Now, SRP is working with Arizona State University robot experts to develop robotic solutions to the problem.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Lifeblood Of The Desert: Salt River Project Teams Turn To ASU Robots To Maintain Canal System

In Southwest U.S., Stream Flows May Increase After Wildfires

Photo by U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Wildfires in the Lower Colorado basin can increase streamflow in the river, even during dry conditions, and even while Arizona endures a 20-plus-year drought, according to a recent study.

The 30-year study examined long-term regional fire effects at 168 sites across the contiguous U.S.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Study: Southwest Wildfires Boost Stream Flows