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The second law of thermodynamics states that the total entropy of an isolated system always tends to increase over time until it reaches a maximum. In other words, disorganization increases without outside intervention. Even the best electrical equipment inevitably heats up, as part of the energy that should be converted into mechanical work is dissipated in the form of heat, and supposedly inanimate objects deteriorate as time progresses but do not spontaneously regenerate. However, this [...]

The burning of sugarcane, carried out to eliminate dry leaves before harvesting, for years altered the air quality in the central region of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The particles launched into the atmosphere during the process were visible to the region's inhabitants and were deposited in the streets and on cars. Atmospheric pollution also caused respiratory problems among the population, impacts on biodiversity and the native vegetation, and contaminated [...]

In the 2019 harvest, members of the Landless Workers' Movement (MST), in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, commemorated a harvest estimated at 16,000 tons of organic and agroecological rice, the biggest production of its kind in the whole country. 363 families in 15 settlements work in the rice production. In the south of the state of Minas Gerais, 20 families of the Campo Grande "quilombo" community produce Guaií organic and agroecological coffee, internationally [...]

The bacteria that form the gut microbiota influence important processes of the human body, such as digestion, nutrient absorption, and defense against pathogens. The same type of relationship is present in most animals, including in the Anhopheles darlingi mosquito, the main vector of malaria in Brazil. In the case of this insect, the composition of the gut microbiota appears to determine the susceptibility to infection by Plasmodium vivax - the species responsible for 90% of malaria cases in [...]

Brazil is the world's largest producer of niobium and holds about 98% of the active reserves on the planet. This chemical element is used in metal alloys, especially high-strength steel, and in an almost unlimited array of high-tech applications from cell phones to aircraft engines. Brazil exports most of the niobium it produces in the form of commodities such as ferroniobium. Another substance Brazil also has in copious quantities but underuses is glycerol, a byproduct of oil and fat [...]

Besides swathes of destroyed vegetation, forest fires in Amazonia leave their imprint on the Amazon River and its tributaries. Incomplete burning of trees results in the production of black carbon, solid particles that enter the waters of the Amazon in the form of charcoal and soot and are transported to the Atlantic Ocean as dissolved organic carbon. For the first time, an international group of researchers have quantified and characterized the black carbon flowing in the Amazon River. Their [...]

Margays (Leopardus wiedii), small wild cats living in forest areas fragmented by agriculture near Campinas and Botucatu in São Paulo State, Brazil, prey on animals inhabiting nearby sugarcane plantations, such as birds and small rodents. The diet of other mammals, such as the herbivorous Wild cavy (Cavia aperea) or the omnivorous Crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous), is also influenced by the region's agriculture. They live in areas of native vegetation but often have to seek food in [...]

The 270 million hectares of native vegetation preserved by rural landowners (Legal Reserves and unprotected areas) yield Brazil the equivalent of some USD 1.5 trillion per year in ecosystem services, such as crop pollination, pest control, water security, rain production and soil quality maintenance. The calculation is part of a paper published in the journal Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation and endorsed by 407 scientist signatories, including 371 researchers affiliated with 79 [...]

The common phase transitions are those that occur as a function of temperature variation. Ice changes phase to become liquid water at 0 °C. Liquid water changes phase to become water vapor at 100 °C. Similarly, magnetic materials become nonmagnetic at critical temperatures. However, there are also phase transitions that do not depend on temperature. They occur in the vicinity of absolute zero [-273.15 °C] and are associated with quantum fluctuations. A study involving experiments [...]