One or many? Exploring the population groups of the largest animal on Earth

New research shows that Antarctic blue whales are likely a single population, rather than several isolated populations — information that will help conservationists as the whales, the world’s largest animal, try to recover from historic lows due to 20th century whaling.

Mapping the pulse of the city: innovative framework for dynamic population insight

Accurate, high-temporal-resolution population data are critical for urban planning and emergency response as cities grow. Traditional population census data, with their slow update cycles, cannot meet these demands. Researchers from the State University of New York at Buffalo have developed a new framework that combines remote sensing and mobile phone data, producing monthly population maps down to the census block level, providing more detailed population insights.

International Conference and Workshop on Enhancing Well-Being by Realizing Family Dynamics and Promoting Intergenerational Solidarity for an Inclusive Society

The College of Population Studies, Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with the Department of Older Persons (DOP) under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, organized an international conference and workshop on “Enhancing Well-Being by Realizing Family Dynamics and Promoting Intergenerational Solidarity for an Inclusive Society.

Nebraska researcher helps untangle history of fallow deer

An environmental archaeologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Perdikaris maintains a research station on the Caribbean island of Barbuda where, despite the species’ status as national animal and cultural emblem, the fallow deer population could face extinction as a result of over-hunting and massive environmental destruction caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Scenarios for proactive measures and inclusive policies on migration in Europe

Migration is a complex and unpredictable phenomenon, often triggered by political crises, economic downturns, and natural or human-made disasters. A new policy brief and a White Paper authored by IIASA researchers and UK colleagues provides valuable insights and recommendations to support policymaking and increase understanding around the realistic implications of high-migration events.

Artificial intelligence answers the call for quail information

When states want to gauge quail populations, the process can be grueling, time-consuming and expensive. It means spending hours in the field listening for calls. Or leaving a recording device in the field to catch what sounds are made—only to spend hours later listening to that audio. Then, repeating this process until there’s enough information to start making population estimates.
But a new model developed by researchers at the University of Georgia aims to streamline this process. By using artificial intelligence to analyze terabytes of recordings for quail calls, the process gives wildlife managers the ability to gather the data they need in a matter of minutes.

Indiana’s Census 2020 results: Metro areas and minority populations fuel state’s growth

Latest results from the 2020 Census show that Indiana’s population growth over the past decade largely was driven by gains in a handful of metropolitan areas and exclusively through gains among the state’s minority populations, according to analysis by the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.

A New Way to Accurately Estimate COVID-19 Death Toll

A Rutgers engineer has created a mathematical model that accurately estimates the death toll linked to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and could be used around the world. The model, detailed in a study published in the journal Mathematics, predicted the death toll would eventually reach about 68,120 in the United States as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19. That’s based on data available on April 28, and there was high confidence (99 percent) the expected death toll would be between 66,055 and 70,304.

Rethinking mortality and how we plan for old age

Many people dream of comfortably living out their golden years. A new IIASA study however shows that older Europeans, and especially women, frequently underestimate how many years they have left, which could lead to costly decisions related to planning for their remaining life course.

New Portable Tool Analyzes Microbes in the Environment

Imagine a device that could swiftly analyze microbes in oceans and other aquatic environments, revealing the health of these organisms – too tiny to be seen by the naked eye – and their response to threats to their ecosystems. Rutgers researchers have created just such a tool, a portable device that could be used to assess microbes, screen for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and analyze algae that live in coral reefs. Their work is published in the journal Scientific Reports.