News

  1. Planetary Science

    Bone-dry Mars?

    The presence of large amounts of olivine, a mineral that undergoes rapid chemical transformation when exposed to liquid water, argues against ancient oceans or lakes on Mars.

    By Ron Cowen
  2. Earth

    Seals’ meals, plastic pieces and all

    Bite-size pieces of plastic chipped from wave-battered consumer products work their way up marine food chains, suggests a study of fur seals in Australia.

    By Ben Harder
  3. Materials Science

    Water Repellency Goes Nano: Carpet of carbon nanotubes cleans itself

    Forests of carbon nanotubes coated with Teflon yield a superhydrophobic material—the ultimate self-cleaning surface.

    By Alexandra Goho
  4. Earth

    Blame the Sea? Ocean may be melting ice shelf from below

    Significant portions of a large Antarctic ice shelf just south of one that suddenly broke apart in February 2002 are rapidly thinning and may suffer a similar, catastrophic demise in less than a century.