Earth
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Tech
Urban Heat: Recycling waste heat
In the United States, only about one-eighth of the fuel people burn is converted into useful work. Recycling such wasted heat could be one of the best solutions to problems posted by growing cities.
- Earth
Tallying emissions in ports and at sea
Ships are major contributors to acid rain and ground-level ozone concentrations in some parts of the world.
- Ecosystems
Exxon Valdez killed future for some killer whales
An Alaskan oil spill disrupted family structure in killer-whale groups, with lasting and dramatic repercussions.
- Earth
Exxon Valdez 20 Years Later
March 24 marked the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The effects are still obvious today. A series of blogs from senior editor Janet Raloff describes the continuing aftermath.
- Humans
Otters and oil: Problems remain
The behavior of Alaska's southern sea otters may unwittingly expose them to toxic oil-spill residues.
- Chemistry
Exxon Valdez oil lingers, as does its toxicity
Even 20 years after a major oil spill, barely degraded pockets of the oil persist within some intertidal beaches, research shows.
- Agriculture
Fighting fungal weapons, not fungi
Scientists have engineered several compounds that target an enzyme that blackleg and black spot fungi use to thwart plant defense systems. The selective compounds are designed not to harm beneficial species while still protecting valuable crops.
-
- Earth
Vitamin E shields lungs from smog effects
The "other" vitamin E shows promise in being able to shield the lungs and nasal passages from ozone damage.
- Earth
North America’s smallest dino predator
A new fossil analysis uncovers what may have been North America’s tiniest dino predator.
- Earth
Pushing back an oxygen-rich atmosphere
Hematite crystals in Australian rocks hint that Earth’s atmosphere was oxygenated earlier than previously thought.
- Earth
Goo gives eels just the right buoyancy
Scientists survey the specific gravity of 25 marine critters.
