Earth

  1. Animals

    A global report finds amphibians are still in peril. But it’s not all bad news

    A survey of about 8,000 amphibian species provides the latest update on extinction risk trends stretching back to 1980.

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  2. Animals

    In noisy environs, pied tamarins are using smell more often to communicate

    Groups of the primate, native to Brazil, complement vocalizations with scent-marking behavior to alert other tamarins to dangers in their urban home.

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  3. Paleontology

    New computer analysis hints volcanism killed the dinosaurs, not an asteroid

    Scientists take a creative approach to investigating what caused the mass extinction 66 million years ago, but the debate is far from settled.

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  4. Climate

    ‘Our Fragile Moment’ finds modern lessons in Earth’s history of climate

    Michael Mann’s latest book, Our Fragile Moment, looks through Earth’s history to understand the current climate crisis.

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  5. Earth

    To form pink diamonds, build and destroy a supercontinent

    The Argyle deposit in Australia formed about 1.3 billion years ago, a study shows, along a rift zone that sundered the supercontinent Nuna.

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  6. Physics

    A laser gyroscope measured tiny variations in the lengths of days on Earth

    An underground gyroscope known as ‘G’ uses laser beams traveling in opposite directions to precisely measure Earth’s rotation.

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  7. Oceans

    ‘The Deepest Map’ explores the thrills — and dangers — of charting the ocean

    A new book follows the race to map the seafloor, documenting how it’s done, why and what a clear view of the deep sea could mean for Earth’s future.

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  8. Climate

    What’s driving an increasing number of hurricanes to rapidly intensify?

    Hurricane Lee is just the latest storm to explode in power in only hours. The phenomenon is linked to a warming world.

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  9. Earth

    When discussing flora and fauna, don’t forget ‘funga’

    Conservation efforts often overlook fungi. That can change by using “mycologically inclusive language,” researchers say.

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  10. Earth

    How thunderstorms can spawn damaging ‘downbursts’

    Powerful winds called downbursts are not the same as a tornado, but the damage they cause can be similar — and can hit with little warning.

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  11. Climate

    Arctic sea ice may melt faster in coming years due to shifting winds

    A complex dance between Arctic wind patterns and the Atlantic has limited the flow of warmer water north in recent years. That may be about to change.

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  12. Chemistry

    Chemists turned plastic waste into tiny bars of soap

    Researchers developed a process to turn plastic waste into surfactants, the key ingredients in dozens of products, including soap.

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