Earth
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Humpback whale bumps have marine biologists stumped
Christine Gabriele is taking tissue samples from humpback whales in Hawaii to determine why more and more have nodular dermatitis.
- Science & Society
How past disasters can help us prepare for the future
In The Big Ones, seismologist Lucy Jones examines the science behind some of the most catastrophic natural disasters in human history.
- Environment
How bees defend against some controversial insecticides
Some bees have enzymes that allow them to resist toxic compounds in some neonicotinoid pesticides.
- Science & Society
Why it’s great to have a geologist in the house
Editor in Chief Nancy Shute enthuses about learning how ancient plans may have helped make Earth muddy.
- Environment
The great Pacific garbage patch may be 16 times as massive as we thought
The giant garbage patch between Hawaii and California weighs at least 79,000 tons, a new estimate suggests.
- Earth
False alarms may be a necessary part of earthquake early warnings
To give enough time to take protective action, earthquake warning systems may have to issue alerts long before it’s clear how strong the quake will be.
- Climate
Tree rings tell tale of drought in Mongolia over the last 2,000 years
Semifossilized trees preserved in Mongolia contain a 2,000-year climate record that could help predict future droughts.
- Earth
Will Smith narrates ‘One Strange Rock,’ but astronauts are the real stars
Hosted by Will Smith, ‘One Strange Rock’ embraces Earth’s weirdness and explores the planet’s natural history.
- Science & Society
What we can and can’t say about Arctic warming and U.S. winters
Evidence of a connection is growing stronger, but scientists still struggle to explain why.
- Earth
Diamonds reveal sign of the deepest water known inside Earth
A rare form of ice crystal in the gems could have formed only at the crushing pressures found in the mantle.
- Ecosystems
When bogs burn, the environment takes a hit
Bogs and other peatlands around the world store outsized amounts of carbon. Climate change and agriculture are putting them at risk.
- Ecosystems
Pollution regulations help Chesapeake Bay seagrass rebound
Regulations that have reduced nitrogen runoff into the Chesapeake Bay are driving the recovery of underwater vegetation.
