Earth
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Genetics
How to grow toxin-free corn
Corn genetically altered to produce specialized molecules may prevent a fungus from tainting it with carcinogenic toxins.
- Earth
Warming soils may belch much more carbon
New measurements suggest soils below 15 centimeters deep could play a sizable role in boosting carbon emissions as the planet warms.
- Agriculture
Fleets of drones could pollinate future crops
Chemist Eijiro Miyako turned a lab failure into a way to rethink artificial pollination.
- Ecosystems
Invasive species, climate change threaten Great Lakes
In The Death and Life of the Great Lakes, a journalist chronicles the lakes’ downward spiral and slow revival.
- Earth
Earth’s mantle may be hotter than thought
Earth’s mantle is warmer than previously thought, suggests a new experiment that better accounts for water content in rocks.
- Planetary Science
Saturn’s ‘Death Star’ moon may not conceal an ocean after all
A lack of cracks on Mimas suggests that the icy moon of Saturn doesn’t conceal a subsurface ocean of liquid water.
- Planetary Science
Saturn’s ‘Death Star’ moon may not conceal ocean after all
A lack of cracks on Mimas suggests that the icy moon of Saturn doesn’t conceal a subsurface ocean of liquid water.
- Environment
Most fish turned into fishmeal are species that we could be eating
Millions of tons of food-grade fish are turned into fishmeal for aquaculture and agriculture.
- Earth
Newly identified continent Zealandia faces a battle for recognition
Geologists make the case for a new continent, dubbed Zealandia, found largely submerged beneath the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
- Quantum Physics
Readers amazed by Amasia
Quantum spookiness, shifting landmasses and more in reader feedback.
- Animals
Too many stinkbugs spoil the wine
Stinkbugs can ruin wine if enough are accidentally processed alive with the grapes. Three or fewer stinkbugs per grape cluster don’t have a noticeable effect on red wine.
- Chemistry
New, greener catalysts are built for speed
Researchers are designing catalysts to move chemical reactions without using precious metals, or at least using less of them.
