All the Stuff Humans Make Now Outweighs Earth’s Organisms
Anthropogenic mass—concrete, metal, and other human creations—has grown to be heavier than plants, animals, and microbes combined. Planet Earth is not happy......»»
New Kuiper Belt objects lurk farther away than we ever thought
Earth's Kuiper Belt appears to be substantially larger than we thought. In the outer reaches of the Solar System, beyond the ice giant Neptune, lies a ring of comets and dwarf pla.....»»
Capturing finer-scale topographic differences improves Earth system model capability to reproduce observations
Earth system models (ESMs), used in climate simulations and projections, typically use grids of 50–200 km resolution. These are considered relatively coarse with limited ability to resolve land surface variability......»»
The sun unleashes its strongest flare this cycle
Yesterday the sun released a huge solar flare, and it's heading toward Earth. It's nothing to worry about since it's nowhere near as large as the Carrington Event of 1859, but it is large enough to give us some amazing aurora......»»
So You Can 3D Print a Steak Now—but Why on Earth Would You?
WIRED tried 3D-printed steaks that you can’t buy anywhere yet. But reducing food to a technological problem leaves a bitter taste, and delivers all the joy of licking a catering catalog......»»
Earth Defense Force 6 just removed its controversial requirement
Sci-fi shooter Earth Defense Force 6 just removed an account requirement on Steam that led players to review-bomb it at launch......»»
X-rays advance understanding of Earth"s core-mantle boundary and super-Earth magma oceans
Researchers at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have revealed new details about Earth's core-mantle boundary and similar regions found in exoplanets......»»
Study suggests statistical "noise" affects perceived evolutionary rates
For decades, researchers have observed that rates of evolution seem to accelerate over short time periods—say five million years versus fifty million years. This broad pattern has suggested that "younger" groups of organisms, in evolutionary terms,.....»»
NASA is working on a plan to replace its space station, but time is running out
"Initially, Congress almost treated the program as a joke." The next year is crucial for the future of NASA and its plans to extend human activity in low-Earth orbit. For the firs.....»»
The true global impact of species-loss caused by humans is far greater than expected, study reveals
The extinction of hundreds of bird species caused by humans over the last 130,000 years has led to substantial reductions in avian functional diversity—a measure of the range of different roles and functions that birds undertake within the environm.....»»
Genetic database shows some fungal crops became completely reliant on ants 27 million years ago
When humans began farming crops thousands of years ago, agriculture had already been around for millions of years. In fact, several animal lineages have been growing their own food since long before humans evolved as a species......»»
NASA"s laser comms demo makes deep space record, completes first phase
The Deep Space Optical Communications tech demo has completed several key milestones, culminating in sending a signal to Mars' farthest distance from Earth......»»
Scientists offer a detailed look at the skeleton of an ancient predator that thrived in extreme conditions
Imagine a world on the brink of collapse: volcanic eruptions spewing toxic gases, oceans turning acidic, and up to 90% of Earth's species vanishing in the blink of an eye. This was the reality at the end of the Permian Period, around 252 million year.....»»
2-billion-year-old rock could help understand very early life on Earth and the hunt for evidence of life on Mars
Pockets of microbes have been found living within a sealed fracture in a 2-billion-year-old rock. The rock was excavated from the Bushveld Igneous Complex in South Africa, an area known for its rich ore deposits. This is the oldest example of living.....»»
The darker side of human rights for great apes
The Spanish government has announced plans to ban harmful experiments on great apes as part of a wider initiative to give them increased rights closer to the ones humans enjoy......»»
The medicines we take to stay healthy are harming nature. Here"s what needs to change
Evidence is mounting that modern medicines present a growing threat to ecosystems around the world. The chemicals humans ingest to stay healthy are harming fish and other animals......»»
Ancient protein structure may have enabled early molecular evolution and diversification
In a finding that offers fresh insights into the early evolution of life on Earth, two RIKEN biologists have conducted lab experiments that have revealed a previously unknown protein fold, which is completely absent in modern proteins......»»
Researchers develop Biodiversity Digital Twins to model our planet"s life
Biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on Earth. It provides critical resources such as food and energy, and supports ecosystem health. However, climate change, deforestation, and pollution are destroying habitats, altering.....»»
Solar Sails and Comet Tails: How Sunlight Pushes Stuff Around
It seems crazy, but light actually exerts a physical force on objects. It could power a new generation of spacecraft for deep-space missions......»»
Iron nuggets in the Pinnacles unlock secrets of ancient and future climates
Small iron-rich formations found within Western Australia's Pinnacles, which are part of the world's largest wind-blown limestone belt spanning more than 1,000km, have provided new insights into Earth's ancient climate and changing landscape......»»
Welcome to our latest design update, Ars 9.0!
More good stuff. Personalization, responsive design, and more. Greetings from the Orbiting HQ! As you can see, we've refreshed the site design. We hope you'll come to love it. Ars.....»»