How worms shaped Earth"s biodiversity explosion
One of Earth's most consequential bursts of biodiversity—a 30-million-year period of explosive evolutionary changes spawning innumerable new species—may have the most modest of creatures to thank for the vital stage in life's history: worms......»»
Extreme wildfires have doubled in just 20 years—here"s the science
It feels like we are getting used to the Earth being on fire. Recently, more than 70 wildfires burned simultaneously in Greece. In early 2024, Chile suffered its worst wildfire season in history, with more than 130 people killed. Last year, Canada's.....»»
Analysis of NASA InSight data suggests Mars hit by meteoroids more often than thought
NASA's Mars InSight Lander may be resting on the Red Planet in retirement, but data from the robotic explorer is still leading to seismic discoveries on Earth......»»
Bipartisan consensus in favor of renewable power is ending
The change is most pronounced in those over 50 years old. Enlarge (credit: tigerstrawberry) One of the most striking things about the explosion of renewable power that's happening in the US is that much of it is going on.....»»
Ariane 6 launches LIFI: Light-speed secure communications
Europe's newest rocket soon launches, taking with it many space missions each with a unique objective, destination and team at home, cheering them on. Whether launching new satellites to look back and study Earth, peer out to deep space or test impor.....»»
A harmless asteroid will whiz past Earth Saturday. Here"s how to spot it
An asteroid will whiz harmlessly past Earth this weekend. With the right equipment and timing, you just might spot it......»»
Every Rock Tells a Story. This Is the Tale of a Meteor-wrong
We discovered a strange rock in the Sahara we thought was a meterorite. Figuring out what it was grounded me back to Earth.....»»
Societies with Little Money Are among the Happiest on Earth
Wealth and well-being go together in many studies, but certain communities complicate this link.....»»
No evidence that England"s new "biodiversity boost" planning policy will help birds or butterflies
A new legal requirement for developers to demonstrate a biodiversity boost in planning applications could make a more meaningful impact on nature recovery if improvements are made to the way nature's value is calculated, say researchers at the Univer.....»»
NASA will pay SpaceX nearly $1 billion to deorbit the International Space Station
The space agency did consider alternatives to splashing the station. Enlarge / Illustration of the SpaceX Dragon XL as it is deployed from the Falcon Heavy's second stage in high Earth orbit on its way to the Gateway in lunar orb.....»»
Unlocking biodiversity insights from the tropical Andes
Despite hosting some of the world's most biodiverse ecosystems and the urgency of the region's conservation challenges, researchers in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru often struggle to share their unique insights into these complex ecosystems with the glo.....»»
Alphabet soup: NASA"s GOLD mission finds surprising C, X shapes in atmosphere
Who knew Earth's upper atmosphere was like alphabet soup? NASA's Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission has revealed unexpected C- and X-shaped formations in an electrified layer of gas high above our heads called the ionospher.....»»
New twists on tornadoes: Earth scientist studies why U.S. has so many tornadoes
Across the Midwest during the warmer months, studying the sky for signs of storms and tornadoes becomes one of the most popular pastimes......»»
Aromatic compounds: A ring made up solely of metal atoms
The term aromaticity is a basic, long-standing concept in chemistry that is well established for ring-shaped carbon compounds. Aromatic rings consisting solely of metal atoms were, however, heretofore unknown......»»
Dunes decoded: A comprehensive and precise mapping for coastal conservation
Coastal dunes are complex and rich areas at the interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They are extremely rich in biodiversity and play a crucial role in both environmental and human well-being, such as protecting inland settlements fr.....»»
Why the harsh Snowball Earth kick-started our earliest multicellular ancestors
For a billion years, single-celled eukaryotes ruled the planet. Then around 700 million years ago during Snowball Earth—a geologic era when glaciers may have stretched as far as the Equator—a new creature burst into existence: the multicellular o.....»»
Ecologists reconstruct history of biodiversity in Indo-Australian archipelago and its rise as a hotspot
The Coral Triangle, also known as the Indo-Australian Archipelago, is renowned for having the greatest marine biodiversity on our planet. Despite its importance, the detailed evolutionary history of this biodiversity hotspot has remained largely a my.....»»
NASA picks SpaceX to carry ISS to its watery graveyard after 2030
NASA on Tuesday said it had picked SpaceX to build a vessel to carry the International Space Station back through Earth's atmosphere and on to a final resting place in the Pacific Ocean after it is retired in 2030......»»
Phytochemical diversity and herbivory are higher in tropical forests, says study
It is widely accepted that biological interactions are stronger or more important in generating and maintaining biodiversity in the tropics than in temperate regions. However, this hypothesis has not been fully tested in ecology and evolutionary biol.....»»
Canceled Geoengineering Experiment to Block the Sun Won’t Stop Rich Donors from Trying
A botched geoengineering experiment to limit the amount of sunlight hitting Earth hasn’t dimmed donors’ enthusiasm for funding the research.....»»
The Paris Olympics Face Bacterial Challenges, and Microplastics Are Found in Penis Tissues
Microplastics are everywhere, Olympic ambitions for the Seine River are complicated by poop, and the Starliner spacecraft delays its return to Earth......»»