If Earth were an exoplanet, JWST would know there"s an intelligent civilization here
If we're going to look for life on other worlds, why not start with the one planet we know has life? Earth's atmosphere is rich with oxygen and molecules such as methane, which strongly suggest the presence of life. It also has traces of molecules su.....»»
Take a trip to the largest lake on Mars
Mars once hosted a lake larger than any on Earth. The broken-down and dried-up remnants of this ancient lakebed are shown here in amazing detail by ESA's Mars Express......»»
Using historical radar data to map changes in urban environments
Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a type of remote sensing from satellites that uses the reflection of radio waves to relay information about the surface of the earth. This reflection, or backscatter, is responsive to physical properties, such as rou.....»»
Modeling Earth systems at a quintillion calculations per second
Climate models compute vast amounts of information about Earth's climate system—from small water droplets to large-scale weather patterns—to re-create past climate or predict future climate. Accurately re-creating how Earth's energy (measured in.....»»
AI promises to solve Earth"s big environmental problems—but there"s a hitch
Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized our lives in myriad ways, from personalizing our social media feeds to giving us driving directions and monitoring our health......»»
Advanced chelators offer efficient and eco-friendly rare earth element recovery
The world is going to need a lot of weird metals in the coming years, according to chemistry professor Justin Wilson at UC Santa Barbara. But he isn't talking about lithium, cobalt or even beryllium. Wilson's interested in dysprosium, which is so hid.....»»
Forests destroyed by wildfires emit carbon long after the flames die—new study
Even in Earth's high northern-latitude forest, climate change is predicted to make wildfires more frequent and severe......»»
Machine learning and better radar solve the "cloud cover" problem
Clouds have for decades been a bugbear for remote sensing of land surface temperature—one of the most important earth system metrics, used in everything from tracking climate change to predicting wildfires. A new approach incorporating machine lear.....»»
New model refutes leading theory on how Earth"s continents formed
The formation of Earth's continents billions of years ago set the stage for life to thrive. But scientists disagree over how those land masses formed and if it was through geological processes we still see today......»»
Climate risks from exceeding 1.5°C reduced if warming swiftly reversed, says study
Earth systems could be "tipped" into unstable states if warming overshoots the 1.5°C target, but impacts could be minimized if warming is swiftly reversed......»»
If you love Helldivers 2, try this bug-squashing game next
The Earth Defense Force series has been around longer than Helldivers, and its new entry is another world worth saving for any Helldivers 2 fan......»»
Study yields new insights into the link between global warming and rising sea levels
A McGill-led study suggests that Earth's natural forces could substantially reduce Antarctica's impact on rising sea levels, but only if carbon emissions are swiftly reduced in the coming decades. By the same token, if emissions continue on the curre.....»»
Not the day after tomorrow: Why we can"t predict the timing of climate tipping points
A study published in Science Advances reveals that uncertainties are currently too large to accurately predict exact tipping times for critical Earth system components like the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), polar ice sheets, or.....»»
White ants: The Earth"s backboneless backbone
The first thoughts that probably come to mind when you read the words "white ant" are images of house destruction, wood damage, pest control, and spending money! While white ants are in fact a major structural and agricultural pest, they are among th.....»»
Venus" "continents" suggest surprising link to early Earth
New research has revealed that Venus, often considered Earth's inhospitable twin, may share a surprising geological history with our own planet......»»
Scientists find a human "fingerprint" in the upper troposphere"s increasing ozone
Ozone can be an agent of good or harm, depending on where you find it in the atmosphere. Way up in the stratosphere, the colorless gas shields the Earth from the sun's harsh ultraviolet rays. But closer to the ground, ozone is a harmful air pollutant.....»»
There are 2,000-plus dead rockets in orbit—here’s a rare view of one
A Japanese company becomes the first to approach a piece of space junk in low-Earth orbit. Enlarge / Astroscale's ADRAS-J spacecraft captured these views of the H-IIA rocket upper stage on July 15. (credit: Astroscale) T.....»»
Beatbot’s new intelligent robotic pool skimmer: Hands-on with the iSkim Ultra
The iSkim Ultra is Beatbot's new robotic pool skimmer with innovative tech to clean the surface and keep the water clear and scum free......»»
Can the Olympics survive the climate crisis?
The 2024 Olympic Games opened on the same week Earth recorded its hottest day ever......»»
Study shows link between asymmetric polar ice sheet evolution and global climate
Joint research led by Professor An Zhisheng from the Institute of Earth Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has revealed the pivotal role of the growth of the Antarctic ice sheet and associated Southern Hemisphere sea ice expansion in trig.....»»
Sea level changes shaped early life on Earth, fossils show
A newly developed timeline of early animal fossils reveals a link between sea levels, changes in marine oxygen, and the appearance of the earliest ancestors of present-day animals......»»