Speciesism, like racism, imperils humanity and the planet
With the world's population topping 8 billion last year, it's clear that humans have achieved a unique status in Earth's history. We are the only creature that dominate all other organisms on the planet, from animals and fungi to plants and microbes......»»
New research reveals how El Niño caused the greatest ever mass extinction
Mega ocean warming El Niño events were key in driving the largest extinction of life on planet Earth some 252 million years ago, according to new research......»»
Report outlines a path to prosperity for planet and people if Earth"s critical resources are better shared
Earth will only remain able to provide even a basic standard of living for everyone in the future if economic systems and technologies are dramatically transformed and critical resources are more fairly used, managed and shared, according to an inter.....»»
Check out this incredible cloud atlas of Mars
Researchers recently presented a stunning cloud atlas of Mars: a database containing 20 years' worth of images of clouds and storms observed on the red planet......»»
9 phenomena NASA astronauts will encounter at Moon"s south pole
NASA's Artemis campaign will send the first woman and the first person of color to the moon's south polar region, marking humanity's first return to the lunar surface in more than 50 years......»»
NASA scientists recreate Mars"s spider-shaped geologic formations in lab for the first time
Tests on Earth appear to confirm how the red planet's spider-shaped geologic formations are carved by carbon dioxide......»»
Cloud atlas of Mars showcases array of atmospheric phenomena
Cloud enthusiasts have a new tool to investigate striking formations in the skies above the red planet. A browsable database of 20-years-worth of images of clouds and storms, created by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Berlin, is helping scientis.....»»
Steve Biko"s murder exposed deep racism in how medicine was taught and practiced in South Africa
In 1966, Steve Biko began studying medicine at the University of Natal in South Africa, the same year that the general assembly of the United Nations declared apartheid a crime against humanity. As a young man, and a leading thinker, philosopher and.....»»
Bringing electricity to the smallest villages is not likely to reduce poverty
Nearly 800 million people in the world lack access to commercial electricity. It is easy to assume that connecting them to the grid will reduce poverty and improve lives. In fact, expanding energy infrastructure to everyone on the planet by 2030 is o.....»»
With AI, extreme microbe reveals how life"s building blocks adapt to high pressure
An assist from a Google Artificial Intelligence tool has helped scientists discover how the proteins of a heat-loving microbe respond to the crushing conditions of the planet's deepest ocean trenches, offering new insights into how these building blo.....»»
Formation of super-Earths proven limited near metal-poor stars
In a new study, astronomers report novel evidence regarding the limits of planet formation, finding that after a certain point, planets larger than Earth have difficulty forming near low-metallicity stars......»»
Could comets have delivered the building blocks of life to ocean worlds like Europa, Enceladus and Titan?
Throughout Earth's history, the planet's surface has been regularly impacted by comets, meteors, and the occasional large asteroid. While these events were often destructive, sometimes to the point of triggering a mass extinction, they may have also.....»»
Did dwarf planet Ceres originate in the asteroid belt?
The dwarf planet Ceres has a diameter of almost 1,000 kilometers and is located in the asteroid belt. In the television series "The Expanse," Ceres gained new fame as the main base of the so-called 'belters': in this series, which is based on real ph.....»»
Uncovering microplastic dynamics and patterns in coastal habitats
Microplastics have raised concerns among scientists and the public in recent years due to their widespread presence and associated health risks. They have been found in every corner of the planet, from mountain peaks to the deep sea, and in the diets.....»»
Starfield: Shattered Space’s new planet will include 50 locations
Bethesda hasn't revealed much about Starfield: Shattered Space, but it finally started spilling the beans on the game's first anniversary......»»
Witness 1.8 billion years of tectonic plates dance across Earth"s surface in a new animation
Using information from inside the rocks on Earth's surface, we have reconstructed the plate tectonics of the planet over the last 1.8 billion years......»»
Feeling the heat as Earth breaks yet another record for hottest summer
Summer 2024 sweltered to Earth's hottest on record, making it even more likely that this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, European climate service Copernicus reported Friday......»»
NASA"s Hubble, MAVEN help solve the mystery of Mars"s escaping water
Mars was once a very wet planet, as is evident in its surface geological features. Scientists know that over the last 3 billion years, at least some water went deep underground, but what happened to the rest? Now, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and MA.....»»
New mRNA and gene editing tools offer hope for dengue virus treatment
Dengue virus, a painful and sometimes fatal mosquito-borne infection well known in tropical countries, is surging rapidly across the planet. Now, 4 billion people live in places at risk for the disease, like the southeastern United States, which does.....»»
Study shows how amateur astronomers can aid in Jupiter weather monitoring
Jupiter's striking appearance comes from its stormy atmosphere. Swirling clouds surround the gas giant, and their distribution reflects the planet's weather. Scientists have used professional observatories such as the Very Large Telescope in Chile (w.....»»
BepiColombo"s best images yet highlight fourth Mercury flyby
The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission has successfully completed its fourth of six gravity assist flybys at Mercury, capturing images of two special impact craters as it uses the little planet's gravity to steer itself on course to enter orbit around Merc.....»»