Earth & Environment
Biodegradable electronics may create microplastics, scientists warn
Electronics designed to disappear after use sound like a perfect solution to the world’s growing e-waste problem.
Known as transient or biodegradable electronics, these devices...
Your laundry is polluting the ocean—Scientists say this new filter can help
Every time we wash our clothes, tiny plastic fibers are released into the water.
These fibers come mainly from synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon...
Engineers find a way to watch desalination membranes clog in real time
As freshwater shortages worsen around the world, desalination—turning seawater into drinkable water—is becoming increasingly important.
But the technology that powers most desalination plants has a...
Scientists discover the youngest armored dinosaur ever found
For more than two decades, a small dinosaur from China has left scientists scratching their heads.
Known as Liaoningosaurus paradoxus, this strange fossil looked like...
Hot, humid weather may increase risk of kidney failure
People living in Australia's hot and humid northern regions are more likely to suffer from kidney failure than those living in cooler and less...
This brainless animal folds itself like origami, study finds
How does a living thing fold itself into complex shapes without a brain, nerves, or muscles?
A new study of one of Earth’s simplest animals...
Scientists discover 125,000-year-old elephant tracks in southeastern Spain
For the first time, scientists have uncovered fossilized footprints of large land animals preserved in ancient coastal sand dunes in the Spanish region of...
Not just cold and conflict: Roman troops at Hadrian’s Wall battled parasites
Nearly 2,000 years ago, Roman soldiers stationed on the edge of the empire faced more than cold winds, enemy raids, and homesickness.
New research shows...
Ancient “living rocks” absorb carbon day and night in South Africa
Along the coast of South Africa, strange rocky formations quietly grow in places where life seems unlikely to survive.
These structures, known as microbialites, look...
Why brown bears in central Italy are smaller and calmer than anywhere else
Living close to humans doesn’t just change landscapes—it can also change animals themselves.
A new genetic study shows that brown bears living near villages in...
Scientists turn mussel shell waste into a sustainable abrasive for jeans
A surprising new study suggests that discarded mussel shells—usually thrown away as food waste—could help make the fashion industry more sustainable.
Researchers from the University...
Rain, dust, and ‘badass’ microbes: How life takes hold on new lava
When a volcano erupts, it looks like the ultimate destroyer. Red-hot lava pours across the land, burning everything in its path and leaving behind...
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Why does my hair turn green from the swimming pool?
If you are a blonde like me and enjoy laps in a swimming pool, you may have noticed your hair acquires a green tint...
By 2500 earth could be alien to humans, shows study
To fully grasp and plan for climate impacts under any scenario, researchers and policymakers must look well beyond the 2100 benchmark.
Unless CO2 emissions drop...
Why Americans need permanent standard time
Every year, people in the United States change their clocks twice—for daylight saving time in spring and back to standard time in fall.
Many people...
Warren Buffett: Why I Never Time the Stock Market
Market timing is the strategy of making buying or selling decisions of financial assets by attempting to predict future market price movements.
The prediction may...
Warning for dog owners: Deadly flatworm found in California’s Colorado River
For the first time, scientists have discovered a dangerous parasite in the Colorado River that could be fatal to dogs.
The parasite, known as the...
How spider webs and desert beetles could help us get drinking water from air
Imagine if you could pull a glass of fresh water straight from the air!
A group of researchers at the University of Waterloo, led by...
World’s oldest mammalian ancestor discovered in Mallorca
An exciting discovery has been made in Mallorca, where researchers have unearthed fossils of a creature that lived around 270 to 280 million years...
This spider can hide underwater for 30 minutes
A tropical spider species uses a “film” of air to hide underwater from predators for as long as 30 minutes, according to faculty at...