Amazon trees are growing bigger as CO₂ levels rise
The trees of the Amazon rainforest are getting larger, and scientists believe rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are the reason why.
A new...
Scientists find way to grow more nutritious rice with less fertilizer
Rice is the daily staple for more than 3.5 billion people around the world, but producing it comes with huge costs to the environment,...
Tea plants thrive in Moon soil, but fail on Mars
The idea of astronauts enjoying a cup of tea on the Moon may not be so far-fetched after all.
A team of researchers from the...
Why planets like k2-18b may be too dry for alien life
For years, astronomers have been excited about the idea that some planets beyond our solar system might be covered by vast, global oceans.
One such...
The world’s smallest dolphins dive 120 meters and roll to catch prey
Hector’s dolphins, the world’s smallest marine dolphins, are only about 1.4 meters long, but new research has revealed they are far more acrobatic and...
What owning a cat does to your brain (and theirs)
Cats may have a reputation for independence, but emerging research suggests we share a unique connection with them—fueled by brain chemistry.
The main chemical involved...
Scientists pinpoint when life first colonized an ancient meteorite crater
A new study has revealed that life not only survives catastrophic meteorite impacts but can actually thrive in the craters they leave behind.
For the...
Blue, green, brown, or something in between – the science of eye color explained
You’re introduced to someone and your attention catches on their eyes.
They might be a rich, earthy brown, a pale blue, or the rare green...
Ancient mammoth microbes reveal the world’s oldest bacterial DNA
Scientists have made a remarkable discovery hidden within the remains of mammoths that roamed Earth more than a million years ago.
An international team led...
Life on Earth probably got some help from space
The greatest challenge facing astrobiologists is that there is only one planet known to us that has life.
Of all the bodies of the Solar...