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Earth

Scientists Say: Upwelling

This is a process in which a substance rises and spreads out over something else. Upwelling happens in the ocean, inside the Earth and even in a planet’s atmosphere.

Animals

Here’s what narwhals sound like underwater

Scientists eavesdropped while narwhals clicked and buzzed. The work could help pinpoint how the whales may react to more human noise in the Arctic.

Health & Medicine

Dogs carry a grab bag of flu viruses

Dogs carry a mix of flu viruses, including some that came from pigs. But there’s no reason to worry just yet.

Climate

Antarctica’s melting speeds up

Antarctica’s ice has been melting faster in the last five years. This has raised the world’s oceans almost 8 millimeters on average.

Chemistry

‘Thirdhand’ smoke can hitchhike to non-smoking sites

Harmful “thirdhand” smoke — the type that attaches to surfaces — can hitch a ride on airborne particles or clothes and travel into non-smoking buildings.

Climate

Tropical cyclones are getting more sluggish

Hurricanes and other storms are traveling more slowly than they used to. That might mean even more rainfall for communities they batter.

Animals

Scientists Say: Krill

Krill are small crustaceans in the ocean. They are an important food source for other larger animals, and their tiny swimming motions can mix nutrients in the sea.

Archaeology

Putting hats on Easter Island statues may have required some rock and roll

Fitting huge stone hats on 3-story-high Easter Island statues may have required only a small workforce armed with ropes and ramps.

Animals

These caterpillars are scaring the city of London

The fluffy-haired larvae of the oak processionary moth have a curious behavior, moving in neat, little lines. But the caterpillars pose threats to trees and human health.

Animals

This extinct bird boasted dinosaur-like teeth

Fossil skulls from an ancient bird shows this flyer had a beak — but dino-like chompers to chew through its prey.

Climate

Hurricane Maria’s Puerto Rican death toll skyrockets 72-fold

The death toll had been just 64 — and then scientists launched household surveys. Those showed the “official” toll was off by more than 4,500.

Physics

An active sun is a somewhat smaller sun

The sun grows and contracts a little over cycles lasting around 11 years, new data show. Changes in the strength of its magnetic fields may help explain this.