Earth's Systems
- Agriculture
Native Amazonians make rich soils — and ancient people may have too
Modern Amazonians make nutrient-rich soil from ash, food scraps and burns. The soil strongly resembles ancient “dark earth” found in the region.
- Tech
Think of this new tech as sunglasses for our windows
Keeping buildings cool can use a lot of energy. Thanks to quantum computing, engineers designed a coating to cut the warming light that enters windows.
- Animals
A love of small mammals drives this scientist
Alexis Mychajliw’s science is driven by her love of animals. She now looks to tar pits and fossilized poop to understand ancient ecosystems.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Seismology
Seismology is the branch of science focused on seismic waves — vibrations that run through or around Earth.
- Environment
Gas stoves can spew lots of pollution, even when they’re turned off
A new study finds they can leak benzene and other harmful chemicals into homes, sometimes at very high levels.
- Earth
Analyze This: Salt may quash lightning over the sea
Bits of airborne salt may help raindrops form, removing water from clouds before it can freeze as part of the process that makes lightning.
- Physics
How salty does the sea have to be for an egg to float?
Some objects float on top of the ocean, and other objects sink to the bottom. Why? Try this eggs-periment to find out!
- Climate
Explainer: What is decarbonization?
Lowering carbon levels in our atmosphere to stabilize the climate may start with switching from fossil fuels to greener energy sources.
- Physics
Explainer: What is friction?
The force of friction always acts to slow things down. It depends on just two factors: the surfaces and how hard they press together.
- Physics
Explainer: Radioactive dating helps solve mysteries
Knowing the decay rate of radioactive elements can help date ancient fossils and other artifacts.
- Earth
Fossil-fuel use is confusing some carbon-dating measurements
Carbon-14 dating of recent artifacts will soon give scientists confusing results. That’s another price society pays for its reliance on fossil fuels.
- Physics
Explainer: Radiation and radioactive decay
Like clockwork, radioactive forms of some elements shed parts of themselves as they attempt to become nonradioactive.
