Plants
Light pollution could be supercharging your pollen allergies
Light pollution in North American cities seems to be tricking plants into releasing pollen for longer periods each year.
HS-ESS3-4
Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.
More Stories in HS-ESS3-4
- Tech
Let’s learn about lab-grown meat
Lab-grown meat may still be several years away from your local grocery. But such alternatives to farmed or free-range meats are on their way.
- Animals
Save the sharks to save the ocean
Humans have driven sharks and their cousins to the brink of extinction, but it’s not too late to turn the tide. At stake is the health of the entire ocean.
- Animals
Giant rat border agents could help put a stop to wildlife poaching
African giant pouched rats have been trained to ferret out elephant ivory, pangolin scales and more. They could be put to work preventing smuggling.
- Tech
Bioelectronics research wins top award at 2024 Regeneron ISEF
Three grand-award winners each took home at least $50,000. Hundreds more teens shared more than $9 million in prizes at the international competition.
- Environment
To limit pollution, new recipe makes plastic a treat for microbes
Microplastics made from fossil fuels take centuries to disappear. But the plant- and algae-based plastic can break down in weeks to months.
- Chemistry
Air pollution can make it harder for pollinators to find flowers
Pollutants that build up in night air can break down the scents that attract pollinating hawkmoths to primrose blooms, disrupting their pollination.
- Chemistry
Turning jeans blue with sunlight might help the environment
When dipped in indican and exposed to sunlight, yarn turns a deep blue. This process is more eco-friendly than the current denim dyeing method.
- Earth
Experiment: Can plants stop soil erosion?
Soil erosion washes pollutants into streams and rivers — but plants may help limit that.
- Earth
Many natural underground stores of freshwater are shrinking
A lot of these aquifers are quickly disappearing due to climate change and overuse. Fortunately, there is growth in some of the world’s major aquifers.
