HS-LS2-3
Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for the cycling of matter and flow of energy in aerobic and anaerobic conditions.
- Microbes
Recycling the dead
When things die, nature breaks them down through a process we know as rot. Without it, none of us would be here. Now, scientists are trying to better understand it so that they can use rot — preserving its role in feeding all living things.
- Health & Medicine
Explainer: What is Ebola?
A virus is behind the hemorrhage-inducing infection called Ebola. It causes fevers and often intense bleeding — seemingly from anywhere and everywhere.
By Janet Raloff - Animals
Surprise! Fossils in a flash
By studying how dead tissues decay — or turn to ‘instant’ fossils — scientists are gleaning helpful clues to what ancient life looked like.
By Douglas Fox - Animals
Explainer: People can sicken animals
Wildlife can sometimes become infected with germs shed by people.
- Microbes
Life in the bacterial underground
Tiny life forms in rock may coax minerals to release hydrogen for food.
- Animals
A fallout feast for crabs
Crabs can take advantage of hot, toxic plumes from undersea vents to feed on poisoned plankton.
By Emily Sohn - Climate
A change in climate
Global warming may be wiping out some plants and animals or pushing them into new habitats.
By Emily Sohn - Earth
Deep drilling at sea
Drilling holes deep into the seafloor unveils the ocean's past and hints at Earth's future.