Animals
Emperor penguins are on the march — toward extinction
Along with Antarctic fur seals, these iconic birds, the largest of all penguins, are now endangered by their continent’s warming.
Earth
More Stories in Earth
- Life
After the dino-killer asteroid, life bounced back quickly
New ocean dwellers arrived millennia — maybe decades — after the Chicxulub impact. That forces a rethink of evolution's response to wipeout events.
- Environment
Human-built ‘beaver’ dams help save struggling streams
To help restore streams, ecologists and other scientists are taking tips from the rodents — and hoping some beavers also join in.
- Oceans
Experiment: Build your own beach!
Summer is a time for sun and sand. If you live inland, build your own mini beach in this science experiment.
- Climate
Rockin’ farm fields suck up tons of CO2
Called enhanced rock weathering, spreading crushed basalt on crop lands can deliver farmers yet another bonus: bigger harvests.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Cave Popcorn
This type of cave formation can occur as glossy, soaplike bubbles or as a bristly, cauliflower-like clusters.
- Agriculture
This engineer designed a device to make farm work easier
Juan Espinoza engineered a device to help ease physical demands on workers at citrus farms.
- Oceans
The sea surface covered by seaweed is now as big as South America
The first global mapping of macroalgae blooms in the ocean, last year, reveals rapid growth and a new record for the area seaweed blankets.
- Ecosystems
The Okefenokee’s dark waters hold secrets about climate and more
This Georgia peat swamp’s vast stores of carbon and water are under threat from mining and pollution. Scientists and locals are fighting to protect it.
- Science & Society
Volcanic ash might have helped spread the Black Death to Europe
A volcanic eruption might have triggered events that led Italy to import grain — food that arrived in ships infested with plague-infected rats.
