Earth
- Environment
Study uncovers secrets in water’s underground treks
Water's subterranean travels can be long, slow — and carry pollutants far from where they first got drawn into the Earth.
- Space
Scientists Say: Quasi-satellite
Unlike a true satellite, these tagalongs orbit outside a planet’s primary sphere of gravitational control.
- Environment
New ocean sanctuaries house young coral and even flee peril
Two ISEF finalists want to foster growth of new coral reefs. So these teens designed and built self-navigating, undersea houseboats for coral larvae.
- Environment
Eco-friendly sunscreen? That’s bananas!
Bananas make their own natural sunscreens. A teen thinks these could work to protect our skin as well, while being safe for aquatic life.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Caldera
These gigantic craters form when a volcanic eruption empties magma chambers underneath, allowing the mountain to crumble into the void.
- Animals
Freshwater fish are in trouble: Here’s how we can help them
Human activities threaten the survival of many freshwater fish species. Research is now pointing to how we can best overcome those threats.
- Chemistry
A new map of Africa sheds light on the origins of enslaved people
Mapping the element strontium across the continent is helping track down the birthplaces of enslaved Africans brought to the Americas.
- Animals
Some fish have legs that can taste prey underfoot
Taste buds on those legs may explain why northern sea robins are so good at finding food that is buried in the sandy seafloor.
- Agriculture
A secret climate superhero lies beneath our farms
Agriculture contributes to climate change. But changes to how farms manage soil might help remove carbon and other greenhouse gases from the air.
- Earth
Let’s learn about the carbon cycle
The total amount of carbon on Earth doesn’t change. But what form those carbon atoms take is constantly changing.
- Environment
More and more, microplastics are collecting in our brains
Over eight years, the mass of microplastics in human brains increased by some 50 percent. There are growing hints that internal microplastics may harm us.
- Animals
Narwhals may use their enormous lance-like tusks to play
Video shows narwhals using their tusks to prod — even flip — fish they don’t target as prey. It’s the first reported evidence of these whales playing.
