Earth
-
ClimateSpace weather forecast: Big storms ahead
Scientists studying blobs of energetic particles shot from the sun may help us prepare for stormy consequences on Earth.
-
EnvironmentCity living makes trees grow fast but die young
Many cities plant trees to absorb carbon dioxide. But city trees grow fast and die young, which means they absorb less carbon dioxide than forest trees do.
-
EarthReliving the last day of the dinosaurs
The Chicxulub crater is helping reveal what happened on the day a 12-kilometer-wide asteroid slammed into the Gulf of Mexico, 66 million years ago.
By Beth Geiger -
EarthExplainer: Understanding geologic time
Geologic time is unimaginably long. Geologists puzzle it out using a calendar called the Geologic Time Scale.
By Beth Geiger -
PhysicsDry sand can bubble like the blobs in a lava lamp
Put two types of sand grains together in a chamber and they can flow like fluids. All it takes is a jiggle and some gas.
-
EarthA million tiny quakes shook Southern California — and no one knew
By putting millions of tiny quakes on record, scientists hope to learn more about what triggers the big ones.
-
TechOcean energy could be the wave of the future
Energy systems that turn the power of ocean waves into electrical energy could be on the horizon — or pumping away near the sea floor.
-
PsychologyStudents can sway how their parents view climate change
Teens and tweens can sway their parents’ views about climate change if they talk about it, sharing what they learned in school, a new study finds.
-
EarthNew insights on how STEVE lights up the night sky
Satellite data and photos snapped by citizen scientists reveal the origins of the strange atmospheric glow called STEVE.
-
AgricultureGet ready to eat differently in a warmer world
Climate change is affecting what we eat, from making crops less productive to making foods less nutritious. Scientists are studying how farmers can adapt.
By Ilima Loomis -
Science & SocietyCould climate change worsen global conflict?
Famine, natural disasters and sea-level rise can all disrupt societies. These can add pressure to unstable regions — sometimes to the point of prompting wars.
By Ilima Loomis -
EnvironmentStudies show how homes can pollute indoor air
Cooking, cleaning, applying makeup or deodorant and other activities may sometimes leave indoor air as polluted — or worse — than outdoor air, new research suggests.