Environment

Animals

Whale blowholes don’t keep out seawater

Whales’ blowholes aren’t as protective as scientists had thought. They not only can let in water but also pollutants.

Chemistry

New solution for carbon dioxide: Turn it into ‘green’ fuel

Chemists have created a new way to convert carbon dioxide into ethanol. It might one day help remove excess CO2 — a greenhouse gas — from the air.

Animals

A single chemical may draw lonely locusts into a hungry swarm

Swarms of locusts can destroy crops. Scientists have discovered a chemical that might make locusts come together in huge hungry swarms.

Environment

Busy beavers may be speeding thaw of Arctic permafrost

As climate change continues, busy beavers are expanding their range in Alaska. Their dams could further speed the loss of permafrost there and promote local warming.

Health & Medicine

Dust can infect animals with flu, raising coronavirus concerns

Dust particles kicked up from some virus-contaminated surface can become a source of new infections, rodent data show.

Space

Scientists Say: Solar

What do solar energy, the solar year and solar flares have in common? They’re all related to the sun.

Environment

Pesticides contaminate most food of western U.S. monarchs

Monarch caterpillars eat only milkweeds. A new study finds widespread pesticide use has tainted these plants across the insect’s western U.S. breeding grounds.

Ecosystems

Scientists Say: Deforestation

Trees slurp up carbon dioxide and help keep our planet cool. But deforestation cuts those trees down in large numbers.

Environment

Australian wildfires pumped smoke to record heights

Wildfires in Australia in late December and early January spurred an unusual smoke plume that still hasn’t fully dispersed.

Environment

Let’s learn about hurricanes

Hurricanes are huge, terrifying storms that form over warm ocean waters — and waters are getting warming.

Ecosystems

Scientists Say: Prairie

Prairies are flat, fertile grasslands in North America. They are their own unique ecosystem.

Environment

Let’s learn about rain

People need rain for their crops and their drinking fountains. But there sometimes can be too much of a good thing.