Earth

  1. Astronomy

    In all sorts of circumstances, life finds a way

    Editor in Chief discusses the new marine habitats formed by human pollution and the alarming rise of the Zika virus.

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  2. Environment

    Urban heat islands exist even in the Arctic

    Arctic cities are a source of warming in the far north. Unlike midlatitude heat islands, poorly insulated buildings — not the sun — are a primary source.

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  3. Earth

    Ocean’s plastics offer a floating fortress to a mess of microbes

    Microbes take up residence on ocean plastics, potentially causing changes in ocean environments.

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  4. Agriculture

    Plants trick bacteria into attacking too soon

    Scientists have discovered that a plant compound interferes with bacterial communication.

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  5. Science & Society

    ‘GMOs’ isn’t a four-letter word, but it is hard to define

    The definition of what constitutes a genetically modified organism is a challenge to those tasked with developing standards for labeling foods that contain GMOs.

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  6. Climate

    Forest management not so hot at fighting warming

    Forest management practices in Europe have slightly worsened climate change, new research shows.

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  7. Earth

    Ancient tectonic plate blocks magma plume at Yellowstone, simulation shows

    A rising plume of hot rock from Earth’s mantle may not be responsible for the Yellowstone supervolcano, new research suggests.

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  8. Climate

    Phytoplankton rapidly disappearing from the Indian Ocean

    Phytoplankton populations in the Indian Ocean fell 30 percent over the last 16 years largely due to global warming, new research suggests.

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  9. Genetics

    GMOs haven’t delivered on their promises — or risks

    Genetically modified foods have been studied extensively and are abundant on supermarket shelves, but they haven’t managed to end world hunger yet.

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  10. Animals

    Climate change may be deadly for snowshoe hares

    The mismatch between coat color and the landscape can be deadly for a snowshoe hare.

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  11. Environment

    Converted milk proteins clean pollution, strike gold

    A new membrane uses sticky amyloid proteins to trap contaminants in water.

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  12. Earth

    Earth’s inner secrets divulged in ‘Into the Heart of Our World’

    A scientific journey to the center of the Earth includes just as much excitement and mystery as Jules Verne’s classic novel, a new book demonstrates.

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