Earth
- Plants
Beetle RNA makes crops a noxious meal
When beetles munch plants bearing their RNA, genes the bugs need to survive are turned off.
- Climate
Scientists confirm amassing CO2 heats Earth’s surface
Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase the amount of thermal radiation striking Earth’s surface.
- Earth
Water’s unclear origins, shaky solutions to climate change and more reader feedback
Readers discuss the pitfalls of carbon storage, whether a recent movie got Alan Turing's story right and more.
- Oceans
‘Ocean Worlds’ chronicles the story of water on Earth and across the cosmos
Jan Zalasiewicz and Mark Williams recount the history and predict the future of Earth’s oceans.
- Oceans
Glassy blue iceberg goes belly up
A photographer snaps a rare picture of a recently overturned iceberg near Antarctica.
- Earth
Steam bubbles carry gold and sulfur up from Earth’s depths
Dense blends of metals and sulfur get a ride to the surface on water vapor bubbles.
- Environment
A coast-to-coast picture of America’s cacophony of sounds
The National Park Service mapped noise across the United States.
- Health & Medicine
E-cigarettes may be gateway to addiction for teens
Teenagers are using e-cigarettes more than any other tobacco product and for many, it’s the first time they’ve tried a tobacco product at all.
- Oceans
On East Coast, sea levels lean southward
On North America’s East Coast, sea levels tilt slightly downward to the north, new research finds.
- Health & Medicine
Stoplights are hot spots for airborne pollution
Drivers get a big chunk of their exposure to pollutants from short stops at traffic intersections.
- Oceans
Millions of tons of plastic end up in oceans each year
A new estimate quantifies how much plastic makes its way into the world’s oceans.
- Climate
Worst drought in a millennium predicted for central and southwest U.S.
Comparing reconstructions of past drought conditions with models of future dryness shows that the Central Plains and Southwest U.S. will become the driest in a millennium.
