Earth

  1. Agriculture

    Potato famine pathogen packs unusual, sneaky genome

    DNA of infamous Phytophthora microbe reveals big, quick-changing zones, possibly the key to the pathogen’s vexing adaptability

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  2. Earth

    Atmospheric rollercoaster followed Great Oxidation Event

    Analyses of chromium isotopes in banded iron formations suggest oxygen levels fell for a period after the Great Oxidation Event.

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  3. Life

    One coral alga explodes with temperature increase

    A rare species of coral algae exploded in population when ocean temperatures increased, a new study shows.

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  4. Earth

    Danger in the Air

    To minimize the threat of volcanic ash plumes to aircraft, scientists are improving methods of satellite detection and developing ground-based gas and ash-plume sensors to monitor volcanic activity.

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  5. Animals

    Vultures get their day

    Hurray for avian garbage collectors.

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  6. Planetary Science

    Celestial population boom

    Large meteoroids are probably more common than telescopic surveys suggest, new analyses find.

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  7. Earth

    Unusual advances

    New glacier model helps explain how ice masses can grow even in a generally warming climate.

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  8. Earth

    Sun is setting on incandescent era

    After more than a century, Edison's light bulbs stand poised to go extinct.

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  9. Earth

    Cash for clunkers II: Appliances

    States could soon roll out programs that help consumers replace energy hogging home appliances.

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  10. Earth

    Oh, rats — there go the snails

    A food fad among introduced rats has apparently crashed a once-thriving population of Hawaii’s famed endemic tree snails.

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  11. Earth

    A trip to the garbage patch

    Scientists bring back samples from the oceanic garbage patch off the coast of California.

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  12. Chemistry

    Nitrous oxide fingered as monster ozone slayer

    Nitrous oxide has become the leading threat to the future integrity of stratospheric ozone, scientists report.

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