Earth
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Earth
Methane even escapes from freezing permafrost
An extended field season reveals that the autumn freeze in the arctic squeezes methane from some high-latitude wetland soils, a match even for summertime methane release.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
Toxicologist to Become an NIH Director
A new director — equal parts scientist and communicator — will take over environmental-health agency.
By Janet Raloff -
Earth
Unveiling hidden craters
Earth is regularly bombarded by small meteorites, but most of the resulting craters are hard to find. A team reports finding one such crater in the forests of west-central Alberta.
By Sid Perkins -
Chemistry
Nanosilver disinfects — but at what price?
Silver demonstrates some unusual immunological impacts at the nanoscale.
By Janet Raloff -
Earth
Marine pollution spawns ‘wonky babies’
Featured blog: Pollutants at sea can slow critters' sperm or induce DNA damage.
By Janet Raloff -
Earth
Plate tectonics got an early start
The chemistry of minerals preserved in Australian rocks suggests tectonic activity for Earth’s earliest eon.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
Antidepressants make for sad fish
Fish may suffer substantially from even brief encounters with antidepressants, which wastewater releases into river water.
By Janet Raloff -
Paleontology
Bacteria may play big role in forming fossils
Bacteria can build a biofilm that preserves a tissue's structure.
By Sid Perkins -
Humans
Is Your Fish Oil Polluted?
Clues to gauging the likely purity of fish-oil capsules.
By Janet Raloff -
Humans
When Not to Flush
Toilets are not where we should be disposing of unwanted medicines.
By Janet Raloff -
Earth
Antidepressants Aren’t for Fish
Antidepressants can play potentially dangerous mind games with fish.
By Janet Raloff -
Humans
What an Acid Bath!
One fallout of space shuttle launches can be a transient change in water pH.
By Janet Raloff