Earth
- Chemistry
The Goop in Our Air
Emerging data indicate that tiny and toxic particles polluting urban air chemically morph from hour by hour, depending on what other pollutants these particles encounter during journeys that can run hundreds of miles.
By Janet Raloff - Climate
Another climate ailment
Global warming may turn out to be more than just a pain in the neck: Rising average temperatures could trigger an increased prevalence of kidney stones.
By Sid Perkins - Chemistry
CO2: Only One Flavor
Federal climate policymakers should have a grounding in basic chemistry.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
One Downside to Sushi
Uncooked fish can host detectable concentrations of potentially toxic chemicals — pollutants that cooking can make disappear,
By Janet Raloff - Humans
Toxic yes: Toxins? No
Yet another news story baits us with the promise of reading about noxious toxins – and doesn't deliver.
By Janet Raloff - Animals
Not-OK Coral
First big species audit finds coral extinction risks severely under-reported
By Susan Milius -
- Earth
Howdy, neighbor!
About 800 million years ago, East Antarctica, now one of the coldest regions on Earth, abutted what is now Death Valley, Calif., one of the hottest.
By Sid Perkins - Ecosystems
Aspiring to Save the Planet
The failure of the G-8 Summit to put some teeth in greenhouse-gas limits suggests it may be time for a global climate czar.
By Janet Raloff -
- Agriculture
Farm life turns male toads female
A detailed inventory of toads in Florida finds that, as land becomes more agricultural, more cane toads resemble females both inside and out.
By Janet Raloff - Agriculture
Fishy Data on Weed Killer
A popular weed killer can feminize wildlife by tinkering with a gene that indirectly affects the production of sex hormones.
By Janet Raloff