Earth
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Plants
Move it or lose it
Climate change may have dire consequences for California’s native plants, which may need to take refuge in some the areas under pressure for development.
- Earth
Resonating with the ocean
An experiment may explain the origin of underwater waves that shape the sediment of continental slopes.
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- Ecosystems
On Whales’ Appetites: What a Waste
An advocacy group and renowned scientist floundered in an attempt to compel opinion shapers with the science showing that industrial fleets, not whales, pose a serious threat to fish stocks.
- Health & Medicine
Breathe easy
When it comes to heart function, the concentration of pollution in the air may matter less than its chemical makeup.
- Plants
Forest invades tundra
The Arctic tundra is under assault from trees, with serious implications for global climate change.
- Climate
Now that’s abrupt
Past abrupt climate change in the North Atlantic could have started as far south as China, scientists say.
- Agriculture
A vanilla Vanilla
The orchid that gives us vanilla beans has startlingly low genetic diversity, suggesting crops might be susceptible to pathogens, researchers report.
- Planetary Science
Surprise found in comet dust
Scientists find an odd mineral that could offer clues to the solar system's origins.
- Earth
Unintended consequences
A full recovery of the ozone hole over Antarctica in the coming years could significantly boost warming of the atmosphere over and around the icy continent.
- Humans
Wash Your Veggies!
The lesson in all of these food-poisoning outbreaks is that we must not expect a risk-free food-supply chain.
- Climate
Goldilocks tree leaves
Leaves mostly keep their cool (or warmth) wherever they live, a finding that might affect reconstructions of past climates.
