Earth

Science & Society

Turning human bodies into compost works, a small trial suggests

Experiments test the effectiveness and safety of human composting, which may soon be an alternative to burial or cremation in Washington state.

Environment

50 years ago, protests and promises launched the Trans-Alaska Pipeline

50 years ago, the upcoming Trans-Alaska Pipeline prompted an economic boom amid outrage from environmental and Native American groups.

Oceans

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill spread much farther than once thought

Computer simulations reveal the full extent of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tech

The U.S. power grid desperately needs upgrades to handle climate change

The climate is changing faster than the U.S. power grid is adapting. Smarter grids and smaller grids could help.

Ecosystems

Will Australia’s forests bounce back after devastating fires?

Intense bushfires that have blazed down Australia’s eastern coast could have long-lasting effects on the continent’s unique plants and animals.

Oceans

Noise pollution from ships may scare Arctic cod from feeding grounds

Melting Arctic sea ice is opening up northern waters to increased shipping, and the vessel noise is taking a toll on Arctic cod.

Earth

Here are 5 of the weirdest auroras, including the newly spotted ‘dunes’

A newfound type of aurora dubbed the “dunes” joins the ranks of black auroras, STEVE and other obscure auroral phenomena.

Climate

Climate change may be speeding up ocean circulation

Circulation in the top 2,000 meters of the world’s oceans has increased as a result of faster winds around the globe, a study suggests.

Climate

A new roadmap shows how the U.S. could be carbon-neutral by 2050

A new report charts a roadmap for the U.S. to have zero carbon footprint by 2050, but only with heavy and immediate investment in carbon removal technologies.

Ecosystems

Fewer worms live in mud littered with lots of microplastics

The environmental effects of microplastic pollution are still hazy, but new long-term, outdoor experiments could help clear matters up.

Life

Engineered honeybee gut bacteria trick attackers into self-destructing

Tailored microbes defend bees with a gene-silencing process called RNA interference that takes on viruses or mites.

Earth

Tiny meteorites suggest ancient Earth had a carbon dioxide–rich atmosphere

Simulations of reactions between 2.7-billion-year-old micrometeorites and atmospheric gases hint Archean Earth’s atmosphere had high levels of CO2.