Earth

  1. Life

    Readers ponder mitochondria, Neandertal diets, deep sea corals and more

    Readers had questions about mitochondrial DNA, Neandertal diets, deep ocean corals and more.

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  2. Climate

    Dueling dates for a huge eruption reignite the debate over dinosaurs’ death

    New dating techniques for the Deccan Traps volcanic eruptions disagree on whether they were the main culprit in the dinosaurs’ demise.

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  3. Chemistry

    Why kids may be at risk from vinyl floors and fire-resistant couches

    Children from homes with all vinyl floors and flame-retardant sofas show higher levels of some synthetic chemicals in their bodies than other kids.

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  4. Climate

    Tidal floods driven by climate change may hurt small businesses

    Parking data from Annapolis, Md.’s historic downtown shows how tidal flooding, driven by sea rise, can hurt local business.

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  5. Earth

    Muons reveal the whopping voltages inside a thunderstorm

    Particle physics sheds new light on the electric potential of thunderstorms.

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  6. Climate

    Climate change could increase foodborne illness by energizing flies

    Warmer, more lively house flies could spread more Campylobacter bacteria by landing on more food.

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  7. Animals

    50 years ago, DDT pushed peregrine falcons to the edge of extinction

    In 1969, peregrine falcons were at risk of extinction. But a ban on the pesticide DDT and new captive breeding programs allowed the raptors to recover.

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  8. Tech

    A new 2-D material uses light to quickly and safely purify water

    A newly designed material uses only light to speedily remove 99.9999 percent of microbes from water.

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  9. Earth

    Greenland may have another massive crater hiding under its ice

    There may be yet another large crater buried beneath Greenland’s ice sheet. But it’s probably not related to the first one found last year.

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  10. Climate

    An Antarctic expedition will search for what lived under the Larsen C ice shelf

    The fourth attempt to investigate the seafloor once hidden by the Larsen C iceberg may have the best chance yet of success.

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  11. Climate

    2018 was the fourth-hottest year on record, and it’s getting even hotter

    Record-level rains and temperatures struck different regions of the world in 2018, the fourth warmest year on record.

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  12. Climate

    Collapsing ice cliffs may not contribute to sea level rise

    Scientists debate a controversial hypothesis that suggests that massive crumbling ice cliffs could speed up future sea level rise.

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