Earth
- 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.
- 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.
- Climate
‘The Human Element’ makes the impacts of climate change feel real
Photographer James Balog puts a human face on the impacts of climate change in the documentary The Human Element.
- Climate
Climate change might not slow ocean circulation as much as thought
New measurements may call for a rethink of what controls ocean circulation in the North Atlantic.
- Health & Medicine
Chinese ‘tweets’ hint that happiness drops as air pollution rises
A study of more than 210 million social media posts reveals a link between people’s sense of well-being and pollution.
- Earth
Five explosive things the 2018 eruption taught us about Kilauea
Kilauea’s 2018 eruption allowed volcanologists a clear window into the processes that have shaped and influenced the world’s most watched volcano.
- Earth
Earth’s core may have hardened just in time to save its magnetic field
Earth’s inner core began to solidify sometime after 565 million years ago — just in time to prevent the collapse of the planet’s magnetic field, a study finds.
- Earth
50 years ago, scientists tried to control earthquakes with earthquakes
In the 1960s, researchers proposed preventing a big earthquake by creating smaller ones. That hasn’t quite worked out.
- Animals
Young emperor penguins brave icy, winter waters in their first year
Young emperor penguins learn survival skills on their own, including how to navigate Antarctica’s icy winter ocean.
- Agriculture
Prosecco production takes a toll on northeast Italy’s environment
The soil in Northern Italy’s prosecco vineyards is washing away.
- Animals
This honeybee parasite may be more of a fat stealer than a bloodsucker
Inventing decoy bee larvae prompts a back-to-basics rethink of a mite ominously named Varroa destructor.
- Tech
Desalination pours more toxic brine into the ocean than previously thought
Desalination plants help offset the world’s growing water needs, but they also produce much more supersalty water than scientists realized.
