Earth

  1. Climate

    Tropical forests have flipped from sponges to sources of carbon dioxide

    Analyses of satellite images suggest that degraded forests now release more carbon than they store.

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  2. Environment

    The way poison frogs keep from poisoning themselves is complicated

    Gaining resistance to one of their own toxins forced some poison dart frogs to make other genetic tweaks, too.

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  3. Earth

    Plate tectonics started at least 3.5 billion years ago

    Analyses of titanium in rock suggest plate tectonics began 500 million years earlier than thought.

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  4. Earth

    Plate tectonics started at least 3.5 billion years ago

    Analyses of titanium in rock suggest plate tectonics began 500 million years earlier than thought.

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  5. Earth

    Intense storms provide the first test of powerful new hurricane forecast tools

    From Harvey to Maria, this year’s powerful hurricanes are giving scientists’ latest forecasting tools a trial by fire.

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  6. Environment

    The list of diseases linked to air pollution is growing

    Air pollution levels have come down since the 1970s, but smog is being linked with a growing list of diseases, including dementia, obesity, diabetes and even Parkinson’s.

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  7. Microbes

    Now we know how much glacial melting ‘watermelon snow’ can cause

    Algae that give snow a red tint are making glacial snow in Alaska melt faster.

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  8. Agriculture

    ‘Big Chicken’ chronicles the public health dangers of using antibiotics in farming

    A new book takes a hard look at the chicken industry for its role in fostering antibiotic resistance.

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  9. Earth

    How hurricanes and other devastating disasters spur scientific research

    Hurricanes such as Harvey, Irma and others have been devastating, even deadly, yet they drive our desire for scientific discovery.

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  10. Environment

    Air pollution takes a toll on solar energy

    Dust and other tiny air pollutants can reduce solar energy output by as much as 25 percent in parts of the world.

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  11. Climate

    Rising temperatures threaten heat-tolerant aardvarks

    Aardvarks may get a roundabout hit from climate change — less food.

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  12. Earth

    North America’s largest recorded earthquake helped confirm plate tectonics

    Henry Fountain’s 'The Great Quake' mixes drama and science to tell the story of the 1964 Alaska earthquake.

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