Life

Ecosystems

Biocrusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent

Lichens and other microbes construct biological soil crusts that concentrate nutrients and slash global dust emissions.

Animals

‘Wandering’ salamanders glide like skydivers from the world’s tallest trees

Using their legs and tail, these amphibians have impressive control over their daring dives from coast redwood canopies.

Plants

These are the first plants grown in moon dirt

The first attempt to grow plants in Apollo samples from the moon shows the promise and potential struggles of farming in lunar soil.

Life

Caribou gut parasites indirectly create a greener tundra

Caribou merely sickened by parasites eat less vegetation, allowing plants to flourish.

Animals

These dolphins may turn to corals for skin care

For Indo-Pacific bottlenosed dolphins, rubbing against corals and sea sponges that contain antibacterial compounds could help keep skin healthy.

Science & Society

COVID-19 has killed a million Americans. Our minds can’t comprehend that number

We intuitively compare large, approximate quantities but cannot grasp such a big, abstract number as a million U.S. COVID-19 deaths.

Animals

A ‘mystery monkey’ in Borneo may be a rare hybrid. That has scientists worried

Severe habitat fragmentation caused by expanding palm oil plantations may have driven two primate species to mate that wouldn’t have otherwise.

Physics

Experiments hint at why bird nests are so sturdy

A bird’s nest is a special version of a granular material. Lab experiments and computer simulations explain its quirky behavior.

Animals

Baby marmosets may practice their first distinctive cries in the womb

Ultrasounds tracking fetal mouth movements in baby marmosets pinpoint the early development of the motor skills needed for vocalization.

Life

These bats buzz like wasps and bees. The sound may deter hungry owls

Researchers have identified what may be the first known case of a mammal mimicking an insect.

Agriculture

Oat and soy milks are planet friendly, but not as nutritious as cow milk

Plant-based milks are better for the environment, but nutrition-wise they fall behind cow milk.

Neuroscience

A very specific kind of brain cell dies off in people with Parkinson’s

Of out 10 kinds of dopamine-making nerve cells, only one type is extra vulnerable in Parkinson’s disease.