Mathematics and computer modeling help scientists tell natural earthquakes from nuclear tests.
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Mars as a Driver of Deep-Sea Erosion
An analysis of breaks in deep-sea sediment links the geological record to a 2.4-million-year cycle that heats Earth and ventilates our oceans.
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Low-Level Clouds Disappear During a Solar Eclipse
Cumulus clouds rapidly dissipate as the land surface cools, a finding that has implications for Sun-obscuring geoengineering efforts.
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Planting Trees May Not Be as Good for the Climate as Previously Believed
The climate benefits of trees storing carbon dioxide is partially offset by dark forests’ absorption of more heat from the Sun, and compounds they release that slow the destruction of methane in the atmosphere.
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Putting Climate Laws to Work
Recent legislation could dramatically cut carbon emissions in the United States—but only if it’s well executed and widely used.
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National Science Board Reports a Need for More Support of STEM Talent
U.S. National Science Board members called for more robust funding for science and engineering.
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Stone Age Humans Chose Their Rocks with Care
Ancient humans possessed sophisticated knowledge of the properties of the stones they used to make tools.
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Passing Stars Shorten Earth’s Time Horizon
Stars in the solar neighborhood could jostle planetary orbits, making it harder to turn back the clock and examine Earth’s orbital or climate history.
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Ocean Pollution Makes Microbes Adapt
Some bacteria thrive in the sometimes-toxic soup of crude oil and chemical dispersants.
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Giant Impacts Might Have Triggered Snowball Earth Events
Running into the right space rock at the right time may have been enough to tip Earth into a runaway cold spell.