New research reveals that Earth’s continents owe their stability to searing heat deep in the planet’s crust. At more than 900°C, radioactive elements shifted upward, cooling and strengthening the landmasses that support life. This ancient heat engine also distributed valuable minerals, giving scientists new clues for exploration and for spotting...
This tiny worm uses static electricity to hunt flying insects
A parasitic worm uses static electricity to launch itself onto flying insects, a mechanism uncovered by physicists and biologists at Emory and Berkeley. By generating opposite charges, the worm and insect attract, allowing the leap to succeed far more often. High-speed cameras and mathematical modeling confirmed this “electrostatic ecology” in...
Engineering Next-generation Fertilizers
MIT postdoc Giorgio Rizzo harnesses plant chemistry to design sustainable fertilizers that could reshape modern farming.
UK Heatwaves Overwhelm Natural Ecological Safeguards to Increase Wildfire Risk
Extreme conditions including 40C heat seen in 2022 led to all fuel sources in heathlands to dry leading to significant increase in threat of wildfire incidents.
Combining Anti-tumour Drugs with Chemo May Improve Rare Children’s Cancer Outcomes
Phase 2 trial found adding Bevacizumab to different chemotherapy drugs led to more patients’ tumours shrinking, which has helped to change routine UK treatment.
A 151-million-year-old fly just changed what we know about evolution
Scientists have uncovered a 151-million-year-old midge fossil in Australia that challenges long-held views about insect evolution. Named Telmatomyia talbragarica, the fossil shows freshwater adaptations previously thought to exist only in marine species. This discovery suggests that Chironomidae may have originated in Gondwana, offering new insight into ancient biogeographical patterns.
The Many Uses of Driftwood: The First Large-Scale Mapping of Arctic Coastlines
Driftwood plays a key role in Arctic coastal ecosystems: it stores carbon, stabilises coastlines and provides a habitat for animals.
“PeTCaT” Investigates the Impact of Greenhouse Gases From Rapidly Thawing Permafrost
Arctic permafrost stores massive amounts of organic carbon in its frozen soils and deeper deposits.
More Milk, Less Methane in Mixed Pastures?
Research team conducts meta-analysis on the potential of diverse pasture lands for dairy farming.
Earth’s climate just crossed a line we can’t ignore
Humanity has reached the first Earth system tipping point, the widespread death of warm-water coral reefs, marking the beginning of irreversible planetary shifts. As global temperatures move beyond 1.5°C, the world risks cascading crises such as ice sheet melt, Amazon rainforest dieback, and ocean current collapse. Scientists from the University...