Plastic pollution is not just in oceans and soil. Scientists have now found enormous amounts of microscopic plastic floating through urban air, far exceeding earlier estimates. Road dust and rainfall play a major role in moving these particles through the atmosphere. The findings suggest the air may be one of...
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A new test reveals which antibiotics truly kill bacteria
Some antibiotics stop bacteria from growing without actually killing them, allowing infections to return later. Scientists at the University of Basel created a new test that tracks individual bacteria to see which drugs truly eliminate them. When tested on tuberculosis and other serious lung infections, the method revealed big differences...
Ocean Temperatures Reached Another Record High in 2025
A new international analysis published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences on 9 January finds that the Earth's ocean stored more heat in 2025 than in any year since modern measurements began.
What Past Global Warming Reveals About Future Rainfall
"Proxies" in geologic record show rainfall was more intense, but less regular during the Paleogene.
Brown University Neuroscientists Help Identify a Biomarker for Alzheimer’s Disease Progression
Researchers at the Carney Institute for Brain Science have identified electrical activity in the brain that could predict progression to Alzheimer’s disease.
The oxygen you breathe depends on a tiny ocean ingredient
Microscopic ocean algae produce a huge share of Earth’s oxygen—but they need iron to do it. New field research shows that when iron is scarce, phytoplankton waste energy and photosynthesis falters. Climate-driven changes may reduce iron delivery to the oceans, weakening the base of marine food chains. Over time, this...
Decoding the perfect steak: The hidden DNA behind Wagyu’s legendary marbling
A groundbreaking cattle genome has given researchers their clearest look yet at what makes Wagyu beef so special. By uncovering hundreds of new genes and hidden genetic variations, scientists can now pinpoint traits linked to marbling, health, and productivity with far greater accuracy. The advance could boost profits for beef...
This wild fruit is getting a CRISPR makeover
Scientists have used CRISPR to give the goldenberry a modern makeover, shrinking the plant by about a third and making it easier to farm. Goldenberries are tasty and nutritious but notoriously unruly, with bushy plants that complicate harvesting. By editing a few key genes and selectively breeding the best-tasting fruits,...
A never-before-seen creature has been found in the Great Salt Lake
Scientists have identified a brand-new species of worm living in the Great Salt Lake, marking only the third known animal group able to survive its extreme salinity. The species, named Diplolaimelloides woaabi with guidance from Indigenous elders, appears to exist only in this lake. How it got there remains a...
Clues from the Past Reveal the West Antarctic Ice Sheet’s Vulnerability to Warming
A record of repeated retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet during the past warm climates has been identified by International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 379 Scientists.