A new scientific review challenges the headline-grabbing claim that Yellowstone’s returning wolves triggered one of the strongest trophic cascades on Earth. Researchers found that the reported 1,500% surge in willow growth was based on circular calculations and questionable comparisons. After correcting for modeling and sampling flaws, the supposed ecosystem-wide boom...
Blog
NASA scientists say meteorites can’t explain mysterious organic compounds on Mars
Scientists studying a rock sample collected by NASA’s Curiosity rover have uncovered something tantalizing: the largest organic molecules ever detected on Mars. The compounds — decane, undecane, and dodecane — may be fragments of fatty acids, which on Earth are most often linked to life. While non-living processes like meteorite...
Snowball Earth was not completely frozen, new study reveals
Even when Earth was locked in its most extreme deep freeze, the planet’s climate may not have been as silent and still as once believed. New research from ancient Scottish rocks reveals that during Snowball Earth — when ice sheets reached the tropics and the planet resembled a giant snowball...
Accurately Predicting Arctic Sea Ice in Real Time
Arctic sea ice has large effects on the global climate.
Scientists See Growing Risk of ‘Hothouse Earth’ as Warming Gains Pace
Warming is accelerating, threatening a cascade of tipping points that destabilize the climate.
Avian Malaria Widespread Across Hawaiʻi Bird Communities, New UH Study Finds
A new study led by a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researcher shows that avian malaria can be transmitted by nearly all forest bird species in Hawaiʻi, helping explain why the disease is present almost everywhere mosquitoes are found across the islands.
Farming for the Future
Ambitious plans to reduce the environmental impacts of farming and increase food security have been revealed as part of a collaboration between the University of Leeds and McCain Foods.
Climate Attitudes Unchanged Before and After Hurricane Helene
In late September 2024, Tropical Storm Helene swept across the south-eastern United States.
UK Winters Become Wetter as Greenhouse Gases Rise
The research shows that for every degree of global or regional warming, winter rainfall increases by a compounding 7%, increasing the risk of flooding.
Life may have started as sticky goo clinging to rocks
Life may have started in sticky, rock-hugging gels rather than inside cells. Researchers suggest these primitive, biofilm-like materials could trap and concentrate molecules, giving early chemistry a protected space to grow more complex. Within these gels, the first hints of metabolism and self-replication may have emerged.