Dust particles from deserts promote ice formation in clouds.
Sun Exposure Changes Chemical Fate of Littered Face Masks
Masks physically degrade into nanoplastics, chemically change with exposure to sunlight, metals.
4,000-year-old teeth reveal the earliest human high — Hidden in plaque
Scientists have discovered the oldest direct evidence of betel nut chewing in Southeast Asia by analyzing 4,000-year-old dental plaque from a burial in Thailand. This breakthrough method reveals invisible traces of ancient plant use, suggesting psychoactive rituals were part of daily life long before written records.
Did drunk apes help us evolve? New clues reveal why we digest alcohol so well
Ape behavior just got a name upgrade — “scrumping” — and it might help explain why humans can handle alcohol so well. Researchers discovered that African apes regularly eat overripe, fermented fruit off the forest floor, and this habit may have driven key evolutionary adaptations. By naming and classifying this...
Researchers Map Where Solar Energy Delivers the Biggest Climate Payoff
Using advanced computational modeling, a Rutgers professor, in collaboration with researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Stony Brook University, reveal both the immediate and delayed climate benefits of solar power.
Researchers Measure a Record-Setting Megaflash
It was a single lightning flash that streaked across the Great Plains for 515 miles, from eastern Texas nearly all the way to Kansas City, setting a new world record.
Huge Hidden Flood Bursts Through the Greenland Ice Sheet Surface
A huge flood triggered by the rapid draining of a lake beneath the Greenland ice sheet occurred with such force that it fractured the ice above and burst out across its surface.
How AI is supercharging plant immunity to fight deadly bacteria
Scientists have used artificial intelligence to upgrade plant immune systems, potentially revolutionizing how crops like tomatoes and potatoes can defend against harmful bacteria. By reengineering plant receptors that recognize bacterial threats, they are enhancing plant resistance and preparing for a future of more resilient crops.
Drones reveal 41,000-turtle nesting mega-site hidden in the Amazon
A team at the University of Florida used drones and smart modeling to accurately count over 41,000 endangered turtles nesting along the Amazon’s Guaporé River—revealing the world’s largest known turtle nesting site. Their innovative technique, combining aerial imagery with statistical correction for turtle movement, exposes major flaws in traditional counting...
Seasonal Flu Immunity Protects Against Severe Illness from Bird Flu in Ferrets
A study in ferrets — which have remarkably similar respiratory systems to humans — suggests that widespread immunity to H1N1 seasonal influenza virus may explain why exposure to H5N1 bird flu causes only mild symptoms in humans.