Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) scientists have used a classic optical phenomenon known as the “Poisson spot” to create stable patterns of light called “optical skyrmions”.
As “Super El Niño” Draws Global Attention, New Study Shows the Indian Ocean May Hold the Key to Mediterranean Climate Extremes
While the world watches the Pacific for signs of a possible "Super El Niño," new research suggests another tropical ocean may hold important clues to future climate extremes.
Spider-like creatures help uncover the surprising origins of fatherhood
Citizen scientists have helped researchers solve a long-standing mystery about how parental care evolved in harvestmen. Using photos and observations from iNaturalist, scientists more than doubled the known cases of egg-guarding behavior and discovered that maternal and paternal care followed different evolutionary paths. The project, completed in just days with...
Deep-sea life has a secret food source scientists never expected
Scientists discovered that extreme deep-sea pressure squeezes valuable nutrients out of sinking organic particles, providing an unexpected food source for ocean microbes. The finding could rewrite our understanding of both deep-ocean ecosystems and how carbon is stored on Earth.
Scientists finally solved the mystery of Earth’s greatest mass extinction
Why do beaches today have seashells from clams and snails instead of brachiopods? A new study suggests the answer lies in Earth's greatest mass extinction, when warming oceans and falling oxygen levels wiped out animals that couldn't adapt. Species with body plans and metabolisms better suited to the changing conditions...
NASA satellites are watching Earth’s newest island rise from the sea
A newly discovered underwater volcanic eruption north of Papua New Guinea is unfolding in one of the world's most poorly mapped ocean basins. Satellites have spotted steam plumes, ash, thermal hotspots, and huge floating pumice rafts, suggesting magma is rising surprisingly close to the surface. Scientists are now watching closely...
Scientists warn invasive Asian mantises are threatening Europe’s wildlife
Two striking Asian praying mantis species that have rapidly spread across Europe have now been officially classified as invasive, raising new concerns about their impact on native wildlife. Boosted by climate change and urban environments, these fast-breeding predators are expanding northward, where they prey on native insects, pollinators, and even...
The Color of Penguin Poo: Satellites Reveal the Chilling Truth of Global Warming’s Impact on an Iconic Polar Species
Scientists study poop patterns of Adélie penguin colonies across all of Antarctica over a 30-year span using Landsat satellite images, a first for capturing food-web and population trends at continental and decadal scales relative to climate change.
Plants Get Wearables to Track Their Health
With new sensors, farmers could use real-time information to manage crop conditions before visible signs of plant stress appear.
Scientists Unravel the Fast-Moving ‘Butterfly Effect’ of the Deep Ocean
Tiny, invisible swirls and twirls – not much bigger than a coin – deep below the ocean’s surface are silently shaping some of the biggest forces steering our climate: sea level rise, fisheries collapse, extreme flooding, and how much carbon dioxide the ocean absorbs.