Even if greenhouse gas emissions were to cease altogether, the volume of ice in the European Alps would fall by 34% by 2050.
Food from urban agriculture has carbon footprint 6 times larger than conventional produce, study shows
A new study finds that fruits and vegetables grown in urban farms and gardens have a carbon footprint that is, on average, six times greater than conventionally grown produce.
The megalodon was less mega than previously believed
A new study shows the Megalodon, a gigantic shark that went extinct 3.6 million years ago, was more slender than earlier studies suggested. This finding changes scientists' understanding of Megalodon behavior, ancient ocean life, and why the sharks went extinct.
Ice age could help predict oceans’ response to global warming
A new way to measure the ocean oxygen level and its connections with carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere during the last ice age could help explain the role oceans played in past glacial melting cycles and improve predictions of how ocean carbon cycles will respond to global warming.
Endless biotechnological innovation requires a creative approach
Scientists working on biological design should focus on the idiosyncrasies of biological systems over optimization, according to new research.
Wobbling particles in the sky
Tiny particles such as ice crystals or ash particles tend to oscillate as they settle through the atmosphere. In their experiments, the scientists were able to track non-spherical particles of size smaller than 1 millimeter with unprecedented accuracy. Their observations gave rise to a model which can help to refine...
Self-Powered Sensor Automatically Harvests Magnetic Energy
MIT researchers have developed a battery-free, self-powered sensor that can harvest energy from its environment.
The Beleaguered Whitebark Pine Is in Trouble. Can It Be Saved?
Sitting atop the highest slopes in western North America, the whitebark pine has adapted to the continent’s harshest growing conditions.
Butterflies could lose spots as climate warms
Female meadow brown butterflies have fewer spots if they develop in warmer weather -- so climate change could make them less spotty, new research shows.
Sea otters helped prevent widespread California kelp forest declines over the past century
The study reveals dramatic regional kelp canopy changes along the California coast over a 100-year period. During this time there was a significant increase in kelp forest canopy along the central coast, the only region of California where southern sea otters survived after being hunted nearly to extinction for their...