The search for life on Earth is speeding up, not slowing down. Scientists are now identifying more than 16,000 new species each year, revealing far more biodiversity than expected across animals, plants, fungi, and beyond. Many species remain undiscovered, especially insects and microbes, and future advances could unlock millions more....
Thinning Ice in Antarctica Could Boost Oceanic Carbon Absorption
Research involving scientists from the University of Plymouth has shed new light on natural processes in East Antarctica that could, over long timescales, help the Southern Ocean absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Researchers Tackle AI’s Energy Problem With a Greener Fix
Artificial intelligence is getting more powerful – but it’s also racking up a massive energy bill.
Gold Particles and Sunlight Can Help Purify Water
Industrial waste, dyes and chemicals all potentially pollute our waters.
Spray-on Antibacterial Coating Offers New Protection for Plants Against Disease and Drought
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a spray-on polymer coating that could help plants resist harmful bacterial infections and survive drought.
Earth’s Growing Heat Imbalance Driven More by Clouds Than Air Pollution, Study Finds
Earth is taking in more energy than it releases back to space—a growing “energy imbalance” that is fueling global warming.
How Climate Policies that Incentivize and Penalize Can Drive the Clean Energy Transition
A new study from a team of researchers that includes faculty from the University of California San Diego and Princeton University shows how a mix of subsidies for clean energy and taxes on pollution can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
Why evolution rewarded ants that sacrificed protection
Some ants thrive by choosing numbers over strength. Instead of heavily protecting each worker, they invest fewer resources in individual armor and produce far more ants. Larger colonies then compensate with collective behaviors like group defense and coordinated foraging. The strategy has been linked to evolutionary success and greater species...
Global warming could trigger the next ice age
Scientists have uncovered a missing feedback in Earth’s carbon cycle that could cause global warming to overshoot into an ice age. As the planet warms, nutrient-rich runoff fuels plankton blooms that bury huge amounts of carbon in the ocean. In low-oxygen conditions, this process can spiral out of control, cooling...
A traditional Brazilian plant shows unexpected strength against arthritis
A Brazilian study has confirmed that Joseph’s Coat, a plant used for generations in folk medicine, can significantly reduce inflammation and arthritis symptoms in lab tests. Researchers observed less swelling, healthier joints, and signs of tissue protection. Just as important, the extract showed a promising safety profile at tested doses....