Plant roots are essential for both food production and climate, yet until now they have been nearly impossible to measure accurately.
Mysterious earthquake reveals Cascadia’s hidden dangers
In 1954, a powerful earthquake shook Northern California near Humboldt Bay, baffling scientists for decades. Most quakes in the region come from the Gorda Plate, but this one didn’t fit the pattern. After digging through old records, modern models, and eyewitness accounts, researchers now believe the quake originated on the...
Scientists discover armored “goblin monster” in prehistoric Utah
Scientists have identified a new giant lizard, Bolg amondol, from Utah’s Kaiparowits Formation, named after Tolkien’s goblin prince. Part of the monstersaur lineage, Bolg reveals that multiple large lizards coexisted with dinosaurs, suggesting a thriving ecosystem. Its discovery in long-stored fossils underscores how museums hold hidden scientific gems.
Rising Temperatures Intensify “Supercell Thunderstorms” in Europe
In a groundbreaking study, researchers from the University of Bern and ETH Zurich have shown how climate change is intensifying supercell thunderstorms in Europe.
Wildfires Burning Less Land but Threatening More People
A growing number of people globally are seeing wildfires encroach on their homes.
Research Finds Saltwater Systems Boost Tilapia Growth
A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa study shows a species of tilapia grows 15% faster in a system that recirculates artificial saltwater than in freshwater.
A tiny chip may have solved one of clean energy’s biggest problems
In just one afternoon, scientists used a nanoparticle “megalibrary” to find a catalyst that matches or exceeds iridium’s performance in hydrogen fuel production, at a fraction of the cost.
Scientists recreate life’s first step: Linking amino acids to RNA
Researchers demonstrated how amino acids could spontaneously attach to RNA under early Earth-like conditions using thioesters, providing a long-sought clue to the origins of protein synthesis. This finding bridges the “RNA world” and “thioester world” theories and suggests how life’s earliest peptides may have formed.
Why most whale sharks in Indonesia are scarred by humans
Whale sharks in Indonesia are suffering widespread injuries, with a majority scarred by human activity. Researchers found bagans and boats to be the biggest threats, especially as shark tourism grows. Protecting these gentle giants may be as simple as redesigning fishing gear and boat equipment.
Spiders turn fireflies into glowing traps
In Taiwan’s forests, researchers discovered a clever hunting trick by the sheet web spider Psechrus clavis. Instead of immediately devouring captured fireflies, the spiders allow them to glow in the web, luring other insects, sometimes even more fireflies, into the trap. Experiments with LED lights confirmed this eerie strategy: webs...