Ancient coral fossils from the remote Seychelles islands have unveiled a dramatic warning for our future—sea levels can rise in sudden, sharp bursts even when global temperatures stay steady.
No kings buried here: DNA unravels the myth of incestuous elites in ancient Ireland
DNA from a skull found at Newgrange once sparked theories of a royal incestuous elite in ancient Ireland, but new research reveals no signs of such a hierarchy. Instead, evidence suggests a surprisingly egalitarian farming society that valued collective living and ritual.
Mining the deep could mute the songs of sperm whales
Exploration for deep-sea minerals in the Clarion Clipperton Zone threatens to disrupt an unexpectedly rich ecosystem of whales and dolphins. New studies have detected endangered species in the area and warn that mining noise and sediment could devastate marine life that relies heavily on sound. With so little known about...
From cursed tomb fungus to cancer cure: Aspergillus flavus yields potent new drug
In a remarkable twist of science, researchers have transformed a fungus long associated with death into a potential weapon against cancer. Found in tombs like that of King Tut, Aspergillus flavus was once feared for its deadly spores. Now, scientists at Penn and several partner institutions have extracted a new...
Rice University breakthrough keeps CO₂ electrolyzers running 50x longer
A Rice University team discovered that bubbling CO₂ through a mild acid dramatically improves the lifespan and efficiency of electrochemical devices that convert CO₂ into useful fuels. This simple trick prevents salt buildup—a major barrier to commercialization—by altering local chemistry just enough to keep salts dissolved and flowing. The result?...
Plants’ secret second roots rewrite the climate playbook
Beneath the forest floor lies an overlooked secret: many plants grow a second set of roots far deeper than expected sometimes over three feet down tapping into hidden nutrient stores and potentially locking away carbon. A new study using deep-soil data from NEON reveals that these "bimodal" rooting systems are...
Scientists create living building material that captures CO₂ from the air
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed an astonishing new material: a printable gel that’s alive. Infused with ancient cyanobacteria, this "photosynthetic living material" not only grows but also removes CO₂ from the air, twice over. The bacteria use sunlight to produce biomass and simultaneously trigger mineral formation, which locks carbon...
The Atlantic’s chilling secret: A century of data reveals ocean current collapse
A century-old mystery of a stubborn cold patch in the North Atlantic is finally being unraveled. A new study links this anomaly to a long-term weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) a massive ocean current system that regulates climate across the Northern Hemisphere. Using over 100 years of...
Hydrogen fuel at half the cost? Scientists reveal a game-changing catalyst
Researchers in South Korea have developed a powerful and affordable new material for producing hydrogen, a clean energy source key to fighting climate change. By fine-tuning boron-doping and phosphorus levels in cobalt phosphide nanosheets, the team dramatically boosted the efficiency of both sides of water-splitting reactions. This advancement could unlock...
Flash floods in the Alps: How climate change is supercharging summer storms
Fierce, fast summer rainstorms are on the rise in the Alps, and a 2 C temperature increase could double their frequency. A new study from researchers at the University of Lausanne and the University of Padova used data from nearly 300 Alpine weather stations to model this unsettling future.