Science

Pandemic Lockdown’s Clear Skies Have Warmed the Planet

Pandemic Lockdown’s Clear Skies Have Warmed the Planet

When countries began going into lockdown last winter and spring, clearer skies from reduced traffic and industry were hailed as a rare bright spot during a difficult time. But a study published in Geophysical Research Letters in December 2020 shows that those blue skies had an unexpected side effect: They made the Earth slightly warmer. […]

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    Teen Scientist Seeks Solution to Water Crisis

    Teen Scientist Seeks Solution to Water Crisis

    By Jeremy Deaton Shreya Ramachandran, 17, remembers witnessing California’s water crisis firsthand on a visit to Tulare County in 2014, when she was still a preteen. Tulare spans a large swath of farmland in California’s Central Valley, and at that time, locals were facing dire water shortages amid an ongoing drought made worse by climate […]

    Tree Rings Reveal How Ancient Forests Were Managed

    Tree Rings Reveal How Ancient Forests Were Managed

    By Katherine Kornei Clear-cutting a forest is relatively easy—just pick a tree and start chopping. But there are benefits to more sophisticated forest management. One technique—which involves repeatedly harvesting smaller trees every 30 or so years but leaving an upper story of larger trees for longer periods (60, 90, or 120 years)—ensures a steady supply […]

    Scientists Launch ‘Four Steps for Earth’ to Protect Biodiversity

    Scientists Launch ‘Four Steps for Earth’ to Protect Biodiversity

    In 2010, world leaders agreed to 20 targets to protect Earth’s biodiversity over the next decade. By 2020, none of them had been met. Now, the question is whether the world can do any better once new targets are set during the meeting of the UN Convention on Biodiversity in Kunming, China later this year. […]

    Consequential Biden Actions Nobody Is Talking About

    Consequential Biden Actions Nobody Is Talking About

    By Andrew Rosenberg The first 24 hours of the administration of President Joe Biden were filled not only with ceremony, but also with real action. Executive orders and other directives were quickly signed. More actions have followed. All consequential. Many provide a basis for not just undoing actions of the previous administration, but also making […]

    World’s Ice Is Melting 65 Percent Faster Than in 1990s

    World’s Ice Is Melting 65 Percent Faster Than in 1990s

    A first-of-its-kind study has examined the satellite record to see how the climate crisis is impacting all of the planet’s ice. The answer? Quite a lot. The rate of worldwide ice loss has increased by more than 60 percent in the past three decades, a study published in The Cryosphere on Monday found. “The ice […]

    Rare Starfish Fossil Answers the Mystery of How They Evolved Arms

    Rare Starfish Fossil Answers the Mystery of How They Evolved Arms

    By Aaron W Hunter A chance discovery of a beautifully preserved fossil in the desert landscape of Morocco has solved one of the great mysteries of biology and paleontology: how starfish evolved their arms. Starfish are one of the most recognizable animals on our planet. Most people probably associate them with trips to the beach, […]

    New Dinosaur Fossils Could Belong to Largest Creature to Walk on Earth

    New Dinosaur Fossils Could Belong to Largest Creature to Walk on Earth

    New fossils uncovered in Argentina may belong to one of the largest animals to have walked on Earth. Scientists attribute the fossils, which so far consist of 24 tail vertebrae and parts of the pelvic and pectoral girdle, to a titanosaur, CNN reported. Titanosaurs are a kind of sauropod dinosaur that stood on four legs, […]

    EU Aims to Curb Carbon Footprint via Breakthrough in Space Program

    EU Aims to Curb Carbon Footprint via Breakthrough in Space Program

    By Monir Ghaedi As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep most of Europe on pause, the EU aims for a breakthrough in its space program. The continent is seeking more than just a self-sufficient space industry competitive with China and the U.S.; the industry must also fit into the European Green Deal. ‘Strategic Autonomy’ in […]