Earth and Human Activity

  1. Materials Science

    This ‘living’ concrete slurps up a greenhouse gas

    Microbes help harden a mix of sand and gelatin into a living concrete that could interact with people and the environment in great new ways.

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  2. Climate

    Climate change drove Australian wildfires to extremes

    Australia’s devastating 2019–2020 wildfires were at least 30 percent more likely because of human-caused climate change.

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  3. Climate

    How to curb the climate heating by contrails

    Contrails are narrow clouds left behind in the sky by jets. They add to climate change. But a new study suggests a way to curb their contribution.

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  4. Environment

    Legos could last a disturbingly long time in the ocean

    By looking at toys washed up on beaches, scientists have estimated how long it takes hard plastics to break down in the oceans. And it’s a long time.

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  5. Environment

    Laundry tweaks can help clothes last longer and pollute less

    Clothes washed in cooler water and for less time shed less dye and fewer fibers, a new study finds. That’s better for clothes — and the environment.

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  6. Chemistry

    Converting trash to valuable graphene in a flash

    Flash heating of carbon-rich wastes creates graphene, which has many commercial uses.

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  7. Animals

    Drones might one day capture a dolphin’s breath in midair

    High-speed footage of dolphin spray reveals that droplets blast upward at speeds close to 100 kilometers per hour.

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  8. Earth

    Help for a world drowning in microplastics

    Microplastic pollution in our oceans and lakes is a problem. Scientists are testing solutions — from more biodegradable recipes to nanotechnology.

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  9. Oceans

    Healthy coral reef sounds attract fish searching for a home

    Playing the sounds of a healthy reef can help attract fish to dying corals, helping rebuild their community.

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  10. Environment

    Australian fires have imperiled up to 100 species

    As massive wildfires consume huge swaths of Australia’s bush, untold species — many of them found nowhere else — are now threatened with extinction.

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  11. Climate

    5 things to know about the climate-saving benefits of tree planting

    A recent analysis of the benefits of massive efforts to plant more trees triggered a firestorm of controversy.

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  12. Environment

    Don’t toss that vape!

    Plenty of people talk about potential risks of vaping. But this teen habit also saddles schools with lots of trash — some of it quite toxic.

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