Earth and Human Activity
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Health & Medicine
Your bloodstream may be littered with the plastic you’ve eaten
For the first time, scientists have found plastic particles circulating in human blood. No one yet knows whether those polluting bits might pose a risk to health.
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Chemistry
Let’s learn about cellulose
The world’s most abundant natural polymer is finding all kinds of new uses, in everything from ice cream to construction.
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Tech
This sun-powered system delivers energy as it pulls water from the air
The device not only produces electricity but also harvests water for drinking or crops. It could be especially useful in remote and dry parts of the world.
By Laura Allen -
Earth
Scientists Say: Atmosphere
An atmosphere is an envelope of gas around a planet, dwarf planet or moon.
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Oceans
Night lights make even the seas bright
Light from coastal cities and offshore development may shine deep enough to disrupt tiny critters living dozens of meters (yards) below the surface.
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Environment
Ponds made to control floods can spew climate-warming gases, study finds
Younger stormwater ponds can release more carbon in gases than they absorb, a study finds. That could aggravate global warming.
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Environment
Analyze This: Corals stash microplastics in their skeletons
Scientists have wondered where the ocean’s microplastic pollution ends up. Corals may trap about 1 percent of particles in tropical waters each year.
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Earth
A bold plan to save the planet turns carbon dioxide into stone
Scientists hope that capturing carbon dioxide this way will limit both further warming of our planet and an escalation of extreme weather events.
By Douglas Fox -
Climate
UN report calls for two-pronged approach to slow climate impacts
The latest IPCC climate change report underscores an urgent need for action to avoid the worst consequences of global warming.
By Nikk Ogasa -
Materials Science
A disinfectant made from sawdust knocks out deadly microbes
It’s made by pressure-cooking sawdust and water, is cheap and easy to make — and could lead to greener cleaning products than chemicals used today.
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Environment
Satellites find big climate threats — ultra-emitters of methane
Eyes in the sky show many of the worst methane emitters are in countries that produce a lot of oil and gas, such as Russia and the United States.
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Earth
Let’s learn about Earth’s secret stash of underground water
Groundwater provides drinking water to billions of people and is used to water crops worldwide.