Earth

  1. Environment

    Trees can make summer ozone levels much worse

    The greenery can release chemicals into the air that react with combustion pollutants to make ozone. And trees release more of those chemicals where it gets really hot, a new study finds.

    By
  2. Animals

    Popular pesticide may harm bee flight

    In a lab experiment, honeybees flew sluggishly after eating pesticide-tainted food.

    By
  3. Microbes

    World’s deepest zoo harbors clues to extraterrestrial life

    Scientists have found a wide range of life deep below Earth’s surface. The discoveries could help inform our search for life on other planets.

    By
  4. Earth

    Ancient Arctic ‘gas’ melt triggered enormous seafloor explosions

    Methane explosions 12,000 years ago left huge craters in bedrock on the Arctic seafloor. Scientists worry more could be on the way today as Earth’s ice sheets melt.

    By
  5. Animals

    Analyze This: A massive annual insect migration

    A study of seasonal insect migration gave some surprising results.

    By
  6. Health & Medicine

    Is your home chilly? This might just be healthy

    Feeling mildly cold (or a bit too warm) forces the body to adjust what it’s doing to maintain a healthy temperature. And that can do a body good, data now show.

    By
  7. Earth

    To study a geyser, these teens built their own

    Fascinated by geysers but unable to see one? These teens decided to build their own. It allowed them to study how temperature and pressure make the water spew into a founta.

    By
  8. Tech

    Maybe ‘shade balls’ should not be balls

    So-called shade balls have a range of uses in water reservoirs, from cutting evaporation to reducing the growth of algae. But the best performers might not actually be balls, a Florida teen now shows.

    By
  9. Environment

    Tiny air pollutants inflame airways and harm heart

    New studies show how tiny bits of air pollution, called particulate matter, can lead to health problems ranging from chronic runny noses to heart disease.

    By
  10. Animals

    Nighttime lights can dim a firefly’s flash

    Fireflies blink to attract mates. But when it’s too bright at night, the insects may stay away.

    By
  11. Earth

    Scientists Say: Continent

    A continent is a large land mass. Geologists recognize six of them — Africa, Antarctica, Eurasia, Australia, North America and South America.

    By
  12. Life

    Weird mega-worm found to have odd diet

    Giant shipworms have bacteria in their gills that produce food for them. This has made their digestive organs shrink from lack of use.

    By