The UN Climate Talks Are About to Face Maddening Uncertainties
At next week’s COP27 conference, negotiators need to get serious about massively reducing emissions—and fast.
A Caustic Shift Is Coming for the Arctic Ocean
Scientists have already begun to observe the ecological effects of acidifying oceans on sea life. The changes ahead may be more drastic.
Smaller Reactors May Still Have a Big Nuclear Waste Problem
A new generation of reactors promises a nuclear energy renaissance, but critics say the US needs to figure out what to do about its radioactive garbage first.
How Ants Inspired a New Way to Measure Snow With Space Lasers
Photons wander through snow like ants through a nest. That inspired a clever new NASA technique for measuring the fluffy stuff from orbit.
This Startup Wants You to Eat Ground-Up Chicken Bones
A Finnish company says it has found a way to incorporate bone into ground chicken, lowering the production cost and environmental impact of the meat. But will anyone eat it?
‘Flash Droughts’ Are the Midwest’s Next Big Climate Threat
New research shows that dry weather is coming on more quickly than before, with little advance warning. It could devastate farmers.
Why Was the Tonga Eruption So Massive? Scientists Have New Clues
Early theories suggested an underwater landslide caused a catastrophic mix of magma and seawater. Recent evidence reveals an explosion unlike anything studied before.
Undersea Cables Are the Latest Tools for Earthquake Detection
Rumbles and tides create tiny, detectable disturbances in fiber optics. The world’s cables could form a vast network for detecting earthquakes and tsunamis.
The Wetlands Are Drowning
A long-term study of a marsh was meant to ask whether rising levels of CO2 could help wetlands thrive despite rising seas. The plants aren’t keeping up.
What the World’s Largest Organism Reveals About Fires and Forests
In Oregon, the tree-killing Humongous Fungus never would have gotten so large without the accidental help of modern fire suppression tactics.