Climate ChangeOctober 1, 2023
It’s Time to Engineer the Sky
Global warming is so rampant that some scientists say we should begin altering the stratosphere to block incoming sunlight, even if it jeopardizes rain and crops
Stories by Douglas Fox
Douglas Fox writes about biology, geology and climate science from California. He wrote our July 2021 article "The Carbon Rocks of Oman," about efforts to turn carbon dioxide into solid minerals.
Climate ChangeNovember 1, 2022
Antarctica’s Collapse Could Begin Even Sooner Than Anticipated
Two expeditions to the Thwaites Ice Shelf have revealed that it could splinter apart in less than a decade, hastening sea-level rise worldwide
EvolutionFebruary 1, 2022
Junk DNA Deforms Salamander Bodies
Yet the unfit creatures survive, challenging our long-held view of evolution
EnvironmentJuly 1, 2021
Rare Mantle Rocks in Oman Could Sequester Massive Amounts of CO2
Tests are underway to pull carbon from the air and turn it into minerals belowground
BiologyApril 1, 2020
Exotic Creature in Antarctica Has Survived More than 30 Ice Ages
Its perseverance is rewriting the history of life, and of ice, across the continent
NeuroscienceApril 1, 2018
Brain Cells Communicate with Mechanical Pulses, Not Electric Signals
Physicists who have revived experiments from 50 years ago say nerve cells communicate with mechanical pulses, not electric ones
MedicineMay 4, 2017
Can Zapping the Vagus Nerve Jump-Start Immunity?
An experimental procedure is exposing links between nervous and immune systems
EvolutionFebruary 16, 2016
What Sparked the Cambrian Explosion?
An evolutionary burst 540 million years ago filled the seas with an astonishing diversity of animals. The trigger behind that revolution is finally coming into focus
The SciencesDecember 1, 2015
The Physical Limits to Genius
The laws of physics may well prevent the human brain from evolving into an ever more powerful thinking machine
EnvironmentJuly 10, 2015
High Heat Measured under Antarctica Could Support Substantial Life
Nearly a kilometer below the ice scientists have found a Yellowstone-like geothermal glow that could create life-rich subglacial lakes—and lubricate Antarctic ice loss
BiologyJuly 1, 2015
Found: Life under Antarctica's Ice
An astonishing discovery is forcing scientists to reconsider whether life can exist in the most extreme places on Earth and in space
Space & PhysicsFebruary 3, 2015
Earthly Extremophiles Prompt Speculation about Alien Life
Discovery of fish under Antarctic ice may provide clues about ecosystems on Jupiter’s moon Europa and other extraterrestrial environments
The SciencesJanuary 21, 2015
Discovery: Fish Live beneath Antarctica
Scientists find translucent fish in a wedge of water hidden under 740 meters of ice, 850 kilometers from sunlight
EnvironmentJanuary 16, 2015
Scientists Drill through 2,400 Feet of Antarctic Ice for Climate Clues
A surprise finding may reveal how fast glaciers could slip into the sea
BiologyAugust 20, 2014
Life Found 800 Meters Down in Antarctic Subglacial Lake
Samples from Lake Whillans, hidden under ice, contain thousands of microbes and hint at vast ecosystems yet to be discovered
December 12, 2012
King Crabs Poised to Wipe Out Rare Antarctic Ecosystem of Invertebrates
The crabs' arrival due to warming seas could deal a crushing blow to archaic species of starfish, sea spiders and ribbon worms at the Antarctic continental shelf
EnvironmentJuly 1, 2012
Scientists Trek to Collapsing Glaciers to Assess Antarctica’s Meltdown and Sea-Level Rise
As glaciers collapse toward the sea, scientists struggle to figure out how fast the southern continent is melting and what that means for sea-level rise
Mind & BrainJuly 1, 2011
The Limits of Intelligence
The laws of physics may well prevent the human brain from evolving into an ever more powerful thinking machine
The SciencesMarch 28, 2007
Primordial Soup's On: Scientists Repeat Evolution's Most Famous Experiment
Their results could change the way we imagine life arose on early Earth
The SciencesOctober 1, 1999
The False Crisis in Science Education