Science News for Students | News and feature articles from all fields of science

Climate Change Chronicles

a photo of Crane Glacier, Antarctic Peninsula from the air

Crane Glacier lost the protective floating ice shelf at its lower edge in 2002. Since then, the glacier has more than tripled its original speed. As the glacier sped up, it also splayed out. This caused its ice to thin in some places by 100 meters (325 feet).

Erin Pettit/Oregon State University

Weather & Climate
The big melt: Earth’s ice sheets are under attack
an aerial photo showing melt ponds on Arctic sea ice, there are two researchers in the middle of the image

Melt ponds form on Arctic sea ice during the summer. Their being dark increases how much of the sun’s heat they will absorb (not reflect), speeding the rate at which they melt.

Kathryn Hansen/NASA

Weather & Climate
Why Antarctica and the Arctic are polar opposites
a photo of a glacier melt channel

Warm summers are melting large amounts of snow on the Devon Ice Cap, in the Canadian Arctic. As this melt water gathers into rivers, it carves deep channels in the ice, like the one shown here.

A. Gardner/NASA/JPL-Caltech

Earth
Climate change cripples planet’s glaciers and ice caps
an artist's illustration of ICESat-2 aiming green laser's at the Earth's surface

ICESat-2’s bright green lasers can monitor Earth’s glaciers and ice sheets by detecting changes in their heights.

NASA

Earth
ICESat-2 measures ice and more from space
a photo of a building on the coast that has fallen into the ocean and cracked apart

Rising seas eroded the coastline of this resort region in Hoi An, Vietnam, causing its buildings to crack apart and start tumbling into the water. Climate change is threatening low-lying regions across the globe with similar destruction.

xuanhuongho/iStockphoto

Oceans
Climate change makes seas rise faster and faster
a photo of a cardinal sitting on a bare branch in a snowstorm, there are tiny snowflakes on the cardinal's head
Top Story
The many faces of snowstorms
Science explains why some storms quietly dust us with flakes while others howl ferociously
a girl coughing into her hand
Body functions
 
For coughing up phlegm, water is key
To thin out dry, sticky lung mucus, just add water
a close up photo of a baby wiping his nose
Body functions
 
Explainer: The benefits of phlegm, mucus and snot
We cough it up and spit it out, but mucus deserves our appreciation
two male hummingbirds fighting at a bird feeder
Animals
 
Some male hummingbirds wield their bills as weapons
Some species may trade feeding efficiency for fighting prowess
a photo of a teen hugging another upset teen with mean kids in the background
Behavior
 
Friendly adults help teens stand up against bullies
Supportive schools and families can help teens stand up for their peers

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Editor's Picks
Brain
When Cupid’s arrow strikes
A photo of Levi Draheim on a sunny day standing in front of a beach. His green shirt says "Climate Change is Real"

Twenty-one young people — including Levi Draheim, 11, from Satellite Beach, Fla. — have sued the U.S. government for actions that they say contributed to climate change.

Robin Loznak/Our Children’s Trust

Science & Society
Teens and tweens sue United States over climate change
chocolate hearts
Chocolate is one of the most prized treats. But ensuring there will be enough of the raw ingredients to satisfy our hunger for it has candy-makers and farmers consulting scientists around the globe.

ma-no/iStockphoto

Plants
Increasingly, chocolate-makers turn to science
Trending
a photo of four different Lego minifigures lying on their backs in a circle, heads towards the middle of the photo

Would you eat one of these for science? Six doctors did. 

Ekaterina79/iStockphoto

Science Education
These researchers swallowed Legos for science
three zombies
Behavior
Zombies are real!
a photo of ivy plants inside a wood cabinet there is a fog or mist creeping out from behind the doors

Plants behind the doors of this greenhouse are breaking down harmful chemicals that pollute indoor air.

Mark Stone/University of Washington

Plants
This houseplant can clean indoor air
a photo of a cardinal sitting on a bare branch in a snowstorm, there are tiny snowflakes on the cardinal's head

A cardinal weathers a snowstorm. Note the small size of the snowflakes accumulating on the bird’s head. That indicates a temperature likely several degrees below freezing, when flake size would begin to shrink.

EEI_Tony/iStockphoto

Weather & Climate
The many faces of snowstorms
a photo of a wet soil, a tiny seedling, and rain
Science Education
 
Scientists Say
Scientists Say: Petrichor
That lovely smell after a rainstorm has a name
A short video clip of the OroBOT walking as seen from overhead
Fossils
 
This robot shows how an ancient creature might have walked
The 290-million-year-old animal that left this fossil didn’t slither like a salamander after all
a girl playing in a snowdrift
Weather & Climate
 
Explainer: The making of a snowflake
Here’s the science behind a snowflake’s striking shape
an anxious girl taking a text in a classroom holds her head in her hands
Psychology
 
Easing test anxiety boosts science grades in low-income students
Coping with stress before exams could help more kids stay in science
a photo of ivy plants inside a wood cabinet there is a fog or mist creeping out from behind the doors
Plants
 
This houseplant can clean indoor air
Adding a rabbit gene helps this ivy break down cancer-causing chemicals
Blogs
a photo of a wet soil, a tiny seedling, and rain

The scent of earth after a rainstorm smells like nothing else. But what is it?

tuk69tuk/iStockphoto

Scientists Say
Scientists Say: Petrichor
eagle with fish

In this community, the bald eagle is a predator and the fish is its prey. 

BrianEKushner/iStockphoto

Scientists Say
Scientists Say: Niche
cubic zirconia earrings

Cubic zirconia looks like diamond from afar. But instead of being made of carbon, these rocks are a combination of the elements zirconium and oxygen.

Kristin Cacciavillani/iStockphoto

Scientists Say
Scientists Say: Zirconium
a photo of a girl covering her nose with a paper tissue

We’ve all been told to cover our noses when we sneeze. But how well does it stop snot spread?

AnneMS/iStockphoto

Eureka! Lab
Snot Science: Stopping the sneeze
Body & Brain
a girl coughing into her hand

Coughing up mucus after a cold or flu is gross, but it’s also a sign your body is doing its job. 

AaronAmat/iStockphoto

Body functions
For coughing up phlegm, water is key
a close up photo of a baby wiping his nose

Mucus, snot and phlegm are made from the same thing and serve the same purpose. They’re a first line of defense against germs.

AntonioGuillem/iStockphoto

Body functions
Explainer: The benefits of phlegm, mucus and snot
a photo of a teen hugging another upset teen with mean kids in the background

What makes a teen step in when they see bullying? Scientists asked almost 900 kids to find out.

omgimages/iStockphoto

Behavior
Friendly adults help teens stand up against bullies
an anxious girl taking a text in a classroom holds her head in her hands

Helping low-income biology students manage test anxiety improves scores, a new study finds. Such test-prep tips might help these students stay on the high school science track.

seb_ra/iStockphoto

Psychology
Easing test anxiety boosts science grades in low-income students
a photo of a porthole into an underwater habitat, fish are swimming past the round window
Materials Science
 
A self-cleaning glass keeps itself spotless underwater
Microscopic pancakes on its surface stop dirt from sticking
eagle with fish
Ecosystems
 
Scientists Say
Scientists Say: Niche
A term in ecology, it’s how an organism fits into its community
a photo of four different Lego minifigures lying on their backs in a circle, heads towards the middle of the photo
Science Education
 
These researchers swallowed Legos for science
The toys should pass through the digestive tract without harm, study concludes
a photo of a smiling family with a baby girl in the middle
Genetics
 
Explainer: What are genes?
These stretches of DNA are the instruction manuals for making proteins, which do a cell’s work
a photo of Steve Perlman rappeling down a verdant cliff over turquoise waters
Plants
 
Rare-plant hunters race against time to save at-risk species
Scientists rappel down cliffs and trek through forests to collect plants and seeds
Space
an artist's illustration of ICESat-2 aiming green laser's at the Earth's surface

ICESat-2’s bright green lasers can monitor Earth’s glaciers and ice sheets by detecting changes in their heights.

NASA

Earth
ICESat-2 measures ice and more from space
an image of Ultima Thule, a space rock shaped like a snowman

This New Horizons spacecraft took this image at a distance of about 28,000 kilometers (17,400 miles). It shows the space rock’s unique shape.

SWRI/JHU-APL/NASA

Astronomy
There’s a snowman in space
a photo from the Chang’e-4 lunar probe of the far side of the moon

China’s Chang’e-4 lunar probe gives a rare glimpse of the farside of the moon.

Xinhua/Xinhua via Getty Images

Space
China landed a spacecraft on the far side of the moon
a photo of a three stages of blood moon eclipse from July 2018 showcasing a very red moon in the middle image

During a "total" lunar eclipse, the moon will remain partially visible in the sky but take on a dark red hue.

Bernd Thaller/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Weather & Climate
Distant volcano could turn latest lunar eclipse dark red
Invention & Innovation
a photo of a porthole into an underwater habitat, fish are swimming past the round window

A new kind of glass can keep itself clean underwater. The key is microscopic pancake-shaped structures that let liquid flow between them.

ES3N/iStockphoto

Materials Science
A self-cleaning glass keeps itself spotless underwater
a photo of a green spiral of cyanobacteria printed onto a white mushroom marked with black graphene ink

Researchers 3-D print a green spiral of cyanobacteria onto a mushroom. The microbes give off electrons when exposed to light. Those electrons flow into the black graphene ink to produce an electric current.

American Chemical Society

Technology
This bionic mushroom makes electricity
a close-up of a new kind of bandage

A new bandage uses electrical pulses to help wounds heal faster. It’s powered by the patient’s natural body motions.

Sam Million-Weaver/Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison

Materials Science
This bandage uses electrical zaps to heal wounds faster
a photo of a person writing "Bye" on rewritable paper

A special pen heats the blue ink on this rewritable paper. As the ink warms, it turns clear. The white paper beneath reveals a written message.

Luzhuo Chen

Chemistry
This rewritable paper depends on disappearing ink
Chemistry
 
Heaviest named element is official
Superheavy copernicium takes its place in the Periodic Table.
Ancient Times
 
Writing on eggshells
Etchings on artifacts suggest that really ancient people used symbols.
Health
 
What the appendix is good for
Some body parts seem pointless but in fact have purpose.
Animals
 
Whales may round up squid for dinner
Tracking sperm whale movements suggests groups herd to hunt.
Technology
 
Charged cars that would charge
Electric vehicles could give power to the grid
Latest Headlines
a girl coughing into her hand

Coughing up mucus after a cold or flu is gross, but it’s also a sign your body is doing its job. 

AaronAmat/iStockphoto

Body functions
For coughing up phlegm, water is key
a close up photo of a baby wiping his nose

Mucus, snot and phlegm are made from the same thing and serve the same purpose. They’re a first line of defense against germs.

AntonioGuillem/iStockphoto

Body functions
Explainer: The benefits of phlegm, mucus and snot
two male hummingbirds fighting at a bird feeder

Hummingbirds fight over a feeder. The shapes of some male bills appear to have evolved to equip them for such combat.

CarolinaBirdman/iStockphoto

Animals
Some male hummingbirds wield their bills as weapons
a photo of a teen hugging another upset teen with mean kids in the background

What makes a teen step in when they see bullying? Scientists asked almost 900 kids to find out.

omgimages/iStockphoto

Behavior
Friendly adults help teens stand up against bullies
Math & Technology
A short video clip of the OroBOT walking as seen from overhead

Researchers built a robot called OroBOT to re-create the way that Orobates pabsti might have walked. That four-legged creature lived some 290 million years ago.

Tomislav Horvat and K. Melo/EPFL Lausanne

Fossils
This robot shows how an ancient creature might have walked
a photo of a porthole into an underwater habitat, fish are swimming past the round window

A new kind of glass can keep itself clean underwater. The key is microscopic pancake-shaped structures that let liquid flow between them.

ES3N/iStockphoto

Materials Science
A self-cleaning glass keeps itself spotless underwater
a photo of a green spiral of cyanobacteria printed onto a white mushroom marked with black graphene ink

Researchers 3-D print a green spiral of cyanobacteria onto a mushroom. The microbes give off electrons when exposed to light. Those electrons flow into the black graphene ink to produce an electric current.

American Chemical Society

Technology
This bionic mushroom makes electricity
a close-up of a new kind of bandage

A new bandage uses electrical pulses to help wounds heal faster. It’s powered by the patient’s natural body motions.

Sam Million-Weaver/Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison

Materials Science
This bandage uses electrical zaps to heal wounds faster