Earth's Systems
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SpaceScientists Say: Gravity
Gravity is a fundamental force that attracts objects with mass to other objects with mass. It decreases with distance.
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A dirty and growing problem: Too few toilets
As the famous book says, everybody poops. That’s 7.8 billion people, worldwide. For the 2.4 billion with no toilet, the process can be complicated.
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EcosystemsSoggy coastal soils? Here’s why ecologists love them
Coastal wetlands can protect our shores from erosion, flooding and rising sea levels.
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ClimateSiberian heat wave that caused an oil spill made more likely by climate change
The six-month heat wave in Siberia during the first half of 2020 would not have happened without human-caused climate change, researchers find.
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EnvironmentAustralian wildfires pumped smoke to record heights
Wildfires in Australia in late December and early January spurred an unusual smoke plume that still hasn’t fully dispersed.
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EarthLightning megaflashes set big new distance and duration records
Scans of satellite images identified two lightning bolts with previously unheard-of dimensions. Both flashed through the skies over South America.
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Deadly heat: Expected by century’s end, it’s here already
Instances of hot and humid conditions that threaten human lives are on the rise.
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FossilsThe challenge of dinosaur hunting in deep caves
Spelunkers aren’t the only people to find caves interesting. So do paleontologists. Though getting to work may be harrowing, they find it’s worth it.
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EarthDid rain put the Kilauea volcano’s lava-making into overdrive?
Scientists share strongly conflicting opinions about why Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano spewed an overabundance of lava in 2018.
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AnimalsMinecraft’s big bees don’t exist, but giant insects once did
Big bees buzz in Minecraft. In our world, blocky bees might starve and be stuck on the ground. Yet long ago, giant insects did roam our planet.
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EarthA rainforest once grew near the South Pole
A forest flourished within 1,000 kilometers of the South Pole. That was a while ago, as in millions of years ago.
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ClimateHow to curb the climate heating by contrails
Contrails are narrow clouds left behind in the sky by jets. They add to climate change. But a new study suggests a way to curb their contribution.