MS-LS2-5

Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.

  1. Environment

    Cleaning up water that bees like to drink

    Plant roots suck up pesticides used on soils, then release them into water that can seep from their leaves. This is a sweetened water that bees love to sip. A teen figured out how to remove most of the pesticide with bits of charcoal.

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  2. Computing

    Germs power new paper batteries

    New paper-based batteries rely on bacteria to generate electricity. These ‘papertronic’ power systems may be a safer choice for remote sites or dangerous environments.

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  3. Science & Society

    Shrimp on treadmills? Some science only sounds silly

    Research that may seem silly, at first glance, often has a rewarding aim. Here are some examples.

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  4. Ecosystems

    Underwater meadows appear to fight ocean germs

    The seagrasses that sway in coastal currents are more than aquatic groundcover. They can reduce harmful bacteria that might otherwise sicken neighboring animals, new data show.

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  5. Genetics

    World’s tallest corn towers nearly 14 meters

    Short nights and a genetic tweak helped novel corn reach record heights.

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  6. Environment

    Food-like smell on plastic may lure seabirds to eat it

    When plastic smells like supper, seabirds and other animals can be fooled into thinking it is food.

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  7. Oceans

    Creative ways to help coral reefs recover

    Coral reefs are under siege from threats ranging from climate change to explosives. But scientists are developing ways to rebuild reefs before they disappear.

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  8. Animals

    Tasmanian devils begin to resist infectious cancer

    A deadly contagious cancer is spreading among Tasmanian devils. But the animals are evolving resistance, a new study finds.

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  9. Ecosystems

    Earthworms: Can these gardeners’ friends actually become foes?

    Asian jumping worms can strip leaf litter from floor of U.S. forests, new data show. Many native plants need that leaf litter for their seeds to germinate.

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  10. Ecosystems

    Algae embedded in sea ice drive the Arctic food web

    Scientists traced where zooplankton in the Arctic get their energy from. Many open ocean species rely on algae found in sea ice, which is disappearing.

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  11. Archaeology

    Neandertals: Ancient Stone Age builders had tech skills

    Neandertals built stalagmite circles in a French cave 176,500 years ago. These structures show that these ancient human cousins had social and technical skills.

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  12. Environment

    Uh oh! Baby fish prefer plastic to real food

    Given a choice, baby fish will eat plastic microbeads instead of real food. That plastic stunts their growth and makes them easier prey for predators.

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