What is dirt? There’s a whole wriggling world alive in the ground beneath our feet, as a soil scientist explains
Rock dust is only part of the story of soil. Living creatures, many of them too tiny to see, keep that soil healthy for growing everything from food to forests.
Brian Darby, Associate Professor of Biology, University of North Dakota •
conversation
March 25, 2024 • ~7 min
March 25, 2024 • ~7 min
Victims of the green energy boom? The Indonesians facing eviction over a China-backed plan to turn their island into a solar panel 'ecocity'
The international quest for green energy is reliant on ‘sacrificial zones’ in developing countries.
Nikita Sud, Professor of the Politics of Development, University of Oxford •
conversation
Oct. 23, 2023 • ~28 min
Oct. 23, 2023 • ~28 min
Sea glass, a treasure formed from trash, is on the decline as single-use plastic takes over
Sea glass, while an eye-catching treasure and a multimillion-dollar industry, exists because of decades of improper waste management.
Lori Weeden, Teaching Professor of Environmental Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, UMass Lowell •
conversation
Sept. 28, 2023 • ~7 min
Sept. 28, 2023 • ~7 min
Sandcastle engineering – a geotechnical engineer explains how water, air and sand create solid structures
From capillary forces to sand grain shape, the simple mix of sand and water hides the of complexity within.
Joseph Scalia, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University •
conversation
Aug. 19, 2022 • ~8 min
Aug. 19, 2022 • ~8 min
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