Plants struggled for millions of years after Earth’s worst climate catastrophe – new study

A deep dive into Earth’s distant past shows how life on land struggled to recover long after the worst warming event of all time.

Chris Mays, Senior Curator, Palaeobotany, Natural History Museum Vienna • conversation
March 6, 2025 • ~6 min

Earth’s greatest mass extinction 250 million years ago shows what happens when El Niño gets out of control – new study

We modelled the climate during this period and discovered episodes of intense ocean heating.

Paul Wignall, Professor of Palaeoenvironments, University of Leeds • conversation
Sept. 16, 2024 • ~7 min

Why evolution often favours small animals and other organisms

Ever been made to feel small? Here’s why being petite is no bad thing.

Tim Rock, PhD Candidate in Biology, University of Bath • conversation
May 9, 2024 • ~8 min

A Nasa mission that collided with an asteroid didn’t just leave a dent – it reshaped the space rock

The mission provided details about how to deflect an asteroid should one threaten Earth in future.

Ian Whittaker, Senior Lecturer in Physics, Nottingham Trent University • conversation
Feb. 26, 2024 • ~7 min

Why invasive ants are a silent threat to our ecosystems

Invasive ants are a major threat to biodiversity, according to a study.

Maximillian Tercel, PhD candidate, Cardiff University • conversation
Sept. 19, 2023 • ~6 min

Five options for restoring global biodiversity after the UN agreement

The UN biodiversity summit COP15 in Montreal is over.

Henrik Svedäng, Researcher, Marine Ecology, Stockholm University • conversation
Dec. 20, 2022 • ~7 min

NASA successfully shifted an asteroid's orbit – DART spacecraft crashed into and moved Dimorphos

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test successfully showed that it is possible to crash a spacecraft into a small asteroid and change its orbit. This technique could save Earth from asteroids in the future.

David Barnhart, Professor of Astronautics, University of Southern California • conversation
Oct. 11, 2022 • ~7 min

Mystery crater potentially caused by relative of dinosaur-killing asteroid

The dinosaurs were possibly annihilated by two asteroids.

Veronica Bray, Research Scientist, Lunar & Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona • conversation
Aug. 17, 2022 • ~8 min

Scientists have found dust from the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs inside the crater it left

A new study found iridium, an element found in asteroids, in the rocks of the Chicxulub impact crater.

Queenie Hoi Shan Chan, Lecturer in Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway • conversation
March 2, 2021 • ~6 min

Newly discovered mass extinction event triggered the dawn of the dinosaurs

Our new research has discovered how a series of volcanic eruptions 233 million years ago fundamentally changed life on Earth.

Michael J. Benton, Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of Bristol • conversation
Sept. 16, 2020 • ~7 min

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