A world in a bottle of water
Revolutionary techniques using traces of environmental DNA are analyzing entire ecosystems “from microbes to whales”
Aug. 2, 2019 • ~14 min
genetics climate-change living-world food-environment
Tiny, living stones of the sea
How limestone-covered algae sway global climate — and how their fate may shift as the oceans acidify
June 25, 2019 • ~9 min
climate-change story-behind-a-picture living-world
Toward greener plastics
Researchers and companies are working on new kinds of biodegradable packaging, bottles and other products that break down like compost.
May 24, 2019 • ~9 min
climate-change food-environment
As climate changes, so does life in the planet’s soils
To understand what might be lost, ecologist Janet K. Jansson taps molecular methods to explore Earth’s underground microbes, from the permafrost to the grasslands
May 17, 2019 • ~13 min
climate-change qa living-world food-environment physical-world
Will the food of the future be genetically engineered or organic? How about both?
Feeding the planet — now and tomorrow — is no small task. Plant biologist Pamela Ronald says sustainability means using every tool in the toolbox.
May 9, 2019 • ~15 min
climate-change qa living-world food-environment
Firenadoes and drifting embers: The secrets of extreme wildfires
Researchers probe the weather-like physics of deadly infernos
March 14, 2019 • ~21 min
climate-change wildfire food-environment physical-world
Looking for economic prosperity without growth
The only way for humanity to solve its environmental problems may be to abandon our quest for continual economic expansion. It’s time to study what a future of degrowth might look like, some researchers say.
March 5, 2019 • ~12 min
climate-change politics society qa food-environment
A deeper understanding of the Grand Canyon
After 100 years as a national park and eons as a geological wonder, the American icon continues to reveal layers of its past and of the landscape ahead
Feb. 26, 2019 • ~11 min
geology climate-change society food-environment physical-world
Nuclear goes retro — with a much greener outlook
Returning to designs abandoned in the 1970s, start-ups are developing a new kind of reactor that promises to be much safer and cleaner than current ones.
Feb. 22, 2019 • ~34 min
climate-change technology food-environment physical-world
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