Desert Varnish Goes Biological
July 6, 2021
What was thought to be a geological phenomenon turns out to be the work of photosynthetic bacteria.
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Microbes Travel the Globe
February 23, 2021
The tiniest of life forms are able to traverse continental distances on wings of the wind.
Dramatic Climate Change Occurred Before Cities
October 21, 2020
Fossils show remaining bones of aquatic mammals poking out of the desert sands of Egypt.
Downside of Green Energy Unplanned
September 5, 2020
Windmills and solar farms come with their own environmental baggage, but who is planning for it? Nobody.
South Sudan: A Lost Eden Recovering
June 11, 2020
The evil that men do affects wildlife, too. But when men stop doing evil, sometimes the animals come back.
Another Big Science Fail Over Pollution
June 5, 2020
Is plastic polluting the world's oceans? Yes, but not nearly as much as hundreds of studies had claimed. Measure, don't assume!
Climate Hysteria Goes Far Beyond the Science
December 11, 2019
The behavior of scientists, the media, and individuals who follow them like groupies tells a lot about the nature of science.
Unusual Fossils Call for Unusual Explanations
May 15, 2019
Some recent fossil finds require creative storytelling, but the science is the data –not the story.
Humans Can Selectively Wipe Out Certain Animals
July 9, 2018
The human impact on animals is well known today and is becoming apparent in history, too. Implications for ancient history are considered.
Beavers Clean the Soil
May 12, 2018
Without beaver dams, loss of nutrients from soil would increase, and pollutants from upstream erosion would afflict waterways.
Tiny Life Benefits the Whole World
April 19, 2018
Some very small organisms can produce global effects, such as the tiny crustaceans that stir the oceans every night. What would the oceans be like without life? If minerals, gases and nutrients had to mix by diffusion, the process would be very slow. Wind and currents could help somewhat. Now, Houghton et al., publishing in […]
City Trees Give More in Ecosystem Services Than They Cost
March 25, 2018
City planners need to plant more trees in urban areas, but the benefits go beyond beautifying pavement. Urban areas occupy 4% of the land surface of the planet, says Theodore A. Endreny in a Comment article in Nature Communications. That may strike readers as surprising, given most people’s attention to cities for work, travel and […]
Viruses From Distant Lands Fall from the Sky
February 21, 2018
Every day, billions of viruses are carried by high winds from continent to continent.
Bacteria Rule the Earth
December 14, 2017
Bacteria are inescapable. They're everywhere. Fortunately, many of them are here for good.
Dangers of Viewing Animal Death as Helpful
June 21, 2017
It's one thing to say an ecosystem can take care of recycling a carcass. It's another to say the ecosystem needs the carcass to thrive.