Why Victorian Gardeners Loathed Magenta
For decades, British and American gardeners avoided magenta flowers. The color had associations with the unnatural and the poisonous.
How Fire Damages Water
President Trump has suggested that poor water management causes wildfires. In fact, it's often the other way around.
Where are the Biodegradable Alternatives to Plastic?
New polymers meant to either biodegrade or to last longer would reduce waste. So what is taking science so long to create them? Well, it's complicated.
Get Ready For More Heat Waves!
New climate model suggests next four years will be hotter than expected.
The Mysteries of Crown Shyness
In some forests, trees grow in a manner that keeps their branches from touching one another. Despite decades of study, scientists aren't exactly sure why.
Bees and the World-Wide Farming Web
Connections between beekeepers in the 17th and 18th centuries created the early “world-wide farming web”—a way to share information across long distances.
How Eucalyptus Trees Stoke Wildfires
Eucalypts are now cosmopolitan, spread around the world through imperialism and globalization. Unfortunately, they're also highly flammable.
The Genetics of Cousin Marriage
It's conventional wisdom that procreation between first cousins is unhealthy. But what are the actual genetic risks?
The Controversy Around the First Museum Dinosaurs
Dinosaur bones on display at the American Museum of Natural History always balanced conveying objective truth with promoting science to the public.