Aeroplankton: The Life in the Air We Breathe
Just as the ocean is full of plankton, the air we breathe teems with microorganisms.
The Environmental Downside of Cannabis Cultivation
Wide-scale cannabis cultivation is causing environmental damage. Federal regulations could change this.
How Trees Can Save Lakes From Algae Blooms
In addition to cleaning air pollution, trees absorb excess nutrients from soil, preventing algae blooms in waterways.
Exploring Lake Baikal
The world's largest, deepest freshwater lake is home to hundreds of species that don't live anywhere else on Earth. But it's threatened by climate change.
When a Cultivated Tree Goes Rogue
The Callery pear was meant to help prevent fire blight from destroying the commercial pear industry. Then it became invasive.
The Tangled History of Weaving with Spider Silk
Spider silk is as strong as steel and as light as a feather, but attempts to industrialize its production have gotten stuck, so to speak.
The Hidden Life of Modal Verbs
A linguist explains why we get so distracted by the fiery language of politics, while ignoring urgent information reported by scientists.
Why Civilizations End
Scientists studying fallen civilizations suggest that the culprit is overshoot in combination with climate change. What does this mean for our current era?
Would You Like Some Germs with Your Wheaties?
To fulfill the increasing protein demand, scientists turn to microbes.