Why do the other planets, like Venus (shown above) have a different atmosphere than Earth? Credit: ESA Here on Earth, we tend to take our atmosphere for granted, and not without reason. Our atmosphere has a lovely mix of nitrogen and oxygen (78% and 21% respectively) with trace amounts of […]
These images of the Milky Way show the distribution of gas, at left, compared to the distribution of stars, at right, after the dwarf satellite disrupts the galaxy. Credit: Sukanya Chakrabarti/Rochester Institute of Technology Enlarge A trio of brightly pulsating stars at the outskirts of the Milky Way is racing […]
The only way we’ve been able to see black holes was through the eye’s of an artist. An Earth-sized telescope could change that. (Credit: M. Helfenbein, Yale University / OPAC) (This article originally appeared on Astronomy.com) Many people are drawn to astronomy by its beautiful images. Who hasn’t been captivated […]
Scientists are concerned about the Belo Monte power complex in Brazil because its placement on a major Amazon tributary threatens several species of fish that do not exist elsewhere. Credit: Kirk Winemiller/Texas A&M Enlarge Advocates of huge hydroelectric dam projects on the Amazon, Congo, and Mekong rivers often overestimate economic […]
The consistency found in size structure across tropical rainforests appears to be driven by competition for light among small individual trees following a break in the canopy cover. Credit: Caroline Farrior Tropical rainforests play a vital role in the well-being of our planet, soaking up carbon dioxide and helping stabilize […]
CADIZ Enlarge This story originally appeared on the Guardian and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Scott Slater has a plan. It is not a popular plan, but he wants to pump 814 billion gallons of water from under the Mojave desert to Los Angeles and other drought-stricken communities in southern California, and […]
Mika Ascalson rides a Segway MiniPRO at CES International, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, in Las Vegas. (Gregory Bull / AP Photo) Segway wants its next scooter to scoot to you. The company, which pioneered the notion of zooming about town perched on two wheels long before the “hoverboard” craze, showed […]
A ring of protected land around New Zealand’s Mt. Taranaki is surrounded by pasture. Land use changes have likely been influencing species distributions for thousands of years, according to a new study. (Image: NASA/USGS) It’s hard to deny that humans are shaping planet Earth: from atmospheric composition to urban heat […]
Getty Images A plan to pay farmers in England for allowing their land to be flooded is to be considered, the government has said. The National Farmers Union said it would support the plan, intended to protect towns and villages downstream. Separately, experts have criticised a government decision to allow […]
By studying forests in the same way at sites around the world, the Smithsonian ForestGEO network provides some of the best on-the-ground data to understand forests and their responses to global change. Credit: STRI Enlarge How more than 1,000 tree species may occur in a small area of forest in […]