Finally, a Coral Success Story
Scientists have spent years cryopreserving coral in the hopes of restoring reefs. For the first time, some unfrozen specimens have reached adulthood.
One Huge Contradiction Is Undoing Our Best Climate Efforts
The math isn’t adding up.
Plant Seeds Are Stuck
The extinction of animals is a huge problem for plants that rely on them to escape warming habitats.
Where Was the Actual Ice During the Ice Age?
Kelp in the Southern Ocean might hold the answer.
How Much Can the Seasons Bend Before They Break?
Yearly weather patterns are changing. Our traditions need to keep up.
Tiny Climate Crises Are Adding Up to One Big Disaster
Billion-dollar disasters are breaking records, but the accumulation of small disasters can be devastating too.
The Solar-Panel Backlash Is Here
On sunny days, some states can waste lots of clean energy. Their response has been to make panels less affordable.
The Viral Threat Almost No One Is Thinking About
Flu viruses and coronavirus started the last few pandemics. Could the next one be a paramyxovirus?
Spiders Might Be Quietly Disappearing
But scientists won’t know for sure unless we get over our ick factor.
Hurricane Otis Was Too Fast for the Forecasters
The storm intensified to Category 5 just before it reached Acapulco.
What If There’s a Secret Benefit to Getting Asian Glow?
A genetic mutation carried by about 500 million people makes drinking dramatic, but may protect against infectious diseases.
The Invisible Force Keeping Carbon in the Ground
In climate-addled places, mats of mycelium may make all the difference for the trees they live alongside.
Humans Are Ready to Find Alien Life
We finally have the tools we need. Now scientists just need to watch and wait.
You Won’t Hear Much About the Next Chapter of Space Travel
Space tourism is getting less transparent, and more like traveling by private jet.
The Hypocrisy at the Heart of the Insurance Industry
Sometimes, a town doesn’t have to be underwater to become uninhabitable. All it has to do is be uninsurable.
These Birds Got a Little Too Comfortable in Birdhouses
Purple martins may have been saved by human-built nest boxes. What happens when our hospitality runs out?
An Awkward Evolutionary Theory for One of Pregnancy’s Biggest Complications
Some of our species’ most peculiar sexual traits could be guards against preeclampsia.
Animals Are Avoiding Us
Humans have an image problem. But we might be able to use it for good.
The Galápagos Got Back Its Giant Tortoises—And a Whole Lot More
The reptiles’ return is reshaping an entire ecosystem.
If You’re Worried About the Climate, Move Your Money
How you consume matters to the planet. How you invest does too.
/media/img/mt/2023/10/AlienPollution_Final_101923_2-1/original.gif)