Earth & Climate

Rotifers “chew” microplastics into nanoplastics

Representation of a rotifer whose chewing apparatus can scrape off large amounts of nanoparticles from ingested pieces of plastic. © UMass Amherst ...

Bacteria could make lunar soil fertile

Seedlings grow in simulated lunar regolith with the support of soil microbes. © Yitong Xia So far it has proven to be less growth-friendly. But...

Photo worth seeing: Adélie penguins on the move

The penguins that frolic here on the Antarctic sea ice are Adélie penguins. Apart from the emperor penguin, they are the only penguin species...

More species threatened with extinction than previously thought

The Crau plains grasshopper (Prionotropis rhodanica) from the Crau steppe in southern France is threatened with extinction due to changes in the pasture use...

How hummingbirds fly through small gaps

Video: This is how a hummingbird flies through a narrow opening using a sideways flight maneuver. © Marc Badger On the trail of the secrets...

Light pollution endangers entire ecosystems

Artificial lighting comes at the expense of ecosystems. © Jürgen Vieweg/Pixelio With artificial light, we humans are increasingly turning night into day. In doing so,...

Photo worth seeing: Shadows over North America

On October 14, 2023, many people in North and South America craned their heads up to watch an extraordinary celestial spectacle: an annular solar...

Traces of the moon-forming impact in the Earth’s mantle

Artist's representation of the collision between the primordial Earth and the celestial body “Theia” as well as the subsequent deposition of impact material inside...

Why do some animals grow back missing body parts?

Flatworm species, such as those pictured here, vary significantly in their ability to regrow body parts. This could, among other things, have to...

Photo worth seeing: Luminous material made from algae

Most people are probably familiar with the natural spectacle of bioluminescence from stays by the sea, for example in Moskito Bay on the Caribbean...

Female chimpanzees also go through menopause

Marlene, a female chimpanzee from the Ngogo community in Kibale National Park in Uganda in the post-reproductive phase of life. © Kevin Langergraber,...

Has the jet stream changed?

The polar jet stream shapes the weather in our latitudes. © NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio ...

Recent Articles