Over the past 20 years, scientists have increasingly identified microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) as a growing form of environmental pollution. These tiny plastic particles have been detected throughout all major parts of the Earth system, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. Their widespread distribution has made plastics a rising concern for researchers studying … Read more
SYDNEY, Jan 11 – Human remains were found in Australia’s southeast where bushfires raging for days have razed buildings, cut power to thousands of homes and burned swathes of bushland, police said on Sunday. The blazes, burning out of control during a summer heatwave, have torn through more than 350,000 hectares (860,000 acres) of bushland … Read more
Elon Musk attends the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 19, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters Elon Musk’s xAI said it raised $20 billion in a funding round, exceeding its prior target of $15 billion. CNBC reported in November that a financing would value the artificial intelligence startup at about $230 billion. After … Read more
Earth’s climate is shifting worldwide, but the fastest changes are happening near the poles. New research from Penn State offers a detailed look at how chemical reactions in the Arctic atmosphere are unfolding, revealing that several distinct processes are interacting at the same time and reshaping the region’s climate. Scientists used two specially equipped research … Read more
Some Massachusetts residents are a little tired of running on Dunkin’. Residents in the town of Haverhill are claiming that a manufacturing facility that produces one million donuts per day for the fast food giant is causing an overpowering smell in their homes. Local Sean Wilson said at a Dec. 16 city council meeting that … Read more
Silence really is golden — and homeowners are willing to pay more for it. Specifically, when traffic noise fades, home values tend to creep up. A new academic study by the National Bureau of Academic Research suggests that the simple act of quieting a highway can deliver an outsized payoff for nearby homeowners. A recent … Read more
It’s time to clear the air. While staying inside seems like a safe way to avoid the harmful effects of air pollution, it turns out that nitrogen dioxide, a toxic gas that primarily comes from cars, lurks indoors as well. A new study out of Stanford University suggests that an everyday household appliance accounts for … Read more
‘Tis the season for the sounds of sniffles. A stuffed up nose seems to be a staple of colder weather, especially as cold and flu season has hit its peak from now until February. While avoiding catching a cold is tough, you can find relief without having to stock up on hundreds of medications and … Read more
In an effort to better understand how the ocean stores carbon, researchers at UC Santa Barbara and their collaborators have uncovered results that challenge long-held ideas about how carbon dioxide is “fixed” in the dark, deep sea. Led by UCSB microbial oceanographer Alyson Santoro, the team reports in Nature Geoscience that their work helps close … Read more
While the merits of making your bed are many, science may support leaving it a mess. For years, experts have maintained that the morning ritual can help you sleep better, have more sex, boost productivity and reduce anxiety. However, research suggests that an unmade bed might help you avoid one major nightmarish health concern. The … Read more