Environment

Brian Helmuth is trying to bring people closer to nature in an effort to save it

Environment, Local, Psychology / /

Living aboard Aquarius, the world’s only underwater research center, isn’t glamorous. Its interior is about the size of a bus. You eat dehydrated backpacking food with tons of hot sauce because taste buds don’t work as well in the high-pressure atmosphere. There’s a constant mechanical hum and the “ticking” of snapping shrimp. But Northeastern marine […]

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Crawling cures: The potential value of insects in medicine

Environment, Health / /

For thousands of years, humans have looked to nature for ways to cure disease. Ancient civilizations around the world relied on plants, animals, and fungi to treat every malady from headaches to heart disease. Even as our ability to develop synthetic drugs has increased, natural products remain crucial in the field of medicine. Between 1981

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Experimental evolution: Can scientists evolve bacteria to manage hazardous waste?

Biology, Environment / /

The industrial synthesis of many widely used chemicals ranging from fertilizers to pharmaceuticals is known to produce toxic byproducts. Some of these products, dubbed “forever chemicals,” are exceptionally resistant to degradation and tend to accumulate in the environment when improperly disposed of. One family of forever chemicals known to be widespread in the environment is

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Uncovering the ocean’s depths: Scientists discover record-breaking cold-water reef in the Atlantic Ocean

Environment, World / /

Marine scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have discovered the largest known deep-sea coral reef in the world. This cold-water reef located off the Atlantic coast of the United States spans from Florida to South Carolina. This totals to a length of around 310 miles and is equivalent to three times the size

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Like a moth to a flame: Why insects are attracted to light

Biology, Environment / /

Watching swarms of tiny insects dive into burning fires can be fascinating, but what drives them to this fiery death? From the first man-made fire to modern light fixtures, artificial illumination has drawn insects in, often to their deaths. Until now, it has been widely theorized that insects are attracted to light, even when it

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Growing green: Reducing urban agriculture’s carbon footprint

Environment, World / /

Nestled between the brick and concrete buildings of Boston, a flash of green stands out. Joyous voices carry through the urban bustle as a group gathers in a verdant garden, eager to try the first tomatoes of the season. After several months of careful tending, the fruits have finally ripened on their sprawling vines, gleaming

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Talking trees: The story and science behind tree communication

Environment / /

Since ancient times, humans across the globe have consistently incorporated talking trees into their mythos. Commonly depicted as slow-moving and wise, these trees that can talk often serve as the guardians of mystic forests and dark woods. Surprisingly, it seems that these mythological depictions of trees may not be so far from reality. Trees can

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Mirror of the sun: The Hawaiian silversword

Biology, Environment, World / /

Stars flicker faintly as the dark horizon reddens. Howling, freezing winds and desolate craters starkly contrast the lush tropical rainforests and coral gardens 10,000 feet below. As the blinding light finally emerges over a sea of swirling clouds, a bright reflection appears from the sparse, reddish slopes. It is a silver plant, radiating under the

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