Environment

When nature calls: a study’s findings on contagious chimp urination

Environment / /

Nature is filled with synchronized tunes: the melodic songs of birds, croaks of frogs, and bladders of urgent chimps. As chimpanzees urinate, a new study reveals that surrounding chimps may join in synchronized streams. Scientists now hypothesize that this contagious urination could shine insights on social dimensions and behaviors beyond the chimpanzee species. This past […]

When nature calls: a study’s findings on contagious chimp urination Read More »

The chemical fingerprint of water: Isotope hydrology for sustainable resource management

Environment / /

Every drop of water on Earth holds a unique story, carrying a chemical fingerprint of its journey through oceans, rivers, and the atmosphere across the hydrologic cycle. Just as humans are all tied to their own distinct backgrounds and identities shaped by their origins and experiences, scientists can track down the origins and travels of

The chemical fingerprint of water: Isotope hydrology for sustainable resource management Read More »

Finding the forests for the trees: Combating climate change through biodiversity conservation

Biology, Environment, World / /

Trees have symbolized life, strength, and connection across cultures and millennia. Recently, these silent sentinels have garnered recognition as heroes in the fight against climate change. Carbon storage, combined with reductions in fossil fuel use, is a critical component of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Trees offer an accessible, relatively inexpensive solution. Through photosynthesis, trees

Finding the forests for the trees: Combating climate change through biodiversity conservation Read More »

Cloudy with a chance of climate change: How ocean acidification alters the atmosphere

Biology, Chemistry, Environment / /

While clouds rolling in on a sunny summer day may be a disappointing sight for many, clouds play a critical role in regulating Earth’s climate. A key gas produced by marine microalgae, known as dimethyl sulfide (DMS), is largely responsible for cloud formation. DMS is not widely known, but its characteristic “smell of the ocean”

Cloudy with a chance of climate change: How ocean acidification alters the atmosphere Read More »

Worlds of purple: Reimagining photosynthesis on distant planets

Environment / /

With rapidly improving space-based telescopes, the search for extraterrestrial life is becoming more feasible. As of 2025, NASA has confirmed the existence of over 5800 exoplanets, with over 30 considered to be potentially Earth-like. Yet, despite advances in data collection capabilities, one question remains hotly contested: What characteristic features should a planet with life have?

Worlds of purple: Reimagining photosynthesis on distant planets Read More »

Magicicada

Environment / /

In the summer of 2024, two tribes consisting of billions of warriors emerged from the ground in the South and Midwest US regions. These clans were Brood XIII and Brood IX, two families of periodical cicadas that surfaced simultaneously in an event not witnessed for over two centuries. Although these insects were destined to die

Magicicada Read More »