Natural disasters not only wreak havoc on communities, but also on the nation’s blood supply. Floating cars, broken buildings, and contaminated water are just a few of the intense secondary effects that natural disasters leave in their paths. Grieving families, hospital visits, and shattered homes leave communities in an overall state of loss and immense […]
Nature’s fury, humanity’s struggles Read More »
Within just the top two inches of sediment covering the shorelines and seafloor of Narragansett Bay, over 1,000 tons of microplastics reside. As a relatively new factor in the sedimentary system, plastics have reached the majority of ecosystems on the planet, from the highest mountain peaks to the deepest parts of the oceans. Microplastics vary
Catch basin for microplastics: The sedimentary storage of plastics in Narragansett Bay Read More »
Ernst Haeckel, a German contemporary of Charles Darwin, made significant contributions to the field of evolutionary biology. He is responsible for the exploration of primarily marine organisms, and in some cases, identification of entirely new species. More recognizable of his legacy, though, is his artwork. Some of his most iconic images depict a species called
Radiolaria: A living specimen of the science behind Ernst Haeckel’s evolutionary artwork Read More »
The spread of the black rat (Rattus rattus) across the globe has been inextricably linked to the spread of human civilization from as early as 2000 BCE. They’ve easily survived worldwide expansion due to their skills in cohabiting with humans and taking advantage of our gathered food and resources. From raiding pantries to spreading devastating
Rats! How terrestrial invasion can have unexpected impacts on tropical reef food chains Read More »
On the harsh, icy cliffs of the Tibetan Plateau, an ancient moss carpets the ground. Covered by snow for eight months of the year, Takakia is a highly specialized moss and one of the fastest-evolving plants ever documented. Surviving four mass extinctions, this 390-million-year-old moss species saw the rise and fall of dinosaurs and the
It is difficult to study evolutionary biology in the modern academic setting without the mention of dinosaurs and their demise. What is often lacking from the discourse in paleontology and its surrounding disciplines, however, is the continuous change in our understanding of the subject. In a recent study, Jamie B. Thompson, Santiago Ramirez-Barahona, and a
A mass extinction and a floral explosion: Paleobotany in a post-dinosaur world Read More »
“Go outside and take a breath of fresh air” is a phrase we have all heard before. When facing a mental block or feeling frustrated and stressed, stepping outside can be therapeutic and relaxing. In fact, nature can be so therapeutic that some psychiatric professionals have even begun prescribing nature breaks to their patients. Mental
Opinion: The Nature Pill Read More »
Preparations for ski season start early in Vermont’s Green Mountains. In early October, Greg Gleason, who runs snowmaking at Killington Ski Resort, gives his staff the all-clear. Over the next four hours the system of artificial snow production on which Vermont’s tourism industry increasingly depends roars to life. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water
New snowmaking tech is helping New England ski resorts beat climate change Read More »
Nature’s intricacies often reveal themselves in unsettling ways, and the cuckoo bird is a striking example. For hundreds of years, bird enthusiasts have been intrigued by the sight of a little reed warbler mother feeding a young cuckoo bird, a species that will grow to five times her own body mass. In fact, Aristotle recorded
How cuckoo are cuckoo birds? Read More »