For decades, the extinction of the dinosaurs has usually been pictured as a slow collapse. An asteroid struck Earth, sunlight faded behind dust, temperatures changed, and ecosystems gradually unravelled. That broad sequence still stands, yet a new study argues that the first chapter of the catastrophe may have unfolded far more quickly than many imagined….
At first sight, Pando appears to be an ordinary forest of thousands of trembling aspen trees stretching across Utah’s Fishlake National Forest. As reported by PBS, the reality beneath the ground is far more unusual. Those estimated 47,000 trunks are not separate trees competing for space, but parts of a single living organism connected by…
Titan has four seasons much like Earth’s, but there is one very strange catch to them A single winter on Saturn’s largest moon lasts long enough for a newborn on Earth to grow into an eight-year-old child.Titan, the second-largest moon in the solar system, has active weather with clouds, rain, rivers, and changing seasons that…
New Zealand has launched one of the largest ecological restoration projects in its history along with the Maori natives of the country. It is attempting to eliminate invasive mammals from three islands in order to revive the native birds, marine animals and land.The project will be taking place in Maukahuka/Auckland Island, Rakiura/Stewart Island and the…
For centuries, flamingos were recognised by their vivid pink feathers, yet the reason behind that striking colour remained uncertain. Early naturalists could describe what they saw, but they could not explain why young flamingos emerged from the nest in muted shades before gradually becoming brighter as they matured. The answer only began to take shape…
Arika Kundu, 13, uses peanut shells to help remove pesticide residues from produce. A 13-year-old Indian-American student from Minnesota has invented a method to reduce pesticide residues on fresh fruits and vegetables by using peanut shells, something that is usually thrown away.Arika Kundu, a seventh-grade student at Minnetonka Middle School East in Shorewood, Minnesota, developed…
In the autumn of 1898, visitors at Madison Square Garden witnessed something that looked impossible. A small metal boat moved across a pool without a visible person guiding it. It changed direction, responded to commands, and appeared to act with a mind of its own. The demonstration came from Nikola Tesla, an inventor already known…
In 1823, British explorers Hugh Clapperton, Dixon Denham and Walter Oudney were some of the first Europeans to document the lake and the surrounding kingdoms. He was struck at the sight of one of Africa’s largest inland lakes. But two centuries later, about 905 of the lake’s surface area has shrunk, leaving only a sliver…
Japan’s 600-year-old Daisugi technique offers a unique way to produce timber without cutting down entire trees Timber is one of the biggest reasons trees are cut down all over the world. However, in Japan, a country focused on sustainability, an ancient forestry technique called Daisugi harvests timber without cutting the tree.The method began around 14th…
A wind farm is usually thought of as a place where moving air is turned into electricity. Yet the flow does not simply continue on its way once it has passed through the turbines. It changes, rises and mixes with layers of the atmosphere above, leaving behind an invisible trail that can stretch far beyond…
