Using seaweed to harvest valuable metals
Researchers demonstrated that blooms of the free-floating seaweed Sargassum can sustainably extract rare earth elements from water.
Category: Big Questions
Industrial waste solidified a UK beach in just 35 years
Scientists analyzed the composition of mineral cements on a beach in Derwent Howe and found that furnace waste had rapidly solidified the…
Viruses help plants obtain nitrogen
Scientists discovered soil viruses that help legume plants convert atmospheric nitrogen into biologically available nutrients.
Cold shocks in a warming ocean affect large marine animals
Researchers identified trends in extreme cold events that can push migratory animals, such as bull sharks, beyond their thermal tolerance…
How many asteroids can we detect before they hit Earth?
Scientists simulated a telescope with the same specifications as the new Vera Rubin Observatory. They predicted it could detect 1 to 2…
A parasite that numbs your pain
Researchers discovered a parasitic worm that reduces mice’s ability to feel pain by suppressing the activity of pain-sensing neurons in…
How do ice sheets melt?
Scientists observed a glacier collapse in Greenland and proposed a new model of how ice sheets melt. Their model describes water as both…
A new method to detect volcanic eruptions
Scientists developed a new seismic-based signalling system that provides early alerts of volcanic eruptions.
Brewing sustainable power from used coffee grounds
Researchers developed a fully biodegradable energy-harvesting device that uses spent coffee grounds to transform motion into electricity.
Were dinosaurs doomed before the asteroid hit?
Scientists analyzed a rock layer in New Mexico dating to the end of the dinosaur era and found that dinosaurs in the south remained diverse…