Where did the galaxy get its carbon?
Researchers compared computer models with observations of stars in the Milky Way, and found that massive stars are the dominant source of…
Category: Big Questions
How do bacteria adapt to toxic metal waste?
University of Minnesota scientists identified a specific DNA region in the bacterium Shewanella oneidensis that helps it tolerate heavy…
Using seismic stations to track groundwater resources
Researchers used seismic data to test whether atmospheric rivers in 2023 replenished groundwater in the Greater Los Angeles area after two…
Is nuclear waste safe underground?
Researchers calculated that nuclear waste could be safely sealed away for more than 350 million years in geological repositories deep…
Finding alien life with light signals
Scientists compared light reflected from Earth to light reflected from Mars, and found that planets with life produce more complex,…
Bedrock fractures shape waterfalls
Scientists replicated river systems in a laboratory and found that erosion around waterfalls varies based on pre-existing fractures in the…
Harnessing sunlight to fight bacteria
Scientists developed biodegradable food packaging that combines heat- and light-driven chemistry to preserve food safely and sustainably.
Reducing earthquakes caused by fracking
Scientists tested four methods to reduce earthquakes caused by drilling for geothermal energy, and proposed a safer approach to replace the…
Objects at the border between planets and stars
Researchers studying a star-forming region in our galaxy found mysterious objects that are neither stars nor planets, but could be a new…
Why is Earth’s crust layered?
Researchers found that the enrichment of radiogenic elements in the upper continental crust requires high-temperature metamorphism to melt…