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Sailors and scientists have been mapping ocean currents for centuries, but it turns out they've missed something big. How big? The entire ocean is striped with 100-mile-wide bands of slow-moving [...]

The burning of biomass, such as wood or dung, and of certain fossil fuels releases particulate black carbon, or soot. Until now, soot has been considered a minor player in [...]

Almost 2,000 years ago the Maya concocted a pigment, since dubbed Maya blue, which has endured the harsh climate of southern Mexico on murals, pottery, and sculptures. Archaeologists, however, never [...]

Pirates may not come across as the most civic-minded folk, but a new study shows that pirate crews operating in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries adopted a democratic [...]

At the start of each breeding season, male red-backed fairy-wrens high enough on the social ladder darken their bills and shed their lackluster brown feathers for a flashy black-and-red set [...]

Saltwater crocodiles aren't known for their sentimentality, but they are prone to bouts of homesickness, according to a new study. Conducted with the help of the late Steve R. Irwin--the […]

Scientific consensus that humans have caused global warming coalesced in about 1995. Yet for the next decade many Americans still believed that humankind's role in the emerging crisis was a […]

Coping with rattlesnakes is a fact of life for California ground squirrels. Fortunately, adult squirrels are immune to the snake's venom. To protect their susceptible pups, when a rattler comes […]

Flowering plants provide food to their animal visitors in exchange for pollination, so both groups are in big trouble if their schedules fail to mesh. Will global warming disrupt their […]

The abundance of pre-Columbian bronze, copper, and silver artifacts in Peru indicates that the region was a center for metallurgy in the New World. But archaeologists have long been puzzled […]

The article focuses on climbing gyms and the route setters on the video game. Topics discussed include views of setter Max Zolotukhin on climbing and route setters; notiosn of Chris Warner, owner of Earth Treks, on due of the route setters; and views of Mike Helt, an instructor for the USA Climbing Routesetting Certification Program, on climbing outdoors.

The article offers the author's insights on French adventurer François Guenot who vanished in a wild and remote area last summer 2014. Topics discussed include the attitudes of Guenot, the challenges of Guenot as adventurer, and the relationship of Guenot to his family. Also mentioned are the risks of adventures and the wilderness adventure management.

The article discusses the history of the Bahia Emerald. According to an investigation by Brazil's National Department of Mineral Production, a prospector in Bahia found a large uncut emerald about 180,000 carats in size in early 2001. The Bahia Emerald has been traded by various con men, detectives and double-crossers based on court records. The emerald was kept in a vault at the Bank of Brazil before it was shipped to San Jose, California in 2004.

The article reports on the role played by geology as the anchor of conservation as climate change sends species scrambling. Topics discussed include global warming's influence on rearranging ecosystems, the shifting habitat boundaries and migration patterns, the move of many plants and animals to escape the heat. Highlighted is scientist Mark Anderson's research on landscapes to find natural strongholds for species.

The article focuses on the aquaculture firm AquaBounty in Prince Edward Island, Canada, which raises genetically modified salmon which grow to market size more quickly than other salmon. The refusal of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the sale of AquaBounty's AquaAdvantage brand salmon is discussed. Complaints by environmentalists about AquaBounty and hostility towards the firm from other salmon culture operators are discussed.

The article discusses the feeding habits of plants in swamps of southeastern North Carolina and northern South Carolina. The plants exist on acidic, nitrogen-poor soil and feast on insects. Venus Flytrap, pitcher plants and bladderworts are mentioned as species members whose strategy is to release a sweet odor to entice an insect to the leaves and then trap it and secrete chemicals to slowly digest its protein. The author describes Green Swamp Preserve as a habitat for the plants.

The article presents a reprint of an article by Brendan Borrell which appeared in the February 2013 issue of 'High Country News." It discusses the possibility of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe to manage the first tribal national park in South Dakota. It states that Oglala Lakota president John Yellow Bird Steele and the U.S. National Park Service has already agreed on a plan that would return control of the region to the tribe which they call South Unit while complying with federal laws.

The article addresses issues concerning dead immigrants along the U.S.-Mexico border. Topics discussed include complications in identifying bodies, the challenge that migrants face in crossing the Rio Grande River, and the Missing Migrants database. Also mentioned are the efforts of various states, including Arizona, California and Texas, in dealing with several migrant cases.

The article presents information on turning a bombed-out landscape of badlands situated near the northern tip of South Dakota into a tourist destination that will be managed by Oglala Lakota Indians. It informs that the U.S. National Park Service agreed on a management plan under which the land would be returned to the tribe. It also discusses the role of Keith Janis, local Native activist and American Indian Movement member, in reclaiming the tribal land for turning it into a tourist spot.

The article discusses Komodo dragons in Indonesia, drawing on the author's experience of visiting Indonesia's Komodo National Park. It reflects on research on the lizards conducted on Komodo Island, Indonesia, by Walter Auffenberg of the Florida Museum of Natural History. The author comments on evolutionary aspects of Komodo dragons, particularly exploring the Komodo dragon's venomous bite and the relative weakness of its jaws. The Komodo dragon's status as an endangered species is also considered. INSET: Pick Your Poison.

The article focuses on the theft of Canadian maple syrup at the Global Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford, Canada, on July 30, 2012. Topics include the wholesale price of the syrup that was stolen, the efforts to stabilize global maple syrup prices, and the amount of maple syrup produced in Canada annually.

The article reports on the operation of the Cabang Panti Research Station in Western Borneo in Indonesia by American doctor Kinari Webb in 2012. The clinic is reportedly the testing ground for the strategy of rewarding villages that protect the rain forest with discounts on medical care. According to environmentalists, societies need to consider the dollar value of ecosystem services, such as carbon storage and watershed protection, and that they can be paid for their contributions.

The article focuses on plans to integrate complete genomes into the health-care system of the Faroe Islands (FI). It states that inhabitants of the FI have a genetic disposition toward carnitine transporter deficiency (CTD). It mentions that the remote location of the FI has limited the gene pool and comments that the FI have the highest known prevalence of CTD. It reports on plans to sequence the whole genomes of inhabitants to test for genetic diseases and help prevent health problems. INSET: PRIVACY TEST.

The article focuses on the fishing industry in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and how it has been affected by a raid on December 7, 2006 by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) after suspicion of overfishing. Information is provided on how the illegal fishing and sale of cod caused a drastic reduction in their population. Andy Cohen, head of NOAA's northeastern fisheries, and Larry Ciulla, chief executive officer of Gloucester Display Auction, are detailed.

The article discusses competitive pumpkin growing, focusing on the Ohio Valley. It comments on the Mammoth pumpkin group, including the Atlantic Giant Pumpkin, and examines the pumpkin growing efforts of naturalist Henry David Thoreau in the nineteenth century. Several Ohio Valley pumpkin growers are considered, including Quinn Werner, Dave Stelts, and Tim Parks. The author also discusses the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers Weigh-Off in Canfield, Ohio. Pumpkin growing methods and fertilizers are addressed.

The article discusses the efforts by biologist Lotus Vermeer to restore several endangered species in Santa Cruz Island. Vermeer is the director of the Nature Conservancy organization's work on the island. One of the species restored is the island fox, which was listed as an endangered species in 2004 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The restoration plan of the Conservancy and the National Park Service involved capturing and relocating golden eagles, re-establishing bald eagles and eradicating the non-native feral pigs.

The article looks at global phosphate reserves, focusing on the state-owned phosphate monopoly of Morocco's King Mohammed VI, Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP). The author notes that Mohammed VI owns over half of the world's phosphate reserves. Uses for phosphates are reviewed, including its importance as a fertilizer in modern agriculture.

The article discusses the ability of mangrove forests to save lives during natural calamities. Mangrove forests are found on all continents from Florida Keys to the Ecuadorian coast. A look into how the mangroves sheltered several people is provided. Findings of a 2008 study published by Saudamini Das and Jeff Vincent in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" are also explored.

This article discusses the research of the botanist Joshua Tewksbury, who is studying the development of the Capsicum minutiflorum, which is believed to be a wild ancestor of cultivated chili peppers. Research into these plans carried out in the Amboró National Park in Bolivia is described. By comparing mild chilis such as C. minutiflorum with chilis that contain high levels of capsaicin, which gives spice to that fruit, Tewksbury hopes to develop an evolutionary explanation for the development of these plants.

Nasonia wasp genomes should improve agricultural biological control.

The article discusses the necessity of sexual reproduction which, according to the author, is the preferred method for many of the species on Earth.

The article discusses Paleolithic artifacts discovered on Crete, Greece. Archaeologist Curtis Runnels discusses how the artifacts are changing theories about early human migration and cognitive and technical abilities. It is suggested that the earliest tools uncovered may have belonged to a group of Homo heidelbergensis or Homo erectus that migrated over land and sea.

The article previews climbing walls from Bulgarian company Walltopia.

The article argues on the controversy over genetic purity in breeding pygmy goat in the U.S. as of September 2014. The National Pygmy Goat Association (NPGA) sets standard for the breed which banned tri-color characteristic. Ranch owner Donna Elkins, however, sued the association on the ground that it violated the Sherman Antitrust Act over the rule which affects their livelihood of selling goat with color combinations.

The article profiles Leo Igwe, a fellow at the James Randi Educational Foundation for scientific skeptics. It mentions that Igwe is from Nigeria and is campaigning against witchcraft beliefs in Africa. It reports that he has published "Manifesto for a Skeptical Africa" at the foundation's Website in October 2012. Stories about children in Africa being hunted as witches as told by Igwe are also reported.

The article discusses the creation of a new language by the children living in the indigenous village of Lajamanu in northern Australia as of April 2014 which blends the English and Warlpiri languages. A personal narrative is presented in which the linguist Carmel O'Shaunnessy discusses her experience in Lajamanu and her research of the language, which she called Light Walrpiri.