Don’t flip out: Earth’s magnetic poles aren’t about to switch
Science News, November 2015Earth is not heading toward a doomsday reversal of its magnetic field, new research assures.
Thinning ice leads to winter warming in the Arctic
Science News, November 2015Even when the Arctic goes dark and cold, thinning ice could keep the North Pole from cooling off.
Truffles aren’t laced with radioactive cesium
Science News, November 2015Good news, foodies: Truffles are not dangerously radioactive.
Earth’s water originated close to home, lava analysis suggests
Science News, November 2015Molecules entombed inside pristine magmas suggest that Earth’s water came from soggy dust, not icy comets.
Land life spared in Permian extinction, geologists argue
Science News, November 2015The greatest extinction in Earth’s history might not have been so great after all. A suspected colossal die-off of roughly 75 percent of land species didn’t accompany the Permian extinction around 252 million years ago, a team of geologists contend.
Ancient larvae built predator-thwarting mazes
Science News, November 2015Modern animals such as rodents and platypuses dig underground labyrinths to confound predators. So did ancient insect larvae, new research suggests.
Eocene temperature spike caused by half as much CO2 as once thought
Science News, November 2015The hottest time since dinosaurs roamed the planet was caused by nearly half as much carbon dioxide in the air as previously thought, crystals from Earth’s past suggest.
Vampire microbes sucked some ancient life dry
Science News, November 2015Microscopic vampires may have prowled the ancient seas around 750 million years ago. The fossilized remains of their punctured victims may be the oldest direct evidence of predators hunting eukaryotes, a domain of complex organisms that includes plants and animals.
Adapted for Science News for Students.
How to melt an ice cave
Science News, November 2015If you want to keep an ice cave cold, don’t shut the door.
Wi-Fi threatens weather forecasts
Science News, October 2015Wireless technology dangerously clutters the airwaves that meteorologists rely on to monitor thunderstorms, hurricanes and tornadoes, blacking out large swaths of weather radar maps.