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.
Geoengineering is world’s last hope, new book argues
Science News, November 2015The plans sound like something out of the handbook of a James Bond villain: generate artificial volcanic eruptions, seed colossal clouds that shade the planet, cover the oceans in immense algal blooms visible from space. Despite seeming outrageous, such Earth-altering schemes, some argue, may be the only viable way to stave off threats posed by climate change.
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.
New recipe for diamonds: Just add acid
Science News, November 2015A boost in acidity deep inside Earth may yield some serious bling.
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.