The Landfill of the Future

Taking inspiration from science fiction, a small company on the Island of Newfoundland aims to revolutionize what we do with garbage.

Mar 29, 2022 | 3,300 words, about 17 minutes

How Your Caffeine Addiction Is Hurting Marine Life

Lab trials show caffeine has a range of negative effects on marine species.

Mar 16, 2022 | 400 words, about 2 minutes

Catching Crabs in a Suffocating Sea

When oceans are starved of oxygen, it can be devastating to crabs and the fishers who rely on them. New tools could help crabbers sidestep dead zones.

Mar 1, 2022 | 3,200 words, about 16 minutes

A Key Tool for Cleaning Up Oil Spills Is More Hazardous Than Helpful

In the decade since the record-breaking use of oil dispersants in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response, science shows they’re dangerous, potentially deadly, and rarely useful. A new court case is forcing the US EPA to reconsider their use.

Dec 14, 2021 | 1,900 words, about 9 minutes

Petrifying Climate Change

Researchers want to combat climate change by chemically converting carbon dioxide into rock on a grand scale.

Jun 3, 2021 | 1,200 words, about 6 minutes

Having Your Desalination and Eating It, Too

A small-scale experiment shows that brine waste from desalination can be turned into fertilizer for hydroponic plants.

Apr 9, 2021 | 750 words, about 3 minutes

The Ocean’s Mysterious Vitamin Deficiency

A puzzling lack of thiamine is disrupting some marine ecosystems.

Jan 28, 2021 | 2,700 words, about 14 minutes

Searching for the Dust That Cooled the Planet

A new study uncovers the origins of iron-rich dust that contributed to the last ice age’s coldest temperatures.

Jan 25, 2021 | 700 words, about 3 minutes