Why planting tons of trees isn’t enough to solve climate change

Massive projects need much more planning and follow-through to succeed – and other tree protections need to happen too.

Sea otters stay warm thanks to leaky mitochondria in their muscles

For the smallest mammal in the ocean, staying warm is a challenge. Now, scientists have figured out how the animals keep themselves toasty.

How wielding lamps and torches shed new light on Stone Age cave art

Experiments with stone lamps and juniper branch torches are helping scientists see 12,500-year-old cave art with fresh eyes.

A tweaked yeast can make ethanol from cornstalks and a harvest’s other leftovers

By genetically modifying baker’s yeast, scientists figured out how to get almost as much ethanol from cornstalks as kernels.

Human-driven climate change sent Pacific Northwest temperatures soaring

As scientists dissect what pushed temperatures up to 5 degrees Celsius above previous records, they may have to revamp how to predict heat waves.

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The gap in parenting time between middle- and working-class moms has shrunk

Some well-educated mothers are spending less time with their kids than before, while some less-educated mothers are spending more, a new study shows.

These weird, thin ice crystals are springy and bendy

Specially grown fibers of frozen water bend into curves and spring back when released.

How your DNA may affect whether you get COVID-19 or become gravely ill

A study of more than 45,000 people with COVID-19 has uncovered 13 genetic variants linked to an increased risk of coronavirus infection or a higher chance of developing severe illness.

A shadowy birthplace may explain Jupiter’s strange chemistry

Dust that blocked sunlight caused the giant planet to form in a deep freeze, a new study suggests.

How Romanesco cauliflower forms its spiraling fractals

By tweaking just three genes in a common lab plant, scientists have discovered the mechanism responsible for one of nature’s most impressive fractals.